On a blistering Friday night at the end of June, the Uvalde High School Class of 2022 was finally able to walk across the stage.

The ceremony had originally been planned for May 27, three days after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers. It was rescheduled to June 24 — exactly one month after the tragedy. The 18-year-old gunman had been in the graduating class before dropping out.

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While many of the students took the event to remember those lost — who were their family members, relatives of friends, and neighbors — the graduation was most importantly an opportunity for the town to come together and celebrate.

 

I spent five days in Uvalde connecting with community members and was fortunate to spend time on graduation day with Gabby Quirova and Ariana Diaz, two seniors who are excited for their futures and empowered by the shooting to make positive change in the world.

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Photography by Kylie Cooper | Reporting by Ariana Perez-Castells and Kylie Cooper

Graduation in Uvalde gives tragedy-stricken town a night of normality - The Texas Tribune