VIDEO: Alabama State legend has emotional TODAY reunion with former student

NEW YORK (WSFA) - Dr. Tommie ‘Tonea’ Stewart was reunited Tuesday with former student and Broadway star Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss in a national broadcast from the TODAY Show.

Boss joined Hoda Kotb to help co-anchor “Third Hour TODAY with Hoda and Jenna.” While there, he was told the show would be honoring a teacher, but he didn’t know it would be one of his own mentors.

Boss, known as tWitch, was the DJ on “The Ellen Show” and graduated from Montgomery’s Lee High School.

“Stephen Boss will tell you that my motto is: “Where you come from does not dictate where you will end up,”” Stewart said in a video message to tWitch.

Following the heartfelt message, the two shared an emotional reunion live on the show.

“Wonderful,” Stewart told Hoda when asked what it was like to see her former student.

Stewart said she has been following tWitch’s progress all these years.

The show then surprised Stewart with a video message from a handful of other students she impacted during her time as an educator.

“I’m a kid from Montgomery, Alabama, and all of the sudden, I’m sitting next to you right now? It is from teachers like that, and belief and support like that, to just say, ‘You can.’” tWitch told Hoda.

“All of them have done so well,” Stewart said, as she wiped away tears.

Stewart retired as the Dean of Visual and Performing Arts from Alabama State University in 2019.