Graduation is the most exciting time for every student. For Francesca Bourdier, the special day was made even better by celebrating it with her tabby cat named Suki.
Suki had joined every single online class her mom had for the last two years. So Bourdier wanted to do something to honor their joint achievement. So she made a little grad hat for Suki and a gown to perfectly match her size.
When the graduation came, she already planned it with Suki for being with her when she was studying. Due to the pandemic, most of her classes took place online. But she was hardly ever alone. As soon as Suki heard her mom’s class start on Zoom, she’d join her in front of the computer.
She just come onto her desk and lay next to it as if she was listening. When she was taking notes on her iPad she would just sit on top of it.
Bourdier adopted Suki in September of 2020 from a local shelter after seeing her picture online. She had driven to three different locations trying to find her. When she finally arrived at the right shelter there was a long line of people trying to adopt Suki.
Bourdier’s persistence paid off and by the end of the day, she was the one to walk away with the lovely cat. She was so happy to be her mom among many others.
Since joining the family Suki has always loved learning new things. She wanted to be mastering tricks such as high-fiving spinning and giving her paw on cue. It seemed only natural when the studious cat started attending every single one of her mom’s Zoom lectures.
Having Suki by her side during the Zoom class provided Bourdier with the emotional support she needed to complete her degree online. When one of her professors asked the class to show their pets, Bourdier got to know that she wasn’t alone. It was cool to see that almost every student had their pet next to them.
While graduating with Suki made Bourdier’s college experience that much more rewarding, it was one of many achievements Bourdier hopes the two will accomplish together. As Bourdier said Suki is just that special.
