From principal to college graduate! Dennis Haskins, who was best known for playing the principal Mr. Belding on the 90's sitcom "Saved by the Bell," graduated from college on Saturday at the age of 65. The actor obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and speech from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and shared the exciting new with followers on Instagram.
"It's official! Tassel moved from right to left! I'm a graduate! #UTC #TheaterandSpeech #GoMocs," he captioned a selfie of himself smiling during the ceremony while wearing a cap and gown.
He also shared an image of him and his classmates and thanks them for their support, writing, "Thank you to my fellow graduates and all you wonderful people for your love and support on this amazing day for many of us! @utchattanooga @mocsalumni #trending #blessed #grateful."
A photo posted by @realmrbelding on Dec 13, 2015 at 1:32am PST
To make the moment more special, the school played the "Saved by the Bell" theme song when Haskins walked on stage to be presented with his diploma.
"As successful as some have said I've been, from the incredible success of 'Saved by the Bell,' other quality acting roles, the books I've written, and even UTC Distinguished Alumni in 2000, there's always been something missing for me - my college degree," he said in a statement posted on UTC's website.
Haskins attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in his younger years and was only a few credits short of graduation. However, while the university credited him with "life experiences," the actor said he still wanted to earn the credits by attending classes.
"For reasons long past, I left just short of my liberal arts degree in theater," he said. "Over the years, I've thought about and even pursued finishing that degree. Now, with the forward-thinking policies of this great university that I love so much that have benefited many other graduates, I join these graduates in holding my head high having earned my liberal arts degree in theater from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga! Go Chattanooga! And Go Mocs!"
The school said in a statement that Haskins "earned all of the academic credits necessary to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree," according to the college website. In a Livestream video from the university's ceremony, Haskins can be seen taking the stage at around 1:36:45.
