Girl with lupus prohibited from walking in graduation ceremony

She got the grades, picked up her cap and gown, and attended Friday's graduation rehearsal. But Kylee Wilson won't be walking with her classmates during Sunday's ceremony at Marion High School.

The 18-year-old was diagnosed with Lupus when she was in the sixth grade. The autoimmune disease gives her painful migraines, achy, arthritic joints and swollen knees. She has to isolate herself when she has sick family members because an illness can put her in the hospital.

The chronic disease caused her to miss a good deal of school her freshmen year, so Wilson and her family decided she should dual-enroll in the Marion Independent School District and Marion Home School Assistance She took at least once class at Marion High School each quarter and participates in the school choir. But because she's receiving a Marion Home School Assistance Program diploma, she can't participate in the Marion Independent School District's high school graduation ceremony, according to district policy.

'However, the director of MHSAP may choose to provide a separate graduation for these students on an optional basis,” the policy continues on the district's website. 'Students who have successfully completed the MHSAP honors program will graduate with honors.”

But Wilson, who has gone to school in the district since kindergarten, wants to graduate with her friends and classmates.

'I've felt I was on the outside looking in,” she said. 'I wanted to be included with my friends in the district I've been in all of my life.

'I'm not really part of the (home school) community. Out of the about 65 kids graduating, I only know two.”

Wilson petitioned the school board - she wrote a letter in October and gave a presentation in March, with the support of Marion High School's principal, Greg Semler. But a letter she received in April told her that her request was denied.

Superintendent Chris Dyer said in an email to The Gazette Friday that students are eligible to participate in the associated graduation ceremony of the school or program to which they are registered.

'We are very proud of our home-school graduates, the students' program of studies and annual graduation ceremony,” he said. 'We are equally as proud of our Marion High School's graduates, the graduates' academic work …

. The (board of education) policy has been consistently applied to all students over time within a caring and respectful policy and human application for each child's ability and physical condition.”

Melanie Guanci, executive director of the Iowa chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America and who wrote several letters to Dyer advocating for Wilson, said the school district should 'do the right thing” and allow Wilson to graduate with her class on Sunday. She pointed out that attendance is the No. 1 cause for failure in the workplace for those living with lupus.

'Had she not been diagnosed, she would have never been dual-enrolled,” Guanci said, adding the policy should be reexamined.

Come Sunday, walking in the ceremony or not, Wilson still will attend the graduation event - she's performing with the choir and wants to support her friends. She's looking forward to attending the University of Northern Iowa in the fall to study early education.

And she's proud of the work she's done bringing light to this policy.

'I worked hard,” she said. 'I didn't back down. I advocated for myself.”

But her real goal is to get this policy changed.

'Just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it can't help someone else who is dealing with an illness,” she said.