Classmates Surprise Nigerian Boy by Flying His Mum Over for His High School Graduation in US

What a lovely surprise!

A Nigerian student’s classmates and faculty of the high school he attended,  flew his mother from Nigeria to US to witness his graduation ceremony.

According to reports, the man, Mike Tertsea is the only child of his 56-year-old mother, Felicia Ikpum.

During the school’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday, Mike, a basketball player, was surprised to learn that the whole senior class, joined by faculty members, came together to make it possible for his mother to make the trip from Benue State, Nigeria, to see him graduate from high school, Baltimore Sun gathered.

Since he left Nigeria to study abroad at the John Carroll School in Bel Air, 4 years ago, Mike had not set his eyes on his mother. Felicia didn’t even recognise him when she met him at the airport, last Friday.

”I was really, really surprised. It is really a blessing and I thank everyone for coming through. It was a tough flight for her. She said at one point, she felt like giving up. It was also her first time on an airplane, and for a while, she couldn’t recognise me and couldn’t believe it was her son,” Mike said.

Toward the end of the school’s annual ceremony and mass, the school’s principal, Madelyn Ball told the friends and relatives gathered in the gym that one student had asked, “Is Mike’s mom coming to graduation?”

“Everyone was concerned because you see, Mike has not been home for four years,” Ball said.

She then explained how the senior class was able to raise $1,763 for his mom’s trip.

Mike and his mother got a standing ovation as they were asked to come up on the stage, where they each thanked the senior class for bringing them together.

Mike said he is an only child and his mother is his only immediate relative.

”Growing up in the Benue area did mean real challenges, he said.

“People sometimes don’t have food to eat; it’s hard to get food.”

Mike’s mother said when she saw her son, “I screamed, I shouted.”

“I was so excited,” she said about seeing him after four years, noting they had only spoken by phone over the years.