Student with Down syndrome first to graduate college in four years

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU/CNN) – It was a standing ovation for the first student with Down syndrome to complete four years of college in Oregon.

Cody Sullivan graduated from Concordia University on Saturday. His friends say that’s exactly what they expected to happen.

“It’s something that’s so normal for us. We see him every day. We don’t see him any different. So it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s graduating; he’s done his four years here; he’s got his degree,'” said Matt Schweitz.

Sullivan received a certificate of achievement in Elementary Education thanks to the West Coast Think College coalition program.

It works with colleges and universities to include students with intellectual disabilities in typical classes.

“So Cody would have his notes in class, that he’d taken before, that aligned to what we were working on, and then when we had a project, he’d be up there with a modified project that fit the requirements of what we were doing in class,” said Seth Phelps, another friend of Cody’s.