The Alpine School District is facing backlash after the name of Samantha Corey, a student who passed away after battling cancer just months before her graduation, was omitted from the graduation ceremony. Although she fulfilled all the requirements to graduate on time, her name was not called, and her students were prohibited from accepting her diploma on her behalf.
RELATED STORIES: Indiana Family Says School Ignored Bullying Reports Before 10-Year-Old Son’s Suicide
Samantha passed away in January 2024 after battling a rare and terminal form of cancer before she could complete her senior year at America Fork High School. Her journey started in her sophomore year, but she was determined to continue her education amidst chemotherapy treatments. According to the Daily Mail, her mother, Kimberly Corey, said her school had been very supportive during her illness, making her exclusion from the ceremony more painful for the family.
“We weren’t asking for special treatment. We just didn’t want her to be erased from her own graduation. It was about acknowledging her effort and her fight to make it through,” she explained to FOX 13. Additionally, the district’s decision to prevent her siblings from participating in the ceremony or having her name read out was seen as an act of erasing her memory. The family stated that even a simple acknowledgment would’ve been a gesture of recognition for her struggles and achievements.
RELATED STORIES: NFL Responds to Harrison Butker’s Graduation Speech: Condemns Divisive Remarks
Rich Stowell, the school district’s representative, explained the district’s policies in a statement and said it was a significant challenge to balance the remembrance of a deceased student with the celebration of the graduates’ achievements.
‘Plans for graduation ceremonies are guided by district policy. Decisions about specific plans reflect our sincere desire to appropriately balance the need to remember those who have passed and the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishment of all graduates,’ he wrote in the statement.
Stowell continued, ‘We realize that not allowing for certain types of memorials during graduation ceremonies may cause additional pain for those closest to students who have passed. Our school administrators have the difficult responsibility of leading with compassion and empathy to help their school community process loss within the guidelines of policy.’
‘Our hearts go out to the family of any student who passes away and recognize that a student death impacts our entire school community in complex ways. As we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students this Spring, we are also reminded of the significance of each life.’
However, the school district’s decision met significant backlash within the community and social media, leading them to change their decision in a follow up statement.
School administrators have historically applied the policy about student memorials to graduation ceremonies. We also have procedures in place for administrators to request exceptions to policy. This morning the District Leadership Team reviewed and approved an exception in this case.
Samantha was loved by her classmates, teachers, and school staff. She will be recognized at the school’s graduation ceremony Wednesday, May 22 at the Marriott Center in Provo.
Policy is designed to help us effectively administer our programs across the district and our process for exceptions allows us to recognize the uniqueness and beauty of individuals and their stories. We are grateful to our high school administrators who so effectively and passionately advocate for their schools.
We look forward to celebrating the accomplishment of Samantha and all of our other remarkable students who have achieved so much.