Teen Who Died of Cancer Will Be Honored at Graduation After Backlash Over District Policy

Samantha Corey, a senior at American Fork High School in Utah, died on Jan. 11 at the age of 17

• Utah teen Samantha Corey, who died of cancer in January, will be honored at her high school graduation after the school district following backlash over a district policy
  

• Graduation "was something she worked her whole life toward," mother Kimberly Corey tells PEOPLE

• “We look forward to celebrating the accomplishment of Samantha and all of our other remarkable students who have achieved so much,” the district said in a statement

A Utah teen who died of cancer four months ago will be honored at her high school graduation following backlash over a district policy.

Samantha Corey, 17, died on January 11 after being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, according to her obituary and a GoFundMe page established on behalf of her family.

The teen had been a senior at American Fork High School and her siblings were looking forward to accepting her diploma at the school's graduation ceremony on May 22, according to Fox affiliate KSTU. However, they were initially told by the school district that wouldn't be allowed.

"We were all pretty devastated," Kimberly Corey, Samantha's mother, tells PEOPLE.

Related: 11 Sets of Twins to Graduate from Same Pennsylvania High School Together

As NBC affiliate KSL previously reported, the district stated in its policy that “schools should be consistent in their discretionary use of acceptable memorials or events” and that “schools, staff members, or students should not feel obliged or pressured to participate in any of the acceptable memorials or events.”

The Alpine School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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The district’s policy prompted backlash and a petition titled "Let Samantha Corey Walk" was created, which called for the late teen’s family to be allowed to walk on her behalf at the graduation ceremony. As of May 16, the petition has garnered nearly 3,000 signatures.

“Everyone included in the student body at American Fork High School loved Mantha and we are troubled by this problem,” read the petition. “We are determined to do whatever we can to change the districts minds and let her walk.”

The matter even rose to the attention of American Fork Mayor Brad Frost, who told CBS affiliate KUTV officials were working with school officials in order to "find a resolution that honors Samantha appropriately."

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On May 15, the school district announced they would be making an exception to the policy, ABC affiliate KTVX reported.

“School administrators have historically applied the policy about student memorials to graduation ceremonies,“ the district said in a statement to the outlet. “We also have procedures in place for administrators to request exceptions to policy This morning the District Leadership Team reviewed and approved an exception in this case.”

“We look forward to celebrating the accomplishment of Samantha and all of our other remarkable students who have achieved so much,” the statement later added. 

Corey tells PEOPLE that she didn't expect the attention that the situation generated.

"At first we were a little overwhelmed and uncomfortable because we didn't want to cause a fuss," she says. "I just want to make it clear that our community and the high school and administration and teachers have been incredible. I can't even tell you all the things they've done for our family."

Related: Twin Brothers Named High School Valedictorian and Salutatorian After Sister Graduated at Top of Her Class

More importantly, the district's decision has brought some closure for the family.

"We all wanted her to survive this milestone," the mom says, adding that graduation "was something she worked her whole life toward."

When you're undergoing treatment for terminal cancer, the mom says that school isn't "always something you need to finish because you're going through something so hard."

"But she always wanted to go every day she possibly could," her mom adds. "And the school made that an option for her."

Now, the family wants to turn the focus of the upcoming ceremony back to Samantha's fellow students.

"We want it to be a positive memory," Corey says. "The students are working really hard to do some extra things to make it special for her, but we also want to recognize that they've worked really hard, and I don't want it to be about her. "

"They're just going to say her name and her two siblings are going to walk across the stage in full cap and gown," she adds "And then I want it to be about [the students] because this is their day...This is their moment as well, and we're just glad she gets to be a little bit of part of their time."

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