Graduation is a major turning point in the life of a teen. Teens have been working very hard to get here and they are all looking forward to seeing the fruit of their labor materialized when their name is called and with great cheer and congratulations by their family members take those steps to receive their diploma that closes that stage in their lives.
For Kayla Hicks of Camden Academy Charter High School in Camden, New Jersey, it is a day that is not so cheery as she knows her brother, Zachary Hicks, who is currently a specialist in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, is probably having a very hard time getting time off from duty and getting on a plane to go and be there for her on that special day. So, she accepts that she will not have the chance of sharing that special moment with him.
So, finally the big day is here. Everyone is lined up at the stage, girls and boys alike, everyone is just waiting to have their name mentioned, to get that once in their teen lifetime chance of saying: “I started out to do this, and I completed it, this is my achievement”, and to be on the road to head for their college education. It is a mixture of many things. For some, it starts as a tingly feeling when they know their name is coming close to being called, everyone they love is there to cheer them in as they take those steps.
Everything is still excitement and happiness for Kayla as she prepares to hear her name called, she remembers her brother, but knows he is surely with her on this moment, even if distance is a factor. Finally, her name is called and she starts to head towards where her diploma awaits, she then looks up and notices something that instantly makes her explode in tears, something in all her time rehearsing this moment, she had not prepared for.
Kayla first walks, then runs, then walks again as she is invaded by a lot of feelings of joy, bliss and self-achievement. Everyone joins in this special and touching moment, and cheers them on.
It is moments like these that put a special aura of magic in the air and make an occasion like this, one to truly remember. Kayla’s expectations for such a special day have been surpassed. And it is something that not only Kayla, but her whole class will remember.
