Bill and Melinda Gates joined their daughter Jennifer as she walked for graduation from Columbia University on Wednesday, May 17. The exes smiled as they posed for a photo with their oldest child, 27, after she completed her Master’s program in Public Health. Bill, 67, and Melinda, 58, both looked so proud of their daughter as she celebrated her academic achievement two years after they divorced.
Jennifer stood in between her mom and dad, wearing her light blue graduation robe and cap. Melinda rocked a pink dress with a matching jacket with an orange trim. Bill sported a dark blue suit and a white button-down shirt. Jennifer’s husband Nayel Nassar stood next to Bill, and he also wore a navy blazer, as he posed with his wife and in-laws.
In her Instagram caption, Jennifer celebrated her graduation and noted that she still had some work to finish as part of her program. “Thank you @columbiapublic health for this incredible educational opportunity and the village around me who made this possible. Grateful,” she wrote with prayer hands and star emojis. “Transparency— accelerated students officially get our degrees conferred in October when practicum deliverables are due, but all coursework is completed and we walk in the ceremony and celebrate now.”
Nayel also took to his Instagram Story to congratulate his wife on finishing the program. He shared the photo of Jennifer with her parents and wrote, “So proud.” Jennifer and the equestrian star have been married since October 2021, and they also welcomed their first child, a daughter, in March. The baby is also Bill and Melinda’s first grandchild.
Bill and Melinda announced that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage in May 2021. The pair, who continue to run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation together, announced their split in a statement. “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the [Gates] foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives,” they said. Their divorce was finalized in August of that year.