A Unique Dedication at Graduation

Normally, graduation ceremonies feature academic robes, diplomas, flowers, and families proud of their graduates. However, one student from Brazil has shown a unique way to pay tribute to his achievement by carrying to the graduation stage a gas cylinder.
Such a gesture has been done by Lorenzo Monfardini, who is a graduate of the Federal University of Ouro Preto in Brazil. The diploma holder has celebrated his success not only because he managed to finish his studies but also to honor his dad for all his efforts during these years.

Special Significance of a Gas Cylinder

A gas cylinder was not just an item in the daily use in the Lorenzo's house; for the graduate it became a symbol of dedication of his dad.
The fact is that the dad of Lorenzo, Jefferson Gomes Monfardini, has worked as a commercial representative of the gas company for 26 years. Therefore, Lorenzo wanted to honor his dad's work by bringing a cylinder to the stage.
This emphasized the relation between his father’s occupation and Lorenzo’s academic path.

Tribute to the Person Who Made It Possible

Graduating from a university usually implies many years of hard work, yet students could not do it without the help of their families.
That is why Lorenzo wanted to thank his family for their contributions during the time when he was working toward his degree. He did this by bringing an item which would remind the audience of his father’s occupation.
The gesture expressed gratitude for all the efforts put into his success by Lorenzo’s family.

The Tribute Was Suggested by His Mother

This unique tribute was said to be the brainchild of Lorenzo’s mother, Cláudia Matos Araújo Monfardini.
Cláudia was impressed when she saw a graduation tribute where a graduate used something related to her family’s profession to thank her parents.
This prompted Lorenzo’s family to use the gas cylinder as it signified Lorenzo’s father’s profession and dedication to his field.t

Five Years of Engineering Education

After approximately five years of engineering education, Lorenzo graduated from Production Engineering.

Having gone through many years of classes, assignments, and exam preparations, graduation marked a significant event in his life.

But instead of using this ceremony as an opportunity to get his diploma only, Lorenzo decided to give respect to the man who devoted several decades of his life trying to provide for his family.

A Visual Expression of Hard Work

The image of a graduate wearing a traditional academic gown carrying a gas cylinder drew people’s attention right away.
This thing served as a visual expression of something abstract – hard work that goes on before achieving any success in education.
Lorenzo made his father’s 26 years of working in the gas industry an integral part of his graduation story.

Spread Online Emotionally

Photographs of Lorenzo carrying the cylinder soon grabbed people’s attention online.
It was unique in the sense that it featured a humorous and yet special event for both the graduate and his family, as well as having significance in personal terms.
Anyone who viewed such images could easily recognize the fact that the cylinder was not just some props, but signified a profession, years of work by the father and even family support in getting the university degree.

Beyond a Normal Graduation Photograph

What made Lorenzo’s act so memorable was its background.
Normally, a graduation photograph features the student after completing all academic requirements. However, for Lorenzo, the graduation photograph depicted not only the culmination of his studies but also a tribute to his father.
In this way, the cylinder is a symbol that there are parents and families working hard to help their children achieve success through university degrees.

From a Son to a Father

The action taken by Lorenzo to bring the cylinder on stage turned the usual graduation ceremony into a family tribute.
The job of his father was included in the ceremony, and hence, Lorenzo could openly acknowledge the 26 years that he considered to be connected with his education.
The situation is an illustration of how important a gesture can be when it symbolizes many years of family effort and persistence.
The cylinder to Lorenzo was not just an item that his father was working with but the whole journey leading to graduation.