I had thought the time was right to write.

I had just produced a powerful story about a high school student’s graduation that resonated on-air and took off online. I had recognized how that story emerged thanks to a series of “Yes, and …” responses when chances arose. So I wrote a blog entry that detailed the five degrees of separation that led to one poignant piece.

Then a sixth degree showed up.

My story centered around Kaustov Chakrabarti, a senior at Parkview High School in metro Atlanta who lost his father, then his mother, then their home, and pushed through to graduate. The weekend after it ran, I received an e-mail from a viewer and Parkview mother. “I wanted you to know,” she wrote, “about another event that happened recently at Parkview involving graduation.”

The viewer told me about a senior named Lauren Kobe who was scheduled to speak at graduation but, that afternoon, suffered a seizure. She spent graduation night in the hospital, unable to cross the stage with her friends.

The next day, Lauren’s friends – and teachers and administrators – made sure she could.

A group from Parkview showed up in cap and gown in Lauren’s backyard. They conducted a second ceremony in which Lauren got to speak, receive her diploma, and throw her cap skyward. And a videographer got footage.

I loved it.

Five days after running Kaustov’s story, I told Lauren’s. It was another reminder of the importance of cultivating connections, following up, and saying yes when the right story arrives.

The Solo Video Journalist is available for purchase. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher’s web site.

Matt Pearl is the author of the Telling the Story blog and podcast. Feel free to comment below or e-mail Matt at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. You can also follow Matt on Facebook and Twitter.