Having their say; or, Pomp and Circumstance

Graduation season is upon us (or in most cases, has come and gone).

Here's what I remember about mine from many moons ago:

Graduation took place during the afternoon in our stifling hot, unairconditioned gym. My grandparents, aunt, and cousin drove down for the event. I don't necessarily remember this; I just have photographic proof. What I mostly remember was what was on everyone in my little town's minds: my neighbors. It was a more somber day than usual, as during the early hours of that very morning,  two guys who grew up in my neighborhood, including my former across the street neighbor, were in a fatal car accident. Additionally, my class was the last graduating class of Monticello High School. Our school consolidated that next year, and we knew that we were the end of an era (or at least the end of the Red Devils). I do remember what I perceived to be a gross injustice of my teenage human rights when---the indignity!--- we girls were required to wear white pantyhose and white heels. Did I mention that it was hotter than seven hells, as it usually is in May, and in unairconditioned Mississippi?  There is no good reason for white hose ever, temperature and humidity aside. My little rebellion against The Man was wearing nothing but a slip under my heavy graduation gown. Of course, nobody who actually made the rules knew this. . . so much for my being a rebel.

(My own Granny, who was born in 1911 and in many ways, kept the archaic language of the first part of the century until she died 88 years later, liked to call a slip a "petticoat." An umbrella was a "parasol." This is one of the charming things I so miss about her today).

My high school mascot, replaced the next year by. . . a cougar.
Are there even cougars in Mississippi?
And I'm not talking the middle aged woman variety.

What I don't remember were the speeches or anything else personal about the ceremony. I'm reasonably sure our valedictorian and salutatorian spoke (again, there's photographic proof), but I don't remember any specific messages, warnings, admonitions, or well wishes. I just remember wanting to get out of that sauna ASAP and on with my life.

Flash forward to my many years as a teacher. I've sat through and participated in more graduations than the average person. Last week's graduation at WT Sampson high school was definitely a first.

My own graduating class was rather small---only 89 or so of us----but this graduating class had less than 20 kids. That's normal for our school. Most of the ceremony, which took place in the Chapel, was traditional, save this: every kid got to stand up and say something during the ceremony.

Can you imagine if your 18 year old self had gotten to speak at graduation? Or as a teacher, if all your seniors got up to speak? It's a leap of faith that all will go well, but I absolutely loved it. It's these types of little surprises and traditions that make this crazy place so wonderful at times.

Some of the kids were nervous and kept to what was written on their index cards. Others just decided to wing it or went off-script. The majority had the same message, thanking those who supported them and made them feel loved. They thanked family members who made the trip---everyone here knows what an ordeal it is just to come from the US for a week-long visit---and some wistfully wished family members could have made it. Some staff got shout-outs, too, whether by students joking about something funny that happened in their classes, or by students who fought back tears to express their gratitude to those teachers who inspired them to work harder. A couple of kids even went as far as thanking the entire GTMO community.

And it did feel like a community-wide effort---so many people in the audience didn't have children participating and weren't connected to the school in any way, but they came out to support the kids. Everyone on island was proud of our kids who go through so many more hardships than your average high school students, thanks to living in the most remote and isolated of all DoDDS high schools.

What I liked most is each little speech truly reflected the kids I've gotten to know over a short two year span. Quiet, gracious, reserved, or boisterous, rowdy, outspoken, for a few minutes, individual kids' personalities were on display for the community to view and enjoy. I laughed and cried and felt so honored to be able to share the event. My hope is twenty-something years from now, their memories of graduation are more than just a blur, and they can reflect on the joy of a very intimate and unique ceremony.

Godspeed to the WTS Class of 2014! Wishing them much happiness and success.