MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami Northwestern Senior High School graduation ceremony celebrated students and paid tribute to a fallen senior.
Thursday marked a big milestone for the Miami Northwestern Senior High School family, and there was a lot to be proud of.
“I would never forget the day when my mom texted the pictures of my acceptance letter to Miami Northwestern Senior High School,” said one student speaker. “I instantly cried knowing that my dream had become a reality.”
The graduating class earned over $9 million in scholarships to pursue their goals.
Proud family members and friends cheered the students on during the ceremony at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was on hand, Thursday.
“The remarkable, passionate compassionate, determined, courageous, intellectually superior class of 2018, today is your day!” he said.
There were many words of encouragement, cheers, laughs and reflection, but there was also a moment silence and tribute to fallen student Joewaun Coles.
“Our sympathies and our prayers rest with you,” said one student speaker. “Please remember, Joewaun will always be a special part of our lives.”
The message was for the Coles family.
The 15-year-old, who loved ones called Popcorn, was shot and killed in May 2015. He would have graduated Thursday, but instead, his family accepted a posthumous diploma on his behalf.
“It’s a shame that parents have to take to the graduation stage because their children are gone,” Carvalho said, “but nonetheless, we ought to honor their memory, their soul, their spirit in a reverent and respectful way.”
Carvalho said that although these students may have dealt with tough times, they persisted.
“Miami Northwestern Senior High School is a school and a community that has been marked by a tragedy that has unfolded for years,” he said. “Gun violence, certainly a great deal of poverty, but I see beyond that. I see the hope and opportunity these young men and women demonstrate to us every single day, and their journey begins now.”
Carvalho said the school is celebrating an 80 percent graduation rate. He said their goal next year is 90 percent.
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