Rebecca Hohaia and Nick Swindells, of Dunedin, were due to graduate from Otago Polytechnic last December but found themselves in hospital instead.
The engaged students, who were due to graduate with a bachelor of applied management degree, were not expecting son David's birth to coincide so precisely with their big day.
Ms Hohaia (21) went into labour on Wednesday, December 7, one day before her Maori pre-graduation ceremony and two days before the polytechnic's formal graduation.
Thinking she had time to spare, Ms Hohaia honoured her obligation to deliver a speech at the Maori pre-graduation.
"I gave my speech, but I got a contraction in the middle of it and it was quite awkward to be honest, although it kept me busy on the day," she said.
On the graduation Friday, she was admitted to hospital about 6.30am and went into full labour a few hours later.
"Generally, you are in that stage for four hours max, so my midwife was fairly certain that at least Nick would make it across the stage to graduate at 3pm," she said.
David was born at 4.24pm - preventing Ms Hohaia and Mr Swindells (21), a 2008 Otago Daily Times Class Act recipient, from graduating alongside their classmates.
"To begin with, it was a bit gutting because we didn't graduate with our friends, but I couldn't think of a better reason to miss graduation. David's the best graduation present we could ask for," Ms Hohaia said.
As president of the Otago Polytechnic Students' Association, Ms Hohaia will be on stage during today's graduation, but Mr Swindells and family members will look after David in the audience.
But the baby will join his parents in the graduation procession.
David is named after Mr Swindells' father, the late David Swindells, who was communications manager at Dunedin Hospital but died aged 38 in 1996.
Ms Hohaia's great-uncle was also named David.
