WALKING ACROSS THE
STAGE FOR GRADUATION.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC...THAT'S ALL CHANGED.
FORT WAYNE'S NBC REPORTER, KARLI
VANCLEAVE TALKED WITH ONE
STUDENT WHO'S
FEELING THE IMPACT.




THE TRADITIONAL CELEBRATION
WON'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
INSTEAD... MOST COLLEGE GRADS
WILL ATTEND A VIRTUAL CEREMONY
THEY'LL GET A DIPLOMA IN THE
MAIL... AND TURN THEIR TASSEL
FROM HOME.
AND FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE THE
FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO
GRADUATE..
IT'S IMPACTING THEM EVEN MORE.




(0:02-0:05)Growing up I
basically had no
choice college was going to
happen,
SANDRA MACIAS WORKED H
WHOLE LIFE TO BE ONE OF THE
FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO GO TO
COLLEGE
my parents wanted to go to
college but they
weren't able to
NOW...SHE'S GRADUATING FROM
INDIANA UNIVERSITY... BUT SHE
WONT HAVE QUITE THE ENDI
SHE ALWAYS DREAMED OF
As a first generation college
student this is
something you dream of your
whole life, and its kidn of not
the same as an online
commencement
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT...
SANDRA'S CHANCE TO WALK ACROSS
THAT STAGE AND BE HANDED H
DIPLOMA...WAS TAKEN AWAY.
(0:38-0:42)The loss of walking
across the
stage is just one of the losses
SHUBITHA KEVER, DIRECTOR OF THE
PURDUE FORT WAYNE TRIO PROGRAM
FOR FIRST GENERATI
COLLEGE STUDENTS...SAYS ITS NOT
JUST A LOSS FOR THE
STUDENTS ...
But then for their families also
have a
sense of loss, and they have
been very invested in their
student being the first
in their family to go...
SHE SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN
CHECKING IN ON THEIR SENIORS A
LOT MORE THAN USUA
First gen students are very
resilient by
nature, they are very
determined, perseverant, they've
overcome a lot
already....they see this as
hopefully an opportunity too.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR
FUTURE...
just knowing that you are paving
your way
for your next generation, I know
that my kids are going to want
to look up to
me and go to college
eventually and we are all going
to
make it




INDIANA UNIVERSITY'S VIRTUAL
GRADUATION WILL TAKE PLACE THIS
SATURDAY
AD LIB
