Kaila White

The Republic | azcentral.com

PHOENIX -- Cathy Hocking walked onto the stage in the Grand Canyon University Arena wearing her older daughter's graduation cap and her younger daughter's academic medal.

She was there Thursday morning, having flown into Phoenix from North Carolina the day before, to complete an impossible task: accept a college diploma on behalf of her daughter who was killed less than two weeks before.

Sisters Karli and Kelsey Richardson were driving north overnight to watch the sunrise on Good Friday at the Grand Canyon when police say Keaton Allison, another GCU student who had been driving for six miles the wrong way on Interstate 17, smashed into them around 2:10 a.m., killing all three.

At 20 years old, Karli had been set to earn a Bachelor's degree in communications and was planning to go to graduate school. Kelsey, 18, was a junior at Western Carolina University and planned to go to medical school.

Before Hocking took the stage, GCU president and CEO Brian Mueller called Karli "one of the best students that’s ever attended this university."

Hocking received a standing ovation from the thousands of people in the arena as she walked across the stage, making GCU's hand sign and waving Karli's diploma in the air.

"I am here to represent Karli, and she worked so incredibly hard for this," Hocking said. "I’m excited. I’m sad ... Karli should be jumping up and down, walking across that stage and, next year, Kelsey should be. I am happy that I can represent them. ... I was overwhelmed with pride."

A mother remembers her girls

Karli and Kelsey were best friends and had been close since their childhood in Mooresville, N.C. They were both active, adventurous and played sports (namely softball), and were heavily involved in church. Both were crowned prom queen.

MORE: Memories buoy family, friends of 3 college students killed in crash

Karli had decorated her graduation cap with the words "already forgot everything" and a photo of Dory the fish from "Finding Nemo." They both loved Disney movies. Hocking said she probably watched "Lady and the Tramp" with them 100 times.

She had Karli's graduation photos and cards on the kitchen table when police came to her door to tell her about the accident.

Not long after they arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday, Hocking and her husband, Gary, visited the crash site and drove the six miles of highway that police said Allison traveled in the wrong direction before hitting the Richardsons. That was very difficult, she said, but they also learned that the sisters died instantly and without pain.

"Kelsey had never gone (to the Grand Canyon) and Karli wanted to be the big sister to take her there and share that experience," Hocking said in a small meeting with media after the commencement. "They see much more than the Grand Canyon now; they see the world. I wish I could see them, but I know they see me."

She said that Kelsey was artistic and expressive, and that on Wednesday they found a series of letters Kelsey had written Karli and enclosed in envelopes for certain days, such as "when you're crying and I cant hug you" and "when you fall in love with someone and they break your heart." The only unopened one was "when you graduate."

"When we opened it, there were three pictures of the sisters together, and Kelsey talked about how sad it was that Karli had to go to graduation, but how she knew that Karli had to go and live her life," Hocking said. "And Kelsey couldn't wait to follow in her footsteps because she treasured what Karli had taught her. That was emotional, but that was the kind of love they had."

They had devised a plan for their entire life together: Kelsey would become a pediatric oncologist and buy about 10 acres of land where the whole family would live. Karli would be a stay-at-home mom for both of them, and Hocking would have her own house in the back.

"I feel like the world, in a sense, got cheated, because I truly believe that Kelsey would have probably done some type of Nobel prize," she said. "Karli’s, just, personality and walking into a room and making it better. Everyone got cheated from that."

She said that although they feel "anger and pain," the family is proud that hundreds of people have heard about and even decided to follow Jesus after learning about the sisters' deaths. The girls were Christians.

"I think that God knew because of who they were and how they lived their lives for him, that if he took them, people would pay attention."

Dutch Bros raises more than $30,000 for the families

Shortly after Hocking showed off a tattoo above her ankle that says "Kelsey" and "Karli" with three hearts she got a couple weeks before her daughters' deaths, she spotted a new friend in the back of the room.

It was Josh Hayes, Dutch Bros. East Valley Phoenix manager. Last Friday, Phoenix-area Dutch Bros. locations held a fundraiser that raised $30,200 to support the families of Keaton Allison and Karli and Kelsey Richardson. Keaton Allison had been a barista for Dutch Bros., and Karli was a frequent customer of the coffee chain.

"I’ve never met this man 'til right now," Hocking said, tearing up as she hugged him. "Thank you. You have no idea. Thank you."

Each family received $15,000. Hocking said any money left over after paying for her daughters' expenses will go to memorial funds at both of the sisters' universities: one scholarship for a student at GCU and one at WCU.

Anyone wishing to donate to the funds in the Richardsons' names can send a check made out to either GCU or WCU to Cathy Hocking at PO Box 595, Mooresville, N.C., 28115.

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