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.
SPRING HIGH SCHOOL
The district’s largest graduating class – numbering some 640 students – closed out this year’s graduation events during a Saturday evening ceremony.
As the Spring High School students gathered in the Randall Reed center to receive final instructions before lining up for the ceremony, they reflected on what had brought them to this milestone, and how life would change after graduation.
“I’m just thinking about what life’s going to be like after high school,” said Sarai Barmore, who is headed this fall to Louisiana State University to study English. “What responsibilities am I going to have? How is it going to be just having more freedom than I do now, going to college, and going away from friends and family?”
After earning her degree, Barmore plans to become an English teacher, and she cited her own teachers – both at Spring High School and in elementary and middle school – as a big reason behind her career plans.
“All the teachers I’ve had throughout my 12 years, they make their jobs seem really inspiring,” Barmore said, “and I just want to be able to help other people the way that they’ve helped me.”
For graduating senior Hughlyna Henry, meanwhile, the inspiration behind her future goals started closer to home, from watching her mom undergo medical treatment for a recurrent brain tumor. Inspired by seeing the care her mom has received over the years from doctors and neurosurgeons, Henry has opted to attend Texas A&M, pursuing a degree in biomedical science with the goal of becoming a surgical anesthesiologist.
“I’ve seen surgical anesthesiologists talk to my mom, and talk to her about what’s going to happen during surgery,” Henry said, “and they reassure her, and it makes her feel comfortable, and I just want to be that for somebody else.”
During the ceremony, Spring High School Principal Jalen Hemphill congratulated graduates for all their hard work, and for making it through such difficult times.
“You've been tested in ways that few before you have, and you've emerged stronger for it,” Hemphill said. “President Barack Obama once said, ‘Change is never easy, but always possible.’ You've lived this truth. … You've shown the world that the Spring High School Class of 2023 is made of strong, adaptable, resilient individuals.”
Spring High School Valedictorian Zaniah Wheeler – who is headed to the University of Chicago after being awarded a full-ride scholarship under the school’s Odyssey Scholars Program – spoke of the challenges she and others had faced, both individually and collectively, in making it to the special day.
“I would like to say congratulations to my fellow graduates and thank you to everyone for being here to share this special moment with us,” Wheeler said. “Tonight is a night to celebrate, reflect, and express gratitude. I hope you all savor this moment, because it is truly ours.”
Wheeler also reflected on the teachers and programs – like the Spring High School Band as well as the EMERGE Fellowship – that helped her make it through tough times as a high school student committed to achieving high levels of success.
“I am beyond proud to be standing before you, and I can confidently say I did not get here alone,” Wheeler said. “I want to thank all of those who have poured into me. It truly takes a village, and then some.”
After the ceremony ended, with the evening finally beginning to cool off, many graduates and their families lingered outside the stadium. Among those talking and taking family photos was Salutatorian Mia Sparacino, who is headed to University of Houston this fall with plans to go on from there to medical school.
“’I’m looking forward to experiencing that independence, that new step,” Sparacino said, “where I have to push myself to do it, instead of just hearing from people that you’ve got to do it.”
Sparacino’s parents, Melanie and Anthony Sparacino, both said how proud they were, and to be on the lookout for great things from their talented daughter, who excelled both in her STEM classes and as a musician in the Spring High School Band, where she played saxophone.
“She’s very strong-willed,” said Anthony Sparacino, “and when she puts her mind to something, she definitely follows through, no matter what it is.”
Sparacino’s mom, meanwhile, was relishing the moment, and expressed a sentiment also voiced by many other parents and family members lingering by the stadium parking lot, taking a few extra minutes to soak in the warmth of an early summer evening while enjoying a celebratory moment in the company of loved ones.
“We’re very proud of her!” she said.
