AZs Largest School Dist. Does the Right Thing, | Political News
You might have learn the lovely story that my colleague Jennifer Oliver O’Connell wrote, which was printed late on Friday night time as half of her Feel-Good Friday collection. It concerned a household getting the probability to see their child lady with profound studying disabilities obtain her faculty diploma at Clemson University, thanks to a devoted program the instructional establishment has in place.
The heartwarming twist was that graduate’s dad was not seated in the spectators’ part at Clemson, though. He just occurs to be the college’s president, and had the honor of personally handing his daughter that golden ticket to a wider, more fulfilling future. But do not take into account my pale abstract of the video and O’Connell’s piece as a alternative; I encourage you to learn and watch the complete factor at the hyperlink below.
As commencement season begins to wrap up in the coming weeks, of course, different grads are hoping to expertise their own walks in distinctive methods. And before anybody will get the unsuitable concept, I do not imply the tales you see in latest years, that includes younger people pitching a match because the high faculty or college they attend refuses to allow them to advantage signal their gender ideology or what have you ever as half of their graduation robe/apparel. No, this story is about patriotism and catching a authorities entity–in a uncommon second very similar to a stopped clock–making the common sense choice and doing what’s proper.
Daniela Rascon-Rivas, a senior at suburban Phoenix’s Mesa High School, needed to put on a navy stole during graduation; she mentioned it is one thing she earned while getting ready to enter the Arizona National Guard–her next stop in life, according to KPNX-TV’s report:
Her navy stole was…completed through arduous work and dedication. From rappelling down cliffs at Papago Park, disassembling and reassembling firearms, to figuring out how to use a fuel masks correctly.
Mesa Public Schools launched a assertion explaining why it rejected Rascon-Rivas’s request:
Mesa Public Schools deeply values and honors the service of our navy members and enlisted college students. Mesa High upholds a longstanding custom of unity at commencement, in alignment with district coverage 5-217.D and state law ARS 15-348, that promotes uniformity during the ceremony by limiting adornments on commencement apparel. While stoles, including navy, are usually not worn during the formal ceremony, Mesa High completely encourages households to carry their scholar’s stoles for images and celebrations after the occasion.
The East Valley high faculty scholar and future guardsman spoke to KPNX-TV about what she termed a “disheartening” state of affairs, saying “I have given my life to this country to serve them, and I can’t even wear a simple piece of fabric.”
She continued:
“All these achievements I worked very hard for and I can’t even wear it on my big night. I honestly feel disrespected.”
Any choice about costume code, including for faculty features like graduations, might properly influence college students who attend different faculties outdoors Mesa because of its measurement. According to Niche, Mesa Unified School District boasts the Copper State’s largest faculty district, with 57,204 college students enrolled, adopted by neighboring East Valley district, Chandler USD Number 80 (42,832), and southern AZ’s Tucson USD (40,929).
After receiving the unhealthy information from MPS, the scholar “started an online petition to change it so that everyone can display their accomplishments at graduation.”
Now, there was a optimistic consequence as the faculty management introduced in the future before the Mesa High School commencement that the faculty district will change its guidelines to let grads put on navy stoles during future commencement ceremonies:
Mesa High School senior reacts to profitable struggle to put on navy stole at commencement https://t.co/eUt8AxfCxU pic.twitter.com/mSYbiVWn5k
— azfamily 3TV CBS 5 (@azfamily) May 22, 2025
The East Valley district mentioned it’s at the moment revising current coverage to formally embrace navy stoles as permitted commencement apparel.
The coverage change got here shortly after Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne urged MPS to enable college students to put on navy stoles.
“Graduation is one of the most meaningful events in a young person’s life and schools should acknowledge when students show the initiative to excel and serve our nation,” Horne mentioned in a assertion on Wednesday.
This hopefully will serve as a life lesson for Rascon-Rivas–including one partly targeted on humility and maturity–since she didn’t get every little thing she was asking for. She had also needed to put on recognition on her outfit of her instructional wins.
Regardless, she was ready to stroll on Thursday, May 22, while displaying everybody the important selection she has made to serve others over self. KPNX-TV spoke with the grad after she received phrase on the exhilarating, yet humbling change:
“I was in shock. I started bawling immediately. I was surprised and most importantly grateful,” she instructed them. “It’ll mean that I can show my community that I’m serving the country and that my future classmates can also show their friends and family that they are also involved in the armed forces.”
It also means that, with Rascon-Rivas’s proud members of the family and pals trying on, she was ready to have fun her accomplishments before heading off to serve her fellow Arizonans. Good for her!
Watch:
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