Katie Kranz is overcome with emotion.

An Ohio valedictorian whose father died in a tornado last weekend graduated Tuesday night in an emotional ceremony moved from storm-damaged Lake High School to a local community college.

Katie Kranz, who plans to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor next fall, tearfully accepted her diploma Tuesday night at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio, the Toledo Blade reported.

Kranz's father, Ted Kranz, was killed by debris from the storm that struck northwest Ohio hours before Kranz and her classmates were to graduate Sunday at the high school. The twister killed five people, demolished the high school and damaged or destroyed about 100 homes

The newspaper said Lake Schools Superintendent Jim Witt had a special message for Kranz, who plans to study pharmacology at the University of Michigan this fall: "When Katie received her diploma, I told her that he is watching, he has the best seat in the house, and he is very, very proud of her."

Read the full Toledo Blade article.

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