Spring ISD Celebrates Class of 2023 in Graduation Ceremonies
June 08 2023
SPRING ISD CELEBRATES HOPE, DETERMINATION OF CLASS OF 2023 IN GRADUATION CEREMONIES AT PLANET FORD STADIUM
Thousands of Spring ISD parents and family members gathered at the district’s Planet Ford Stadium June 1-3 to cheer on the more than 2,000 graduates of the district’s six high schools – Spring Early College Academy, Dekaney High School, Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, Westfield High School, Spring High School, and Spring ISD’s newest secondary school of choice, Momentum High School.
Graced with mostly sunny skies and the warmth of early summer, the ceremonies brought together graduates, their teachers and other campus staff, as well as family and friends all wishing the best to the members of the Class of 2023, who were freshmen in high school at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic but rose to the challenge to cross the stage during this weekend’s ceremonies.
Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa told the assembled graduates and their families what an honor it was for her and other district staff, teachers and administrators to be with graduates celebrating such a momentous occasion and such an important turning point in their lives.
“This is the culmination of 12 years of hard work and dedication, and I am so proud of each and every single one of you,” Hinojosa said. “I don’t have to tell you all that your time in high school has been a whirlwind, to say the least. You’ve worked hard to get here – and, if I’m being honest, the hard work has only begun. But that’s what life is all about – dedication and perseverance to get you to your goals.”
Board of Trustees President Justine Durant also congratulated the graduates on their accomplishment, acknowledging the challenges of the past few years while also celebrating the successes of the Class of 2023.
“It is an honor to stand before you today as we celebrate the culmination of your high school journey,” Durant said. “As you reflect on the past four years, we can all agree that it has been a ride filled with ups and downs, but you made it through! You have all faced challenges and obstacles along the way, but you persevered.”
Representatives from the office of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee also attended select ceremonies to present special certificates to valedictorians and salutatorians, and to congratulate members of the Class of 2023 on behalf of the congresswoman.
Dekaney High School
Friday’s festivities kicked off bright and early, with about 440 graduating seniors from Dekaney High School arriving well ahead of their 8 a.m. ceremony. Iejah Lee was lined up with fellow classmates waiting to enter the stadium facility, and reflected on how his experiences, particularly in Navy JROTC and theater – both of which he pursued all through high school – had given him greater degrees of discipline, maturity, and self-knowledge.
“It took JROTC and it took theater,” Lee said. “JROTC gave me a level of respect for my peers and it gave me discipline so I can focus on what I’m trying to achieve.”
Meanwhile, Lee credited his theater teacher, Valerie Mata, for helping him develop his creative gifts, relate to others, and express himself with greater ease.
“I wouldn’t be as confident as I am if it wasn’t for Ms. Mata,” said Lee, who is headed to Texas Southern University, where he plans to study computer arts and graphic design, but also hopes to continue developing the creative interests nurtured by teachers like Mata.
Jasmine Mitchell, who is also headed to Texas Southern, said she was glad to be done with high school and was looking forward to moving on, but also admitted that a part of her would miss the regularity and structured nature of her high school days.
“I’ll miss the stability and structure, because once you go off to college it’ll be different, you won’t be doing the same things every day,” Mitchell said. “It’s a new beginning for all of us.”
Dekaney Principal Alonzo Reynolds III, in his speech during the ceremony, took the opportunity to read to the graduates from Edgar Albert Guest’s poem “See It Through,” which Reynolds said was a perfect encapsulation of the can-do spirit of this year’s graduating seniors.
Dekaney Valedictorian Cali Johnson told classmates not to fear the future, but to embrace the accomplishment of graduation and look forward with confidence.
“We should take in this moment, this ceremony, this day, and cherish it,” Johnson said. “Today is a commemoration of all we’ve strived for and the hard work we’ve put in to get here. We’ve yearned for this moment, we’ve earned this moment, and we’ve definitely earned this diploma. Today is our day.”
Johnson, together with Salutatorian A'myri Phillips, also made history as the first African American female valedictorian and salutatorian to graduate from Dekaney.
Families endured the heat of the outdoor seating to make sure they got to see their graduates cross the stage and cheer them on, but once the ceremony was over, many enjoyed a moment of relief under the shade of the bleachers, including proud grandmother Ruby Petties.
“Even though it’s hot, it’s a good day today,” said Petties, whose family members all wore specially made T-shirts celebrating her granddaughter, Andrea Petties, who graduated with honors and now plans to pursue a culinary arts degree and train as a pastry chef.
Petties said she was especially proud to watch her granddaughter cross the stage when reflecting on the challenges faced by the Class of 2023, including the pandemic’s massive disruption to both their freshman and sophomore years.
Daniel Aguirre, a graduating senior from Dekaney’s Auto Tech program, was hanging out after the ceremony talking with family members, fellow students, and Dekaney Auto Tech instructor David Almanzan. Aguirre said he’d also come a long way in four years.
“At first, I didn’t know anything about automotive, I didn’t even know how to change the oil, or a tire,” Aguirre said. Now, after four years of experience in the school’s auto shop, Aguirre has trained on modern equipment and technology, has earned his Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification, and has a clear idea of how to keep building both his skills and his career in the industry.
Best of all, he’s already got a job lined up at a performance shop, and has been accepted into the Automotive Technology program at San Jacinto College.
“I tell them, ‘I don’t care about cars; I care about challenges,’” instructor Almanzan said. “And every day we’re going to see challenges no matter what or where you’re at, so I teach them how to overcome challenges. It’s a rewarding feeling at the end of the day.”
