FORT MYERS, Fla. — The class of 2020 is mourning as their highly anticipated ceremonies have postponed or canceled altogether due to Coronavirus. Here at Florida Gulf Coast University the administration wanted to honor their students, by providing a virtual graduation.
Unfortunately, that was not the case, due to a cyberattack on the host site StageClip, leaving FGCU students disappointed yet again.
In a statement from the FGCU they said,
“Apologizing for this situation falls short in so many ways. We understand and share our graduates’ and their families’ and friends’ frustration with today’s latest setback in an unprecedented semester of challenges due to COVID-19. While today was disappointing, nothing can take away from our graduates’ tremendous accomplishment at the end of a uniquely challenging semester, nor the many eagle hearts that honor and celebrate you!” said Susan Evans, Vice President and Chief of Staff at Florida Gulf Coast University.
One FGCU senior told me, he never imagined walking across the stage, virtually.
“It’s very depressing because you know, your whole college career you actually look forward to that moment. You know 4 years going in, working hard, trials and tribulations and you want to get on that stage and show all the work you put into it” said Kwesi Johnson, FGCU Graduate, Class of 2020.
Only to have his graduation taken away again.
“First the virus, then we were down, and eventually the virtual graduation came about and now we got to look forward to that again, but it’s just another obstacle over and over and over. So the person that did that just added to the stress we were all feeling” said Johnson.
Thankful for FGCUs efforts, and the opportunity to graduate he says he will never forget this moment.
“But at the same time it’s very sad that we can’t look back and say, hey we had a graduation, we got to walk across the stage we got to take pictures> It’s very sad and very unpleasant,” said Johnson.
