The graduating class at North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles had quite a surprise during their commencement ceremony.
Commencement speaker, donor Anil Kochhar and his wife paid the final-year student loans for the entire graduating class, WTVD reported.
The Raleigh News & Observer called the gift “potentially life-changing financial news.”
The newspaper said Kochhar’s father attended the school.
“It is my privilege to announce today that, in honor of my father Prakash Chand Kochhar, Marilyn and I are providing a graduation gift to cover all the final-year education loans incurred by Wilson College graduates during the 2025–26 academic year,” he announced during the ceremony.
“Marilyn and I hope that all of you leave Reynolds Coliseum today not only with a degree but with greater freedom to pursue your goals, take risks and build the lives you’ve worked so hard to achieve,” he added.
Watch the moment and reaction below in a post on the school’s Instagram account.
Kochhar’s father moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, from Punjab, India, in 1946 to learn about textile manufacturing. He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, the school said in a news release.
This was not the only time Kochhar had helped future generations. He has also sponsored a scholarship and made several donations to the institution over the years, the New & Observer reported.
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