'I Feel Thankful': Oklahoma High Schooler Receives Special Graduation For His Determination

When life got in the way, a Tulsa high school student couldn't graduate with his classmates, but after a lot of work and support, he achieved his goal.

Graduation day was special for Jesse Dellatorre.

"It's going to be my graduation," he said.

Dellatorre received his high school diploma from KIPP Tulsa.

"I didn't think I was going to be able to make it," Dellatorre said.

His reason? He needed to financially support his family.

"After school, I have to go to work and sometimes I didn't have time to do my work and then the next day I would fall asleep in class," Dellatorre said.

He did not finish with the rest of his classmates in the spring, but Jesse's Principal Donterrio Marzett wanted to give him another chance.

"I know he's working to support himself and his family and I do think that although he was putting in all that hard work, he would be persistent and still come," said Interim Executive Director of KIPP Tulsa Donterrio Marzett. "Even if he came late he would still come. Jessie committed a lot of time already to his education and I felt like it was really important for him to finish."

Jesse's teachers helped him finish the last two credits he needed to graduate.

"Kids could stop. They could quit and give up, Jessie's been with us since fifth grade and he is showing up and that's all we can ask you to do is show up. Since he's been showing up, I said we have to do something special for him," Marzett said.

That something special was a graduation ceremony just for Jesse, and the opportunity for him to finally turn his tassel from right to left.

"He came back the next year and that can be really hard right? You can go over the summer to finish your requirements but coming back the next school year your classmates have gone and have graduated and you are persistent that is all we can ask for," Marzett said.

And though he might not show it, Jesse is proud.

"I feel thankful. My mom, she told me to keep going, not to give up on my teachers, Mr. Marzett, they gave me another to chance to finish," Dellatorre said.