Anchored to Joy: Naval Chief Surprises Jubilee Livingway Student at the End of the Year Awards Ceremony.
Left to Right: Chief Morales of the U.S. Navy, David Morales, a student at Jubilee Livingway, Chief Morales' wife, Lydia Diaz-Morales
David Morales, a student at Jubilee Livingway, received a special surprise at the end-of-the-year ceremony. David's father, Chief Morales of the U.S. Navy, was assigned to Japan for nearly two years. David's mother and Chief Morales' wife, Lydia Diaz-Morales, shares “We had reached out to his teacher (Mrs. Salazar) to see if it would be possible to surprise him [student David Morales] during the 5th-grade awards ceremony, and without hesitation, the entire administration was on board. The plan was to have David say the Pledge of Allegiance on stage, and his father would come onto the stage holding the U.S. flag and surprise him.”
In the video, the student learns of a special guest attending the end-of-the-year ceremony. At first, David does not seem to realize the special guest is his father. He does a double-take, and upon recognizing his father, he runs to him for a warm embrace.
Lydia Diaz-Morales adds, “This was truly a memorable experience for our son and family. It's very difficult having a parent in the military and, unfortunately, not being able to attend important events. Jubilee Livingway went above and beyond to make this surprise memorable for our son, and for that, we will be forever grateful.”
