Students highlight future plans
It was once again another momentous year for high school graduation ceremonies here in the Gallup area.
This time, the Miyamura Patriots Class of 2017, joined in those ranks at their graduation ceremony in the Angelo DiPaolo Memorial Stadium May 19. Although it was a chilly night, this didn’t daunt the 203 graduating seniors of Hiroshi Miyamura High School as they received their long-awaited diploma to the bursts of cheers from family and friends.
Definitely a different mood was felt, a little more reserved yet an exciting overall feeling for everyone. A car parked with words scribbled on the windows that read, “Just graduated,” reflected their class motto…
“If you can imagine it, you can dream it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”
Perhaps this very car awaits its new owner as Leo John expressed when he came to see his cousin, Tyneesha Charlie, graduate.
“I feel pretty excited for her, and I know she has a big surprise waiting for her…a brand-new vehicle for work that she doesn’t know about,” John said/
Proud parent, Lionald Miller, of graduate Tiana Miller, expressed his enthusiasm.
“Oh, I’m very excited it’s been a very long four years. It was pretty hard for her, I’m very happy that she made it,” he said.
One person who was very emotional considered all the graduates “her kids” was Rosie Fernandez, Miyamura’s lead secretary, who is coming up on 10 years working for the school.
“I’m really excited that they are graduating, they all put forth to this big day,” she said. “A lot of them are going to college, some into the military, two or three of them have scholarships to the medical field … I’m really going to miss them.”
As the last student was announced, caps went into the air and now the future awaits these graduating students of Miyamura High School.
Lucia DeSantis, school counselor, was quite pleased with how the graduation went.
“I thought it was fabulous, very dignified and classy,” she said. “They were a great class, it was an honor to be with them.”
Despite the temperature dropping, it was a fantastic day for graduation according to, Tine Hayes, art teacher.
“You know I think graduation was a fantastic day, it’s great to see the kids move on, it’s great to see that culmination of all that experience and it’s totally a celebration, a great process,” Hayes said. “Great bunch of kids all around. I have quite a few students who are going on to look at a future in art, not just in visual art but in other aspects of art as well, film makers, graphic design kids.”
That same sentiment was also felt by a few of the graduates. Kylan Begay, who was inspired when talking of his time at Miyamura. He plans to enter the nursing program at the University of New Mexico.
“I feel awesome,” he said. “It’s one of the most exciting experiences I’ve ever had. I just loved going to this school, and it’s sad to see it just go out like this. The people that went to it; my family, my friends, just people I cared about, that I made memories with.”
On the flip side of that sentiment, graduate Cierra Cross, can’t wait to get back to her home in Alabama. Her mother’s job brought the family down to Gallup, but her heart is in Alabama.
“I feel awesome … I finally made it! But I’m going back home to Alabama to go to college.”
By Dee Velasco
For the Sun
