Aaleiyah Spaulding of Springfield said Thursday she had not been on the University of Illinois Springfield campus since the school went to remote classes in March 2020.
Spaulding was taking part in a "stage experience" at Sangamon Auditorium, marking her graduation with a degree in psychology. That experience may have kept down the number of guests because of COVID-19 , and Spaulding couldn't celebrate with all of her classmates, but it was memorable nonetheless, she said.
"I was worried we weren't going to do it because of COVID," Spaulding said before the short ceremony. "Even if it's just six guests, I'm just happy. My family is here. That's enough for me."