The shutdown of ITT Tech in early September left thousands of employees without a job, and tens of thousands of students with an uncertain future.

But some of those students, had been able to graduate on Friday. They thank to Seminole State College for help.

When ITT Tech shut down, Victoria Schmidt’s hope for her future quickly turned into fear.

Schmidt  said, “I know I was very scared and I didn’t know what we were going to do”.

Luckily, Schmidt had just completed coursework for her nursing degree.  But the school's shutdown meant that there would be no graduation ceremony.

Then Seminole State College stepped up and offered to host a ceremony for the students.

Schmidt said, “If it wasn’t for them we’d be all on our own, a little graduation ceremony of our own, probably at somebody’s house”.

Seminole State offered up its performing arts hall on the Sanford-Lake Mary campus. On Friday, more than two dozen ITT nursing students got to celebrate their accomplishments surrounded by family and friends. Schmidt said, “A lot of hard work went into this. I know we all teared up.”

The celebration was bitter-sweet.  Some of Schmidt’s classmates  have still been figuring out their futures.

Schmidt  said, “And I know I have some friends that are still out there that are really scared. Because they only have one class to go and they’re having a hard time finding other schools to get into."

For a few moments on Friday, however, the graduates got to celebrate the success of their studies, and the beginning of a career in nursing. ,” Schmidt said, “This is an amazing event for all of us. “

Seminole State College is one of several Florida schools also offering help to ITT students who still need to finish courses to earn their degrees.

By Prakriti Neogi