It's the time of year for HS and college graduation ceremonies.
I have attended our local HS ceremony for 18 years. I was on the school board for 12 then off and now back on. When I first went on the board we had a special meeting to determine how we were going to manage when our student poverty level was 28 percent. We are now at 75 percent. Those demographics make things interesting. Some things I'll always remember.
One was a speech given by the valedictorian, a Mexican girl who's parents came here just so she and her brother could get a better education. She was in 5th grade and spoke not a work of English. They arrived with nothing but made home here and here she was going to college pre Med with a scholarship. She earned it but she thanked her parents for thier dedication.
Another was a young man in crisis. I had arrived early and the board assembles in a conference room adjacent to the office before the ceremony in the big gymnasium nearby. A young man had come in tears and panic to a school secretary for help. He didn't own a button shirt or tie or shoes (other than athletic) but had borrowed them from somebody. He had never worn or even touched a tie. The secretary brought him in with me because she couldn't tie a tie either. We got him calmed down and he pulled a wrinkled shirt out of a plastic shopping bag. He dressed right there in clothes that didn't fit him but I got his tie on him and we assured him he looked good. This 6'3" black 18 year old was crying and hugging us both before he ran out to join his classmates.
Today, I will sit at the front with the other school board members and listen to thier speeches, watch them receive thier HS diplomas and shake thier hands, then attend the scholarship and awards ceremony. Class size is about 140 grads, our school foundation (pretty successful foundation for a small school district of about 2000 pre K through 12) gives out about $70k in scholarships and awards and almost 1/3 of the students will get some recognition or financial award.
