Collegesuffolk universityCommencement Centralcommencement-2012

Father And 3 Sons All Get MBAs Together At Suffolk's Sawyer Business School

All In The Family: Father, Three Sons All Get MBAs Together
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The family that... studies together must really be a close-knit family.

Boston businessman Thomas Demakes, 69, has been working at his successful family-owned business, Old Neighborhood Foods, since he was 5, following in the footsteps of two previous generations.

But to take his business to the next level, he decided to go back to school to get his MBA - and convinced his three sons to do the same. So, Demakes and his sons - Elias, 34, Timothy, 32 and Andrew, 31 - all enrolled at Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School, took the same classes together and graduated together last Saturday.

"It was definitely a surreal feeling to be on stage with my brothers and father at the graduation ceremony," Andrew tells The Huffington Post. "We worked hard to get through it."

The youngest Demakes says that his father, who always expected a lot from his sons, was the driving force behind the idea to study together. "He's always led by example but it was also a way of bonding with us as well as pushing us to improve ourselves." Demakes adds that the experience was definitely unique, even for his close family - "It could have been a reality TV show since we all have strong opinions."

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Before You Go

The College Commencement Drinking Game
Pop Culture Reference(01 of08)
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1 ShotWhether your speaker is a nervous graduating senior or someone in their 50's trying to fit in with an auditorium full of 22-year-olds, chances are they might try to insert a relatable pop-culture reference into their speech. Something like the Jersey Shore or Lady Gaga. That way, you might think to yourself Oh, hey, that's something I saw on TV! I connect with this speaker!Amy Poehler was funny when she said "You're all here today because someone gave you strength. Helped you. Held you in the palm of their hand. God, Allah, Buddha, Gaga--whomever you pray to." But if the former-CEO of a Fortune 500 company name-drops Twilight, you can bet they got their advice from ehow.com. (credit:Getty)
Mentioning Rival School(02 of08)
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1 drink.Most schools have a rival, especially the larger public universities. The thing is that most people only care about their rival when it comes time for gameday against that school. No one from Duke University is sitting in their cap and gown thinking about the University of North Carolina. So mentioning "Remember the good times, like when we beat [insert rival's name here]" isn't making your speech any better. (credit:Getty)
Employment(03 of08)
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1 drink.Oh yeah, it's tough out there. Pretty good chance no one will find a job. Trust us, we know this. We graduates are sitting there realizing our status is about to change from "student" to "unemployed." Please, just give us this afternoon without mentioning employment. We'll remember when we spot someone with "Hire Me" on their mortarboard. (credit:AP)
Follow Your Dreams(04 of08)
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2 drinks.If we followed our dreams 12 percent of us would be superheroes, 23 percent would be professional athletes, 8 percent would be in rock bands, 5 percent would be super models, 3 percent would've become ninjas, 4 percent would be living on Sesame Street, and 11 percent would be designing video games. We chose to go to college instead.(That does not add up to 100, but whatever). (credit:Alamy)
When The Speakers Are Actually Funny(05 of08)
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2 drinks.We don't want to act like everyone is terrible! Sometimes the speakers are actually really funny. We have a couple examples for you... Ellen DeGeneres said in 2009 "When I was your age, I was dating men. So what I'm saying is, when you're older, most of you will be gay." Amy Poehler in 2011: "And make no mistake about it, you are dumb. You're a group of incredibly well-educated dumb people."Sascha Baron Cohen as Ali G in 2004: "You are the next captains of industry. Sitting in front of me is probably the next Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Ronald McDonald." (credit:YouTube)
People Sleeping(06 of08)
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1-3 drinks.If you catch someone sleeping in the crowd-- this deserves a drink. If you catch an entire group or row falling asleep, then add 3 drinks. (credit:AP)
"I Went To College In Pre-History"(07 of08)
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1 drink.In all probability, some speaker is going to mention they're old. Whether it's a celeb or a professor, they will probably make share an anecdote about what it was like when they were your age. We get it -- you're not our age. You were born before, when ideals were ideals. (credit:AP)
Bright Future(08 of08)
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1 drink.If they mention that you have a bright future ahead, well yeah, you just paid anywhere from $20K to $150K for this degree -- you better have a bright future! (credit:Getty)
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