JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The pandemic cheated most 2020 graduates out of a traditional commencement ceremony. After a yearlong delay, those recent alums at ETSU got a chance to walk the stage inside the ETSU Mini-Dome.
Many graduates saw old friends in-person for the first time in a year. The pandemic forced the end of their college experience to virtual learning.
ETSU graduate Jessica Sullivan returned to her alma mater to attend the ceremony.
"I'm so excited to be back here. I'm really gitty. I'm just trying to hold it all in," Sullivan said.
It's a day Sullivan has been dreaming of. Her father, Ken Terrell, traveled all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida to cheer her on.
"She's worked so hard for this and its just the icing on the cake to get a chance to see her actually walk across the stage," Terrell said.
Sullivan graduated from the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences with a degree in audiology. So far, she's put it to good use.
"Because of my time at ETSU, I knew that I really wanted to continue my work with veterans and I'm so happy to continue that at the Orlando VA," Sullivan said.
Now that Sullivan's college dream is fulfilled, she leaves other 2020 graduates with words of wisdom.
"You still earned your degree and you still get to work and do the things that you hopefully love. So congratulations and I'm sorry that you didn't get the circumstance, but that doesn't make your experience any less valid," Sullivan said.