Over the next nine days, Texas High School's graduates are individually walking across the stage with a few family members and volunteers in attendance at the Sullivan Arts Performing Center to witness the event.
The complete graduation ceremony, featuring each graduate's walk, traditional speeches, presentations, music and other festivities will air at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 23, which was the original date set for the district's graduation before the COVID-19 crisis closed schools for the year. For the first time in the school's history, the event is being pre-recorded.
TISD Superintendent Paul Norton says this path to celebrate students' achievements was the idea of Texas High School Principal Carla Dupree.
'We are honored to be able to do this in this way because we know our seniors are missing out on so much," Norton said on Monday, the first day of the senior walks.
About 40 to 45 students are slated to walk across the stage each day.
Dupree said the "very personalized" approach to graduation is a way to try to keep a level of normalcy and celebrate the hard work the students have put in.
"My favorite part of this whole process is that they then get to walk down the stairs into the arms of their parents, and grandparents and siblings and embrace and enjoy this very special occasion," Dupree said.
TISD officials said graduates' departures to the military, workforce or a university were the reasons to stay on schedule and keep the original graduation date intact, even if students must walk individually and days ahead of that date.
Once each student and family and friends arrives at the Sullivan Center, he or she has about a 15-minute window to receive any regalia, a cap and gown, if needed, and make last-minute checks on their appearance. Then, they walk into the theatre, have their name called, pick up their diploma, stand to let their small group of family members and friends take pictures and then have a professional graduation photo taken. The district is buying each graduate an 8 x 10 graduation portrait.
Then, it is off to an academic advisor and survey before an outdoor photo opp.
Faculty and staff volunteer at each of the stations to ensure the process runs smoothly.
Graduates on Monday were appreciative of the district's efforts to give them an individual graduation ceremony.
"I think it is a smart thing not to have everybody together since COVID is not over. I like it with not having to wait on everybody, but also I didn't get to see my friends graduate," Kahliyah Anderson said.
Autumn Parrott, THS valedictorian, said it was special district officials decided to carry on with graduation to recognize each student's milestone.
Parrott will record her valedictorian address in the coming days, but only an audience of about six people will be present.
Julia Allen, mother of magna cum laude graduate Skylar Allen, said the event was wonderful.
" (It was) a lot of hard effort on her part and a lot of sacrifices on ours and to be able to celebrate that in a meaningful and special way was really important to us," she said.
THS has about 420 graduates and 12 have also earned their associates degrees from Texarkana College.
The district will air the graduation event on its website, TigerVision website and Facebook pages.
The prom and Project Celebration events are planned for Saturday, June 6. At that time, students can also bring a cap and gown for photos.