Elizabeth Olivas went to Mexico to secure a visa, but interim Superintendent Don Deweese said a document oversight could prevent her from walking with her class.

“You have 180 days past your 18th birthday to return to Mexico, and she returned on the 181st day, which then forced a mandatory six-month stay,” Deweese said. “It was Leap Year. It was Feb. 29 that caught her family and her family’s attorney. That was the day that cost her this mandatory stay.”

Student Macy Osbon said Olivas’ classmates are hoping for her swift return.

“Everyone is very disappointed that she may not make it to graduate and all her good friends are missing her a lot. They don't want to leave and go off to college without seeing her again,” Osbon said.

Principal Steve Edwards said Olivas is the salutatorian of her class.

“When the whole thing went down, it was a really tough situation to deal with. We've tried to move on, but we're getting really close to graduation and we wish Elizabeth was here. It’s a sad situation because she should be receiving her awards herself,” Edwards said.

Olivias' father, Pascual Olivas, said she wants nothing more than to be with her classmates.

“The only thing she wants is to be here because she wants to go to school. The reason why they were so late getting to Mexico is because of the scholarships that she was being awarded here,” he said.

Her friends have launched a Facebook campaign which has helped her story gain national attention.