A student’s account of her graduation has gained widespread attention. Not only did she graduate with a master’s degree, but so did her dog from the institution they both attended! Brittany Hawley, who is 25 years old has a golden retriever by the name of Griffin who serves as her support dog.

Since Hawley was a teenager and discovered that she had reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, she has been confined to the use of a wheelchair.

When Hawley was about to graduate from her degree in 2018, she realized that she would not have been able to complete her master’s degree without the assistance of Griffin. She reasoned that it was only right that Griffin should also be recognized for his contribution, as it was only proper.

After making contact with her institution, they not only agreed to bestow an honorary degree onto Griffin, but they also invited him to participate in the event as well. It goes without saying that the participation of Griffin in the event brought joy to all of those present.

Clarkson University in New York granted Hawley a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She is a certified occupational therapist and Griffin is said to have shown persistent devotion, outstanding effort, and conscientious attention to Hawley’s success.

Griffin is able to retrieve his owner’s phone, switch the lights on and off, open doors, and get to objects that are in difficult to reach places on a regular basis. In addition to this, he is there to console Hawley and assist her in overcoming her worry and sadness.

Hawley emphasized that in the event that she was separated from her dog, she would be unable to take part in any activity.

During the time that Hawley was doing her internship as part of the requirements for her degree, she worked at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. There, she assisted service members who were struggling with both mobility and mental health concerns.

Griffin, in point of fact, did his lot to aid the troops in their recuperation as well, seeing as how petting a dog may help enhance a person’s range of motion in addition to assisting in the reduction of feelings of worry.

Hawley says that in the future, when she will apply for employment, she and Griffin will be a package deal and be considered together: “Without him, I would have been unable to take part in anything. I’ve become so used to him being there.”