Proud Parent: Computer science instructor hoods daughter during ceremony

Just a few days before Mother’s Day, one father received a special gift during the Graduate Recognition Ceremony for the East Carolina University College of Engineering and Technology.

Brian Dietrick, a senior teaching instructor in the Department of Computer Science, hooded his daughter, Maysun Dietrick-Weeks, who received her master’s degree in computer science on Friday.

Normally, a faculty mentor places the academic hood over the head of master’s students, symbolizing the transition from student to master in their chosen field.

Maysun Dietrick-Weeks listens during the Graduate Recognition Ceremony after being hooded by her father, Brian Dietrick, a senior teaching instructor in the Department of Computer Science.

However, when Dietrick-Weeks was called to cross the stage in the Main Campus Student Center ballroom, her father was there to perform the ritualistic honor.

“It’s just awesome joy,” Dietrick said. “I know there’s not very many people that ever get to experience something like this, and so I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

Dietrick-Weeks described it as a full-circle moment.

“I’m really grateful that I get to experience that with him, especially because I know for his undergraduate degree, I was there when I was really little and now he’s putting the hood on me and my son’s going to be at this graduation, so it’s very special.”

She was pregnant and had her son, now 6 months old, as she worked toward her master’s degree.

“It was really difficult, and I definitely had support from my family,” she said. “They did a lot of babysitting for me so I could get stuff done.”

Her father did some of that babysitting, but he gave most of the credit to his wife. Either way, Dietrick couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for what his daughter accomplished.

“I’m really proud of my daughter,” he said. “She’s been an awesome student. She’s grown to learn so much in the program, and just to be here at the end to put the hood on her, it basically puts a conclusion on it. I’m excited to see where she goes next.”

Dietrick-Weeks doesn’t have immediate career plans. She is expecting another child. However, maybe down the road she can see herself following in her father’s footsteps in the world of higher education.

“I would love if I ever got the opportunity to come back and contribute to the computer science department here,” she said.

For Dietrick, he’s not done watching his children graduate from ECU. His two sons, Dawson and Jason, are working toward their degrees as well, one in computer science and the other in technology.

“It just kind of happened,” he said of having his children go into technical fields. “I don’t think it was like I motivated them very much to go into it. They pretty much did what they wanted to do with their interests when growing up, and they’ve all kind of made their own decision that this is what they want to do.”

With a family in technology, Dietrick-Weeks had an idea of what the future may hold.

“We’re going to be ready to start a family tech company,” she joked.

“I’m sure it would go over well,” her father responded. “There’s a lot of talent there.”