Graduating seniors feel disheartened because they have been robbed of their ceremonies, events and even proper goodbyes from friends and teachers. But excruciating as it may feel for these students, their parents share a similar pain.

“When you put your kids into the classroom as they walk into kindergarten, you are literally starting their career as a student,” Deira Robertson said with tears in her eyes during a Zoom interview. “You envision it all.”

Makenzie Obray hugged her mother when she noticed the emotional distress Robertson was going through. Robertson wanted to hold back the tears, but this will be the only graduation ceremony she will witness for Obray, who is a special needs senior at Jack C. Hays High School.

The prom dresses students bought will hang empty, fields where last baseball games and track meets were supposed to take action are abandoned, and the Special Olympics games will not be played.

“It sucks because those are the last few things before we graduate and it feels like they were taken away,” said graduating senior Carla Aleman. “I’m trying my hardest to focus not so much on that; I know there are bigger problems in the world so I’m finding a positive side.”

When Robertson saw that these students were getting pangs of anxiety instead of a celebration for their next life chapter, she was set on giving them the privilege she and all other students had; a graduation ceremony.

On May 16 there will be a community event to honor all the graduates. Robertson reached out to vendors to help with home and vehicle decorations to put together a neighborhood parade. She is even arranging a prom-like event for the students so they can at least dance in the dresses and tuxedos they purchased – all under the rules of social distancing.

This event started small, but Robertson’s determination to give the seniors a glimpse of normalcy helped grow
the idea. She created the Shadow Creek Graduate Event on Facebook to bring the neighborhood together for these seniors. To her surprise, there are 125 graduating students who live in the neighborhood. The event is even picking up steam in surrounding neighborhoods outside of Shadow Creek.

At around 6 p.m., the students will drive through the neighborhoods in their decorated cars as residents step out of their homes to cheer. After the drive-through, there will be a prom-like event where students wear their prom dresses and tuxedos and dance to music played in the street.

Students are also receiving sponsors who give them graduation gift baskets. The seniors who have been adopted by the sponsors get a post in their honor on the Adopt a Shadow Creek Senior Facebook page.

This unorthodox ceremony has grown the students’ appreciation for Robertson. They all spoke about the amazing effort she has put into granting them a celebration.

“I think it’s awesome to see our subdivision come together,” Carla said, “because our graduation class is not like the other ones.”

Hosting a drivethrough event has perked up the spirit of Angie Gruell, mother of a student.

“First and foremost, I have nothing but appreciation for Deira,” Gruell said. “I’m so excited for [the ceremony]. Josh is the oldest of three and he is supposed to be the first to walk the stage and we want to make sure his grandpa sees him.”

Gruell added that she does not want to put graduation above anyone’s health, but she really wanted to give Josh’s grandfather the chance to see the first of eight grandchildren receive his diploma.

Thanks to Robertson’s organizing, these students will get to dance outside in their front yards, wearing their prom
attire, and they will get a safe celebration in their academic honor.

“I’m really proud of my mom,” Obray said, “She’s been getting it together for us, and no matter what happens I will always have her in my heart.”