Sometimes, students really melt our hearts for being too amazing and mature, then anyone can ever imagine. A recent video going viral online, has captured one such moment and netizens are all in praise for the students from New York's Carmel High School. Their empathetic treatment towards a classmate, Jack Higgins, during the graduation ceremony is winning hearts online. Jack, is an autistic high school student and has extreme sensitivity to noise. Respecting his comfort, the students gave a silent ovation to Jack, while he approached the dais to collect his diploma certificate. The emotional video of the High School graduation moment is going viral. How to Behave Around Someone with Autism?
A graduation ceremony is supposed to be full of cheers and claps, echoing at the hall. But Carmel High School’s principal, Lou Riolo requested his students to keep their calm and respect their classmate’s achievement in silence. In the viral clip, Jack can be seen approaching the stage, with fingers in his ears, but the loud noise he expected, was nowhere to be heard. While Riolo may have expected his students to follow his request, he certainly did not expect his students to perform a standing ovation. Jack received a silent standing ovation during his graduation and it could not get any better. Link Between Vaccine and Autism – Is There Any Truth to the Anti-Vaxxer Theory?
Watch Video of Autistic Student Getting Silent Ovation on His Graduation Day
“The students were amazing,” Riolo was quoted in CNN. “They are a class act and superseded expectations. For example them rising to their feet after Jack received his diploma was them. It was not preplanned and no one told them to act like that that. They felt compelled to show their support in that way. They made that amazing compassionate gesture on their own,” he added.
The act of Carmel High School’s students towards their classmate is remarkable. The support of the student body and teaching staff speaks volume about what compassion can do and what a real community standing in unison looks like.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2019 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).