Creative Graduations: BYU graduate walks from Provo to Salt Lake City where her schooling began

PROVO, Utah (ABC4 News) – It was the beginning of March 2020 when COVID-19 aggressively began its plague in Utah. Shortly after, Governor Gary Herbert issued a soft closure for public schools and universities throughout the state. The soft closure currently remains in place which now effects graduating seniors and the opportunity to walk across the stage and receive their diploma.

While most high school districts are working on a strategy regarding any possible graduation celebrations, college graduates are arriving at their original graduation date. Lindy Lemperle being one of those who were supposed walk with her graduating class on Friday, April 24th. Inspired by creativity displayed by other seniors with unique ways to celebrate their accomplishments, Lindy decided since she isn’t able to “walk” at her graduation, she would walk roughly 38 miles from Provo’s Marriott Center, on the campus of Brigham Young University to “Millcreek Activity Center” which is Lemperle’s old preschool Hillview Elementary School.

Lindy is a major in advertising at BYU, her husband McKay joined her on the nearly 13-hour journey. A post on Lindy’s social media page references how she met her husband and some of her accomplishments while attending BYU.

Courtesy Lindy Lemperle

Lindy tells ABC4 how they came to the decision of making this walk “me and my husband have been training for a half marathon, which was also canceled due to COVID-19. So instead I decided why not “walk” from where I am now to where I started at.” Lindy and McKay began the trek Friday morning at around 7:45 a.m they are planning to arrive to the final destination before 9 p.m Friday evening.

Lindy says “I’ve really loved seeing the creativity everyone has displayed during this unique time. It inspired us and I hope it’s something we all keep with us going forward.”