RETURN TO SEARCH
ID: TT-6483

First-Generation Harvard Grad Brings Parents To Tears When He Surprises Them With Singing Performance

A first-generation Harvard graduate brought his immigrant parents to tears when he secretly performed at his commencement. Bryant Valenzuela, 22, surprised Jaime, 51, and Patricia, 55—who moved from Mexico to Texas before raising their family—by taking the stage during a campus church event on graduation weekend. The couple had no idea their son, a keen singer, had been selected to perform. Raised in Ague Dulce Colonia outside El Paso, Bryant grew up first in an aqua-green trailer and later a home on the same plot—without a sewer system, sidewalks, streetlights, or dependable hot water. Those conditions, he said, shaped his drive. He earned early admission to Harvard with financial aid, crediting his parents’ “hard work, words of affirmation, and genuine belief” for his success. For the ceremony, he wanted the spotlight on them. His solo, “Para ti Papa,” honors parenthood and centers on a son telling his father how much he matters. As a lyric about a father’s pride in a child’s fulfilled dreams rang out, Jaime wiped away tears.
Release Status:
TV & Digital
Advertising
* More Information
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
  • Date Acquired: 06-10-2025
  • Date Filmed: 06-10-2025
  • Orientation: Vertical
  • Footage Type: Cell Phone
  • Rights :  TV & Digital, Commercial, Publishing
Tags:  song , sing , Harvard , Mexican , Mexico , parents , graduation , grad , surprise , Massachusetts

First-Generation Harvard Grad Brings Parents To Tears When He Surprises Them With Singing Performance

Follow link below to enquire about a Custom Package
Order
*Sign In Or Sign Up for Instant Access*
Custom Package? Get In Touch

Parents Surprised With Son's Baby News Through Song

Sisters Surprise Parents With Family Portrait That Includes Late Brother

Dad Who Is Blind Learns Father-Daughter Dance And Records Song To Surprise Bride

Son Surprises Immigrant Parents With Cap And Gown At Master's Ceremony

Dad Travels 2000 Miles to Surprise Son at 5th Grade Graduation

First-Generation College Grad Proudly Presents Parents With Cap And Gown

Nine Siblings Secretly Recreate Cheesy Family Photos From 19 Years Ago

Daughter Surprises Parents With Money To Pay Off Mortgage In Chick-fil-A-Boxes

Congregation Sing Around Piano Among Rubble Of Church Destroyed By Tornado

Military Dad Surprises Daughter at Graduation

Dad Surprises Son On Graduation After Five Years

Father-Figure Stepdad Surprises Stepdaughter With Adoption After 11 Years

Boy Jumps For Joy When Foster Parents Reveal He's Been Adopted

After 18 Years Apart Man Flies To US To Surprise Brother

Girl Who Lost Both Parents Surprised By Supportive Classmates On Adoption Day

Social Media Helps Mom Surprise Son With Car For 16th Birthday

Boy With Cerebral Palsy Stands For First Time To Sing Lion King

Grandma With Alzheimer's Sings Childhood Song To Grandson

Nurse Sings Song To Give Dying Patient Hope To Keep Fighting

10-Day-Old Son Taps Out Soldier Dad At Army Graduation

Son Performs With Mariachi Band To Surprise Mom With Green Card News After 30 Years Of Missing Family

Teen Brings Grandpa To Tears When He Hires School's Mariachi Band To Play Their Song

Son Gifted Memory Bear From Late Mom's Wedding Blouse

Daughter Joins Military With Goal Of Helping Parents Reunite With Family After 24 Years

Single Mom Who Drove Son To School Every Day Cries When She Surprises Him With First-Ever Car

After 12 Years Apart Blindfolded Grandma Surprised By Granddaughter She Raised

Toddler Hears Mom Sing For First Time After Getting Hearing Aids

Dad Thinks He's Checking Out Daughter's New Home But She Bought It For Him

Mom Surprised With Portrait Of Late Son