A horrific domestic violence attack couldn’t keep Melissa Dohme from following her dream of graduating from college.

Less than a year ago, police say Dohme was attacked and stabbed over and over again by her ex-boyfriend in Clearwater.

After months of recovery, Dohme learned how to walk and talk again and graduated from St. Petersburg College.

“I couldn’t have ever predicted that my life would drastically change and now my goal would be the transformation from victim to victory,” said Melissa Dohme, domestic violence survivor.

12 months after the darkest day in her life Dohme received a standing ovation from her fellow St. Petersburg College graduates as giving one of the keynote speeches.

“Being able to start the year having my life almost taken from me and end the year walking across the graduation stage like it’s really empowering.”

Dohme’s mother Joann sat proudly in the front row with the rest of her family remembering the tough times and how Melissa persevered to be where she is today.

“It makes me proud that everybody sees what I see,” said Joann Dohme, Melissa’s mother.

Even though her therapist doubted her ability to bounce back, Dohme knew she had to learn to walk again, so she could make her way across the stage and put her hands on the diploma.

Dohme is now looking forward to nursing school.

She wants to become a nurse practitioner.

As for her ex-boyfriend, Robert L. Burton, he is in jail awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.