UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Nearly 300 high school seniors received their diplomas Friday in Uvalde in the shadow of the massacre of 19 elementary school children and two teachers a month earlier.
The 288 Uvalde High School seniors, dressed in red, sat in the school stadium in heat reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a month after the shootings. massive.
Twenty-one banners reading “Uvalde Strong” were unfurled in front of them, representing the deceased, as school and student leaders spoke.
Uvalde School Superintendent Hal Harrell and School Principal Randy Harris commended students for their strength and resilience through the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the three principal changes and, later, the May 14 mass shooting at the South Texas city’s Robb Elementary School.
“Love the people in your life while you have them because you don’t know what the future holds for anyone,” student Abigail Kone said in her speech.
“Our community has certainly learned to know the unexpected. Something happened that should never have happened. Our lives have been altered. But we remain united as a community,” she said.
After reading the names of the 19 murdered children and teachers, Kone said, “These loved ones were taken too soon. They will not have the opportunity to follow their dreams or see their families grow.”
“So tonight, I’d like to induct these kids from Robb Elementary School as honorary members of the family of the class of 2022,” he said to loud applause.
