PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — He stood stage left, clutched a cane in his right hand and waited underneath his black mortarboard for his name to be called.

Then it was.

"Alex Shelton."

Shelton, 29, of Dunlap, stepped toward the similarly be-robed man who held the empty container of his diploma from Illinois State University. The actual diploma would be mailed at a later date.

Following an unusual fall and a traumatic brain injury in 2008, Shelton's right foot is turned permanently inward and a brace clamped around his lower right leg was out of sight beneath his black graduation robe. He walked haltingl...