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When LaTorra Shaw of Wallingford learned there would be no graduation ceremony for her second son, Jalen, she says she felt what a lot of parents have been going through.
"I was devastated and heartbroken," she said, "especially for him, because he worked so hard through these 12 years of school."
But she says she was determined not to let her son to miss out.
"After the tears, I came up with the idea that we will still have a ceremony, and I will hold it in my living room," she said.
She already paid for the cap and gown. She's waiting for that and the diploma to arrive in the mail.
"I'll have balloons and decorations, and I have more ideas in my head. I want to roll out a red carpet for him," she said. "I will be the one actually giving him his diploma and then I'll have my other two sons videoing and all that, or maybe giving Jalen a special award."
Shaw says her three kids are used to her crazy ideas. And since she will be running the show, Shaw can make Jalen the valedictorian.
"He should be able to give a speech and thank everyone that helped him through high school," Shaw said.
She says she feels for her son's generation, sandwiched between a couple of the most monumental events in recent American history.
"I told Jalen during our conversation: You were born one month after September 11. The world was, like, in turmoil. It was pretty much turned upside-down. We didn't know what was going to happen. And here it is, all these years later, we're at the same spot again. And do know that this will pass and we'll get through it," she said. "And he said, 'Yeah, Mom. I understand.'"