JUDGE: Community comes together to celebrate grads

Last Friday evening I witnessed a community of people come together during a pandemic to celebrate the graduating youth of our community. I witnessed a fine group of educational administrators work to ensure that the attendees were properly screened, distanced and that face coverings were worn. I witnessed the youth of our community safely receive the fruit of their labors of 12 years of studious work. I witnessed the coming together of our community for a common purpose: to celebrate our own!

This happens every spring, as hundreds of students in the county graduate from high school. 

This is the first time since the Spanish flu pandemic over 100 years ago that students graduated in the midst of a pandemic. This is the first time in our lifetime that educators had to figure out how to gather hundreds of people together to watch a single event and keep them from spreading the deadly virus.  

It would have been easy to simply say “never mind.” But they didn’t.  They followed the guidelines to the letter, had an excellent ceremony and they did it safely!  

I am talking about the Milano ISD graduation that I attended, where 44 young men and women received their high school diplomas. Thorndale ISD, Rockdale ISD and Cameron ISD held similar ceremonies as well. Buckholts will hold a similar ceremony later this month as well. And each set of administrators worked diligently to make sure the students were recognized for their achievements while at the same time ensuring the safety of everyone. Clearly this county is blessed to have such an outstanding group of educators and administrators.  

The event reminded me that this is a resilient community of like-minded people. A community of people who are willing to what is necessary to safely ensure the progress of their youth. A community of people who recognize the severity of the virus and understand that we must use good common sense to continue to live, provide, enjoy life and survive.  

Thanks to the fine educators and administrators of every school district in Milam County for ensuring the safe graduation of the youth of this county. To each citizen of this county, I say thank you for recognizing the severity of our situation and for having the fortitude to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Let us continue to come together to make life safe for ourselves and for those that will come behind us!