Trinity graduates final class ever

Published 11:25 am Thursday, May 24, 2018

 

NATCHEZ — In a flurry of hats and more than a few tears, Trinity Episcopal Day School graduated its final class Thursday evening.

Valedictorian Anna Rodriguez acknowledged the poignancy of the graduation.

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Not only were the students graduating from their school, she said, they were losing their alma mater.

And yet, she said, Trinity had and will always have a profound effect on its students.

“Does it have to be over?” she said. “Let this not end with the closing of the doors.”

Trinity means too much to them, she said, to let the school’s legacy end.

“Don’t forget how to love and forgive,” she said. “He said, ‘Fear not for I am your God, and I am with you,’ and that’s what we will do.”

Before each of the 16 seniors crossed the stage in Trinity Episcopal Church, Headmaster Christina Daugherty read a rhyming poem about each of them.

Each line contained snippets of each student’s personality and of how much Daugherty believed in them.

“Thank you for allowing me to do what I love to do,” she said. “I truly would not change a second of it.”

After the service, when each student had received his or her diploma, they gathered on the front steps of Trinity Episcopal Church.

“It’s hard to see them go,” Daugherty said. “They were such a great group.”

The students laughed and cheered as they threw their hats into the air. When it was over, some wiped tears from their eyes and smiled.

“When I first came here, I thought I wouldn’t make any friends,” said Salutatorian Avneet Kaur. “I was right. I did not make friends, I found family. … I cannot tell the future, but I know Trinity will be a part of our lives forever.”