Graduation day at Sacred Heart University Sunday was both heartwarming and heartbreaking for Connor E. Geraghty and his mother.

Unlike most graduates, the 21-year-old from Rockville Centre, N.Y., did not have his father waiting in the stands to give him a congratulatory hug at the conclusion of the commencement exercises. Edward F. Geraghty, chief of Battalion 9 for the New York City Fire Department, was killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Connor Geraghty was two weeks away from his 14th birthday when he lost his dad, who was on the 41st floor of the South Tower setting up a triage area for the injured when the building collapsed.

He said he still feels his father's presence, but wanted to make sure he was especially close as he received his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice, so Connor clipped a wallet-size laminated photograph of his father to his gown, "right over my heart, on the left side of my chest so I could keep him close to me," Geraghty said.

"I kissed his picture as I got on top of the stage today. It's nice to know he's still with me," Connor Geraghty said.

Connor's mother, Mary Geraghty, said she wasn't surprised by her son's tribute to his father at graduation because of how close the two had been.

"It was very, very bittersweet because this day is one of the milestones in our children's lives and it's just something he should have been here for," Mary Geraghty said.

"Emotionally it was a tough day, but it was great having the rest of my family there supporting me, and it was great because my father was big on education," said Geraghty, who actually graduated last December, but participated Sunday in the university's 43rd commencement.

Geraghty worked hard to graduate in 3½ years because he had accepted a job offer in the FDNY and was due to start training in the Fire Academy last January, but budget cuts led to a hiring freeze and the postponement of the class until next year.

"He would have been graduating from the Fire Academy and graduating from college the same week but it didn't work out that way," Mary Geraghty said, adding proudly that out of almost 30,000 applicants her son had the fifth highest score on the fire exam.

Fire service wasn't his first choice, she said. Connor Geraghty's career path changed the day he knew his father would not be coming home.

"We waited to hear from him but we never did. Days went by and on the 13th or the 14th [of September], Rudy Guiliani, the mayor at the time, sent a letter to our house declaring him officially missing. That's when it hit us, it hit home that he really wasn't coming back," Connor Geraghty said.

Prior to his father's death, Geraghty had planned to honor his father's wishes to become a doctor or go into a better paying profession than fire service.

"He wanted something better for me but I'm following in his footsteps and going into the fire department as well, but I know he would be so proud," Geraghty said.

"He chose to honor his father and be strong for his family and to graduate college and graduate early and make a career choice for himself that I know will satisfy him as much as it will satisfy all the people he will serve. It's not a surprise to me that Connor is following in his dad's footsteps," Mary Geraghty said.

"It's a passion. I believe it's a calling," said Connor, who will also continue to pursue a project he undertook within weeks of the terrorist attack. In October 2001 Connor started an online petition to enact a National Firefighters' Day on 9/11 each year. He has collected over 1 million e-mail signatures so far.

"I just want people to appreciate what they do. Cops, firefighters, EMS, they're the real heroes out there, not the sports players bringing in $25 million a year. It's your next door neighbor who's going to work as a cop or a firefighter for minimum wage almost," he said.

While his father has influenced his career decision, Geraghty said his mother has also played a significant role in his life. "She is the strongest woman I ever met in my entire life. She's as strong as a rock. She raised me, she pushed me every step of the way," said Geraghty, who plans to get a master's in fire science.