Lincoln Northeast seniors receive diploma during in-person ceremony

Lincoln Northeast seniors got the chance to walk across the stage on Friday to receive their diploma.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – It’s been a year Lincoln high school seniors will never forget. On Friday, they were honored for all their hard work and accomplishments. Hundreds of seniors made their way into Pinnacle Bank Arena for an in-person graduation ceremony.

Friday evening was just one of six Lincoln Public schools graduation ceremonies scheduled for this weekend. Seniors from Lincoln Northeast High School kicked it off.

“It’s great to just finally get it done with,” said graduate Reece Fuchs. “We put it off for so long, and finally we get some closure.”

Students have been wanting closure since May when COVID-19 postponed the original graduation date. The ceremony looked a little different than it has in previous years. Family, friends and graduates all wore masks, there was no hand shaking, and seating was arranged for social distancing. Graduates were each given six tickets to pass out to family and friends. But for the students like Fuchs, this was a chance to receive their diploma, walk across the stage and move on to the next chapter of their lives.

“Next year I’m going to the University of Nebraska-Omaha to study engineering,” he said.

Five more graduation ceremonies are scheduled for the weekend. On Saturday, Southwest High School will begin at 8:30 a.m. followed by East High School and North Star High School at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday will feature Southeast High School at noon, and Lincoln High School at 5:30 p.m.