CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Drew Pescaro, one of four students injured in a deadly shooting on the campus of UNC Charlotte in 2019, graduated from the school this weekend.
It was an emotional moment when Pescaro, a communications student, rang the bell at the commencement ceremony.
While at UNCC, Pescaro wrote for the school's newspaper and served as a recruitment assistant for the football team. He plans to pursue a career in sports journalism.
Pescaro was inside Kennedy Hall on April 30, 2019, when a gunman stormed in and shot multiple students. A bullet missed his spine by just inches. He underwent multiple surgeries and spent weeks in the hospital. Two students, Riley Howell and Ellis Reed Parlier, died from their injuries.
"While you're in the hospital for that, you're just constantly, every single day, you're receiving really intense pain medicine," Pescaro said. "You're not thinking; you're just kind of out of it."
During his recovery, Pescaro got to chat with Tim Tebow, met some Charlotte athletes and even got to tour ESPN's studios. Drew then used his platform to help others who were struggling with their mental health.
"Being able to walk across the stage after going through such a traumatic experience is going to weigh on me a lot both in positive and negative ways," he said.