WATERTOWN, S.D. (KWAT) — A unique commencement ceremony for the Lake Area Tech graduating class will bring an end to the academic year this week.

Students, their families and friends will not gather in the Watertown Civic Arena for the traditional send off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, there will be a virtual graduation that will broadcast online beginning at 10 o’clock Friday morning. Senator John Thune will be the guest speaker.

LATI President Mike Cartney says 860-plus students will be receiving their diplomas.

These graduates will head out into the workforce at a unique time in our nation’s history. Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Cartney says it’s not all doom and gloom in the job sector.

All of the graduates were mailed a graduation box last week containing momentos.

Cartney encourages people to go to the LATI website and look for the graduation tab. That’s where they can find a list of graduates and send them congratulations and well wishes.