Culture May 29, 2023

Joanna Gaines celebrates oldest son’s graduation from high school

Brian Ach/Invision via AP, FILE
In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Joanna Gaines poses for a portrait in New York.

Joanna Gaines is celebrating an important milestone in her son Drake’s life.

The eldest Gaines son, 18, graduated from high school last week, according to his mom, who marked the achievement with multiple social media posts.

“It feels like just yesterday that we were cheering him on as he took his first steps…but last weekend, as he walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma (!!) we were cheering him on as he took his first steps into a world beyond what he’s known. We’re so proud of you, Drake,” the proud mom wrote in a Sunday Instagram video post, set to Tracy Lawrence's "Time Marches On" and showing photos of young Drake over the years.

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Brian Ach/Invision via AP, FILE
In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Joanna Gaines poses for a portrait in New York.

The Magnolia co-founder shared another post with a photo in what appears to be Drake from behind, dressed in a black graduation robe and cap while holding his younger brother. She captioned the post with just three words, “Melt. My. Heart,” and a red heart emoji.

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Gaines revealed last year in a fall issue of Magnolia Journal that Drake will be heading off to college after graduation.

"Soon, our oldest son, Drake, will be leaving home for college," the Magnolia Journal editor-in-chief wrote. "In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement. But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own."

Bonnie Cash/UPI via Shutterstock, FILE
In this April 26, 2023, file photo, Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and the South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at the White House in Washington, D.C.
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Joanna and her husband, Chip Gaines, are parents of five children – three sons and two daughters, including Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie Kay, and their youngest, Crew.