June 16, 2008

Cearra Graduates!





Owen clapped, Bob cheered, Cearra beamed and I cried ...

The First Colonial High School Class of 2008 received their diplomas Saturday night in Virginia Beach. We joined Cearra's mom Kathy, sister Kristine and brother-in-law Cliff, brother Marcus, plus Nanny and Uncle Todd in celebrating all the graduates, but especially our beautiful, smart, and wonderful Cearra!

The evening started with the traditional entrance of graduation candidates, followed by the presentation of the American flag by the school's ROTC, both which were greeted with thunderous applause. I love that the assembled crowd so proudly showed their patriotism and support for our military. Goose-bump time.

And as the ceremony progressed my heart continued to swell. Seeing the joy and hearing the accolades bestowed on the students by teachers and faculty made me feel good about their futures - and ours. And when the entire class spontaneously (and very loudly) applauded a fellow student who was wheel-chair bound and had most likely faced a few obstacles in his high school career, I realized that they had learned well some important lessons.

When Cearra's name was called and she strode across the stage wearing a huge smile, collected her diploma, hugged her principal, and turned to wave enthusiastically at us, I was overwhelmed by thoughts of how far she has come and how much she has grown. And I am so excited for her and the adventures that await at Mary Baldwin College.

So yes, I cried. But for all the right reasons.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy for Cearra. I also can't believe she has graduated high school and is on her way to college. I still remember meeting this cute as a button 3 year old. It almost feels like yesterday.

Love,
Kris

Anonymous said...

What wonderful pictures that tell such a success story...Cearra and her family have so much to celebrate...and the story continues at Mary Baldwin. We wish Cearra much, much happiness and many congratulations. Love, Pam & Gene