Al Roker Just Shared Amazing News About His Son

Al Roker couldn’t be more proud of 19-year-old son Nick, who was just accepted to not one, but two colleges! The TODAY show weatherman shared on Instagram Thursday the exact moment that Nick, who is on the autism spectrum, learned he had been accepted to two schools. At the start of the video, Nick is staring at his phone as his mother, ABC News senior correspondent Deborah Roberts, turns on the camera.

“So what happened?” Roberts asks, to which Nick replies, “I got accepted. …I’m not even kidding.” He then tells his parents that he even has two offers, exclaiming, “I’m excited!” before high-fiving his dad and hugging his mom. Thursday, Roberts excitedly shared the good news during an appearance on The View, sharing how much it meant to everyone to see Nick succeed. 

“Many of you know, we have been on a journey with our son Nick, who over his lifetime has been dealing with learning disabilities, developmental disabilities. But he has accomplished so many things…He just got accepted into college,” Roberts shared. The family has been open about Nick’s progress throughout the years, going from struggling to talk and walk at age 3 to now being a black belt in taekwondo, a gold medal swimmer for the Special Olympics New York and the principal cross-bearer on the worship team at their church.

Earlier this year, Roker told his third hour TODAY co-hosts he had begun touring colleges with Nick, admitting at the time, “I just… I don’t know that I’m ready for him to leave yet. Time marches on.” Roker has at least been getting to spend extra time with his son during quarantine in 2020, he told AARP The Magazine for the October/November 2020 issue.

“The nicest part about this experience has been spending more time with Nick, and watching him grow and learn,” Roker said at the time. “You want the best for your kids, and this period has been hard because all our normal routines have just been turned upside down. But Nick is adaptable.” Being stuck at home was “challenging” for everyone, but it’s “especially hard when your child has additional needs,” Roker noted. “But I’m so proud of the person Nick is becoming, and so glad I have this extra time to see him maturing into an adult.”