MINNEAPOLIS — DeLaSalle High School promised senior Emma Copeland one thing, four years ago.
"At the beginning of our Freshman year, they say, 'this is your diploma--this is your grand prize for making it through four years and then you get to walk at the Basilica,'" Copeland said. "So we were really looking forward to that ever since Freshman year and we don't get to do that."
Four years of hard work and dreams.
"It's hard because I've pictured myself graduating for so long," Copeland said. "I've been looking forward to it. My choir actually used to sing at the graduation so I've seen it happen."
For students like Copeland, having seen what they could have had makes it even harder. A virtual graduation for them just won't be the same.
Everyone's in the same boat, all throughout the state of Minnesota.
"seeing that my daughters were heartbroken...I mean, we've cried a lot about what their futures are going to look like," Emily Soderlund said.
Soderlund has watched her two daughters Emma and Kayla grapple with the reality of an unceremonious end to their high school careers at St. Peter High School. Knowing that it weighed heavily on her two daughters and their friends at the high school, Soderlund decided to rally the troops.
"I would love to see a parade," Soderlund said. "The city would love to see a parade, the school, the police, chamber of commerce, it's been a lot of networking."
When distance learning was first announced, Soderlund said she saw the writing on the wall for graduation ceremonies and decided to make a Facebook group. The group, dedicated to supporting seniors in St. Peter is teeming with ideas: of yard signs, main street businesses decorating store fronts, brainstorming for what they're hoping to be a big bang ceremony.
"I'd love to see a fireworks show--it came to me one night I was falling asleep-- and I thought, everyone can enjoy fireworks from a distance," Soderlund said.
Other high schools around the state like Wayzata and Washburn are taking to signs, banners and social media shout-outs.
"The real message here is that our children, our seniors are loved and supported," Soderlund said.
All mothers, fathers and guardians hoping that this hurt will heal to eventually remind everyone that the pain does not diminish the hard work of education.
"For all the graduates in this town, across the state, across the country, man we're feeling for you," Soderlund said, tearing up. "We love you guys, you guys have worked so hard. We are so proud of you."
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The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is also a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.