VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Graduation ceremonies across the country look different this year, but for one Virginia Beach family, having a ceremony at all is a godsend.
“Certainly this is not how we imagined this day but I can say nobody imagined this day, being this way,” said Dr. Carrie Triepel, Wednesday morning outside her Great Neck home.
All around her deck and driveway, friends hung streamers, “Class of 2020” signs and balloons. Today, her oldest daughter, Sedonia Triepel, 18, would be given an honorary degree from First Colonial High School.
Triepel hasn’t attended traditional classes since December 2018. It was then she was involved in a car accident on North Great Neck Road, where it meets River Road in Virginia Beach. She was put on life support because of injuries to her brain, underwent more than 15 surgeries and was in a coma for seven months.
Still, her classmates and teachers wanted to make sure she wasn’t left out.
“Everybody’s excited to have her still be part of our ceremony in a very special way,” said Angelique Phillips, the legal studies academy coordinator at First Colonial. “Those who know Sedonia know she has always been a strong resilient warrior.”
Phillips also presented Triepel with an honorary graduate medallion — which is only given to one graduate each year — her National Honor Society sash and an oar signed by all her former crew teammates.
“She continues to amaze us all,” Phillips said.
While Sedonia cannot speak yet, her mother said she knows what is going on.
“This day means so much to Sedonia,” Triepel said. “The fact that everybody was here and all the teachers were in their gowns was amazing … I got choked up with that.”
Triepel said Sedonia is making great progress in her medical fight. Beginning soon she is expected to enter into another inpatient rehab facility, this time in Richmond, for four to six weeks.
He hope is that this time next year, her daughter will be able to stand.
“She has continued to show incredible strength…I want to thank their community for all their support,” Triepel said.
