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Local family creates graduation ceremony to remember after university cancels commencement due to pandemic

The class of 2020's time to shine has been overshadowed by cancellations, but one local family didn't allow that to stop them from celebrating their grad.

TOLEDO, Ohio —

Imagine dedicating years of determination toward accomplishing a goal and right as you're about to cross the finish line, or in this case walk the stage, you’re told you can’t.

From high school to college and beyond, across the nation the class of 2020's time to shine has been overshadowed by cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I was over it. I was like I don’t wanna do anything, I don’t care. I will watch Netflix and eat a pizza because I am just done," said Bree Allen.

Bree recently graduated this summer from Indiana Weselyan University with her Masters of Public Administration and a concentration in criminal justice. Her summer commencement was canceled and pushed back to Decemeber. 

"It was just one more thing COVID took away and it was just one more thing I couldn’t do because COVID is still here."

"She texted me late, It was the 23rd of July I wont forget it. And she said ‘mom they canceled graduation’ and her emotions, they went straight down," said Toni Jones-Allen, Bree's mother.

That's when Toni decided to do something.  

“And so I texted a good friend of mine that I go to church with and I said 'Dashauna this is the situation, what can I do?' And so she said 'do a mock graduation,' and I said 'that’s the perfect idea.'"

Within just two weeks Toni, with help of family, friends and a party planner, was able to pull off a mock graduation ceremony that followed the standards of a Master's graduation ceremony to the T.


"I incorporated everyone in the family into the ceremony. My brother did the prayer, my sister did the welcome, my nephew did the invocation, my niece read about the speaker and Dr. Pace was hooding my daughter. And then my brother-in-law did the closing remarks," Toni explained. 

"My mom is a very traditional person. She's not a surprise party person. But to see her have all these intricate things. She had a program that matched my school's program. She was like 'you need to have a doctor, a doctor has to give it to you.' She had everyone in their cap and gown, I had on mine. It felt so real," said Bree. 

And if you've ever been to a graudation before, then you know one of the highlights of the ceremony is the keynote speaker. That notion rings even more true for this one-of-a-kind graduation as Bree's aunt Theresa Braddy flew in from Dallas, Texas to surpise her and fill that role.

"It was an honor to be able to do it for her, with her, because I made it unique to her," explained Braddy. "You know a regular commencement is not that personal and everything is more general. But because it was all geared to her, it made it more intimate, it made it more special."

While the number of people who attended the celebration was limited and extra work was put in to make sure safety regulations were followed due to the pandemic, Bree's family said it was all worth it.

"Even in the midst of COVID, just reach out, Pinterest, Facebook other people. Because I didn't have a clue and I reached out and asked and it was definitely something special," Toni said. "Tomorrow's not promised and if it's something that whomever you're celebrating can remember, because 10 years from now she probably won't remember the gifts or the food but she'll remember her mom planned a graduation for her."

“It was better than any graduation I could have ever went to, because that is something that’s going to be with me forever," said Bree.

“It’s truly a gift to be able to see them and I’m in a place where I’m celebrating and not mourning someone," said Braddy.

Bree says for now she wants to get into her field and continuing serving  the community, but a doctoral degree will be next. 

And while she didn’t get to walk across the stage this summer...

Im grateful that she’s walking in her purpose, so that she can impact people's lives on her journey by doing what it is she's been called to do," said Toni.

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