Philadelphia Celebrates Latest Crop Of College Grads With A Class Photo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - College graduates from the Class of 2011 at many of Philadelphia's schools of higher learning had their photo taken today on the steps of the art museum with local politicians and educators.
This second annual "graduation photo shoot" was held to promote our area's colleges and universities.
Among the participants was Ziggy Gambel, a film student from Temple University.
"They call this the land of opportunity and I think a lot of us take that for granted," he said. And he says his college education opened some incredible opportunities for him.
"When I entered the film program I didn't really know where it would take me. I thought, why not make a documentary about returning to the Philippines? I was reunited with my birth mother for the first time. Our documentary went on to win the audience award at Diamond Screen Film Festival and the Derek Freese award for being one of the top two best projects in our senior class," Gambel said.
"We're trying to become the education city," Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter told KYW Newsradio immediately following the photo shoot. "We have 101 colleges and universities in the tri-state area. We're an education-rich community."
"I love the first day of school, but there's nothing like graduation," he added. "We want to celebrate these graduates -- we're proud of them. They're role models."
Graduates came in all forms, including a mother-and-son duo who got a graduate degree and an undergraduate degree, respectively.
"I just wanted to do something for myself, and this was it!" said mom.
"I'm more proud of my mother because I'm just beginning," said son. "She's a wonderful mother."
Reported by Hadas Kuznits, KYW Newsradio 1060
