The last of the folding chairs on the portable stage and across the athletic field were packed and loaded.  Orchid petals from leis lay scattered on the grass.  The cheers, hugs, and essential celebratory photos were done.  The parking lot was nearly empty, as only a few families and faculty members lingered on campus to savor the celebration.  Occasional echoes of laughter drifted down the hall as I was about to close my classroom, having survived another graduation ceremony and another school year.   S entered, still in his cap and gown, still with that familiar smile on his face.  For S, the journey to today’s podium had been circuitous and tough.  During his seven years at our school, S endured his mother’s ongoing struggle with drug addiction, his father’s arrest and subsequent prison sentence, and the constant uncertainty about where he would spend the night.

“I was hoping to catch you before leaving,” S said. “I often wondered whether I’d make it to today, if I’d actually be a high school graduate.  But, for some reason, which I still don’t fully understand, you never doubted me.  Never questioned my potential.  And, I didn’t always make it easy for you to believe in me.  Thank you.”

As we talked, S reflected on our class discussions where he was constantly challenged to consider new ideas and varying perspectives.  He mentioned the documentary he produced with a fellow student and the class debate that followed, examining the rapid rise of foreclosures in his neighborhood.  He had never before thought about the local impact of state and national economic policies and the legislative influence of special interest groups.  He laughed as he recalled the multiple drafts he wrote for me and the one-on-one conferences, finally recognizing that writing is a process rarely perfected with a single draft.  He thanked me for offering after-school tutoring, which provided more than just a second shot at the subject matter.  It provided a safe, quiet place to study before returning to an unpredictable, and often dangerous, neighborhood.  And, he thanked me for my encouragement during his lowest moments.

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