Lake Zurich teen gets makeup graduation ceremony

Lake Zurich High School's administrators saw to it that illness would not keep Erin Adams from receiving her diploma just like other seniors did in a field house ceremony.

With the stage and decorative arch still in place since the May 31 commencement, Adams wore her cap and gown for a small ceremony there Monday afternoon to receive her diploma about a week late from Principal Kent Nightlinger.

"I was just completely ecstatic," said Adams, 18, who was felled by a stomach virus and a fever the morning of graduation. "I was so grateful the school did that for me."

About 10 family members and some of Adams' friends and their parents attended the ceremony.

Nightlinger said Tuesday he wore his cap and gown to the gathering and gave a shortened version of the speech he delivered to the 482 other graduates a week earlier. In addition, Adams' colleagues in the school's concert choir attended and sang in a performance similar to one they gave at the full graduation.

Adams said she had no idea the choir would attend her roughly 10-minute ceremony.

The future University of Illinois engineering student even got to sing with the group for a final time.

Her mother, Cindy Adams, said she appreciated what Nightlinger and Assistant Principal Ryan Rubenstein did to make the special day happen.

"They are amazing," Cindy Adams said of the administrators.

"As a community, we are so very fortunate to have them in charge of our kids. They definitely show what it means to look out for others and be mindful of taking care of one another, and being good, kind people."

Cindy Adams telephoned Rubenstein to alert him about Erin's stomach virus and fever the morning of the graduation ceremony.

Rubenstein said he offered to let the Adams family park next to the high school at the last minute so Erin could quickly receive her diploma and leave.

However, Cindy Adams said, Erin was too sick to make even a brief field house appearance.

Giving the situation more thought a day after graduation, Rubenstein said, he offered to have Erin receive her diploma at the field house with all the trimmings.

He said the stage and other items were left in place for two Lake Zurich Unit District 95 middle schools having graduation ceremonies there this week.

"We thought it was a no-brainer," Rubenstein said.

While uncommon, other high schools have made accommodations to seniors who could not attend graduation due to extenuating circumstances.

For example, 10 Libertyville High School seniors were scheduled to play in the state baseball tournament in Joliet about the same time classmates attended graduation in 2013.

School officials said they didn't want the baseball players to miss the graduation experience, so they dressed in caps and gowns for a small gymnasium ceremony before departing for the tournament.

Nightlinger said the small ceremony for Adams was a worthwhile effort to ensure she has a graduation memory similar to the other seniors.

"I was very happy to do it," he said. "It's a big event for an individual."