Janaye Gray, 21, and Zach Plantz, 22, aren’t like most undergraduates.

In October, they welcomed their son Jagger Plantz into the world.

Now, seven months later, they both graduated from SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

They held their son and gave him one final kiss Saturday before entering the Wildcat Field House to get their diplomas. Gray earned a degree in nursing and Plantz in mechanical engineering.

They were among almost 800 graduates, making it the largest class SUNY Poly has ever had. More than 3,000 family members attended the 42nd commencement ceremony.

“It’s hard,” Gray said about juggling a full-time course load, a job and being a new mother. “We got a lot of help from our parents.”

Knowing there was only one semester left after having their son helped Gray and Plantz get through the rest of the school year.

Meredith Lizotte, 28, agreed with Gray and Plantz that balancing work, school and family is hard. She said it was her friends, family and faculty that helped her get through it.

Lizotte is part of the largest program on campus — nursing.

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