One day, the class of 2021 will tell their children about spending their senior year of high school facing the challenges of a pandemic. Their stories will have one common theme - they persevered.
Some finished their high school careers at home participating in the virtual learning program. Those who came to school in person went through temperature checks, wore masks and practiced social distancing. Football games, band concerts and prom included special safety protocols to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Last night this historic class graduated, celebrating their Panther Pride at Globe Life Field in Arlington. Families and friends watched as more than 950 graduates received their diplomas. The inaugural class of Duncanville High School’s Collegiate Academy also graduated during the ceremony and saw 72 receive both a diploma and an associate degree from Dallas College.
The graduation ceremony included speeches from senior class president Angel Luong, salutatorian Uyen Nguyen and valedictorian Hope Harper. The class of 2021, perhaps for the last time, sang the alma mater with fingers linked and applauded as the ceremony ended with a fireworks display.
Congratulations to our graduating seniors. They have demonstrated that Panthers finish strong, and though they are moving into their next phase of life, ‘Once a Panther, Always a Panther.’