SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — On Saturday, Malachi Hill-Massey will step up to receive his high school diploma at the Bank of Springfield Center.

He will have family, friends and mentors in the crowd, but he will have his mother — Sonya Massey — with him on stage in spirit.

“This is all my mom really wanted for me,” Hill-Massey said. “She wanted me to graduate. It;s a mission completed to me.”

It’s been almost a year since Sonya Massey was tragically shot by former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. Throughout these challenging 11 months, Malachi has juggled his studies, job, his grief, and his affection for his mother. While her death has sparked a mix of fear, anger, and a quest for justice nationwide, her memory has driven him to reach this milestone.

“I just tried to push through, remembering that my mom wanted me to graduate no matter what,” Hill-Massey expressed. “So I kept reminding myself that I have the strength to accomplish it and see it through.”

Malachi says he has a long list of people to thank for helping him get to this moment.

“At school, like everybody was there for me, like everybody was helping me,” Hill-Massey said.

The Massey family will watch Malachi cross the stage at the bank of Springfield center on Saturday. That moment of pride will give them a much needed reprieve after months of seeking justice for Sonya Massey.

“I’m so proud of him that he’s weathered the storm in the world,” James Wilburn, Sonya Massey’s father said. “You know, we handle things on a day to day basis. Some days are good days, some days are bad days for all of us. And we try to stay in touch with him on the story on the telephone as much as we can. I’m just overjoyed that he did make this through to completion.”

Sonya’s mother said she knows her daughter will be looking down, smiling as he crosses that stage.

“We’re so happy that he’s made his mom proud,” Sonya’s mother Donna Massey said. “We can feel her shining down on us. She’s happy.”