Father-Daughter duo graduate college together

For 40 years Chris felt like he had unfinished business after he left college for a job offer on the radio.

But, once his daughter, Mackinnon Smith, enrolled at the U of I four years ago Chris knew he wanted to go back.

FOR THEIRGRADUATIONAUGUST FIRST... OURLYNSEY AMUNDSONSHARES THE STORYOF A GRADUATEWHO'S DREAMED OFTHIS DAY FOR 40YEARS... AND WHYIT'S EVEN SWEETERTHAN HE IMAGINED."WHY DID I WANT TOGO BACK?

I ASKEDMYSELF THAT MANYTIMES, YEAH THIS ISOLD DOGS NEWTRICKS"FOR 40 YEARS CHRISFELT LIKE HE HADUNFINISHEDBUSINESS.ANDONCE HIS DAUGHTERMACKINNONENROLLED AT THE UOF I..."I THOUGHT ISHOULD TRY ANDGET THIS DONEHAHAHA."BUT GOING TOCOLLEGE WITH YOURDAD."IT'S FUN BEING INCOLLEGE WITH YOURDAD, I DON'T MIND ITAT ALL, I THINK IT'S ABLAST, IT'S FUNNYAS WELL.""WE STARTEDTALKING ABOUT LIKEHEY IF I TAKE THISMANY CREDITS ANDYOU DO THAT WEMIGHT BOTH GET TOGRADUATE AND IKIND OF THOUGHT,DO YOU REALLYWANNA GRADUATEWITH YOUR OLDMAN?"CHRIS WENT TOCOLLEGE ONLINEWHILE MACKINNONWAS ONCAMPUS....HE MAYCALL HIMSELF ANOLD DOG.BUTDURING THATTRANSITION"THEY REALLY HADTO ADJUST TOONLINE CLASSESAND ZOOM CLASSES,I HAVE BEEN GOINGTO COLLEGE ONLINEFOR 4 YEARS, SO IWAS LIKE QUITCOMPLAINING I HAVEBEEN DOING THISFOR 4 YEARS SOYOU'LL GET USED TOIT."ALTHOUGH COLLEGEGAVE THEM MORE TOTALK ABOUT ANDDISCUSS..."I COULD NEVER GETHER TO DO MYHOMEWORK, JUSTLIKE I WON'T DO HERHOMEWORK."THEY PLANNED TOWALK TOGETHER ATGRADUATION AUG.1,BUT INSTEAD WILLENJOY THEIRVIRTUAL CEREMONYTOGETHER IN THEIRBACKYARD..."IT WAS KIND OF AFUN GOAL TO SET,WHY NOT IT'SDOUBLE THECELEBRATION IN MYEYES."MACKINNON ISGRADUATING WITHAN APPLIEDMATHEMATICALBIOLOGY DEGREEEAND IS WORKING INTHE PUBLIC HEALTHFIELD TO HELP FIGHTCOVID-19"THIS PANDEMIC HITAND I KIND OFFIGURED I COULDMAKE A DIFFERENCEWITH WHAT I KNOWAND WHAT ILEARNED INSCHOOL"CHRIS ISGRADUATING WITH ADEGREE INJOURNALISM AND IFHE HAS ANY ADVICEAFTER 40 YEARS..."GET IT DONE, FINISHCOLLEGE, DON'T TRYTO GO BACK, IF YOUCAN GO BACK DO IT,IT'S GOING TO BEHARDER THESECOND TIME, BUTIT'S ALWAYS WORTHIT AND I'M PROUD,SHE GOT DONE IN 4YEARS, I GOT DONEIN 40, THERE'S ROOMFOR IMPROVEMENTTHERE, BUT ATLEAST WE GOTDONE."LYNSEYAMUNDSON...IDAHONEWS 6