When Cecilia Hernandez walked across the stage to receive her diploma from Rollins College on May 11, she wasn’t alone, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Right beside her, decked out in her own protective gear and signature golden glow, was Canela, the loyal service dog who helped make that moment possible.
“My service dog received a special patch for her vest in recognition of her hard work at graduation,” Cecilia, 22, wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post on May 13. “Having a service dog in chemistry is nearly unheard of. It required many, many training sessions just to get her used to wearing PPE.”
Yes, you read that right. While most college pups might fetch frisbees, Canela fetches goggles, booties, and a lab-safe vest, because this golden retriever knows her way around a beaker or two.
Over their three-and-a-half-year journey together, Canela has been more than a best friend, she’s been Cecilia’s partner in science and strength. “After training, we realized that she could and she did very well in the lab,” Cecilia shared. “So that allowed me to keep pursuing my passion in chemistry.”
That passion paid off. Hernandez graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in English. But her journey wasn’t easy. She’s faced serious health challenges, including endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiac issues, yet found new hope with Canela by her side.
“My freshman year, I honestly thought that I wasn’t going to make it to graduation,” she said. “When I got Canela and we were training her, I was thinking to myself, like, ‘This is going to work.’”
And it did. From late nights in the lab to long days researching her undergraduate thesis, Cecilia and Canela were inseparable. “As I did research for an undergraduate thesis, this required even longer days in the lab,” she explained.
To accommodate those demanding lab environments, Canela sports her own PPE, lab booties, safety goggles, and a de-shedding vest because even service dogs have to follow protocol when handling chemistry!
Rollins College surprised everyone by recognizing Canela at the commencement ceremony, awarding her a special patch for her vest. “It was definitely a surprise. Everybody was cheering,” Cecilia recalled. “I was just so proud that I was able to make it this far with her.”
“I am beyond grateful @rollinscollege provided such a wonderful campus and community, allowing me to thrive with my service dog by my side,” she added in an online post.
Now, this dynamic duo is headed for their next chapter: Cecilia will be pursuing a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Central Florida this fall, and you can bet Canela will be right there, lab goggles and all.
