By Malcolm Butler, Lincoln Parish Journal
Dominique McKane was one of 304 men and women who walked across the stage at the Thomas Assembly Center Saturday to receive their Louisiana Tech diplomas.
McKane’s ability to participate in commencement was a bright light in an otherwise dark week, one that started out in a horrific way for four women, their families and the Louisiana Tech and Ruston communities after the vicious acts of violence Monday morning at the Lambright Intramural Center.
McKane, a 23-yeard-old Tech student who taught exercise classes at Lambright, was one of those victims. She was airlifted to a Shreveport medical facility Monday morning and spent two days receiving care in the hospital before going home on Wednesday.
On Saturday she received her diploma — a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology Exercise and Health Promotion — from Louisiana Tech President Dr. Les Guice.
Dr. Guice walked McKane over to the podium and introduced her, prompting the commencement crowd to give her a standing ovation.
Rhonda Grafton Boyd, instructor in the Louisiana Tech Department of Kinesiology, posted a photo on Facebook with McKane and a few others with the caption, “A photo I will cherish forever.”
Boyd said it was an emotional and uplifting moment to see McKane show such resiliency and spirit.
“I was trying to video, trying to stand and crying the whole time,” said Boyd. “My heart was so full to see Dominique walk across that stage, but to see her classmates give her standing ovation was a special moment. I’ve never been more proud of our students than yesterday. It showed the true meaning of the Tech family!”
Numerous other social media posts were made by McKane’s family and friends as well as the Louisiana Tech Department of Kinesiology.
“Extra special graduation moments for our department,” read the Facebook post by the Kinesiology Department that included a video of McKane receiving her diploma.
And a special moment for Dominique McKane and her family and friends.
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