29 Apr 2002
6,782 Seniors To Graduate in Class of 2002
DALLAS–With more than 6,700 seniors completing the academic requirements for a high school diploma, the Dallas Independent School District has 29 graduation ceremonies scheduled throughout the city in May for its largest graduating class in more than 15 years.
From the Meyerson Symphony Hall to Loos Fieldhouse, graduation ceremonies will be special celebrations for students, their parents and teachers. For students, the walk across the graduation stage is a celebration of the completion of a life chapter devoted to their education, General Superintendent Mike Moses said.
"Graduation is one of the most important occasions in a young person's life," he said. "Graduation is an accomplishment that creates a solid foundation in the pursuit of other life goals."
Moses said the new challenge for the soon-to-be graduates is to continue their education beyond high school. "We challenge our graduates to approach every day of their lives as if they were on a journey for learning," he added.
As an incentive for the Class of 2002 graduates to continue their education, the district has begun an initiative called Hire Your Own. The initiative gives DISD students who are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class an employment contract to work for the district. If these students complete all graduation requirements of a university and become fully certified teachers within the next five years, they will be guaranteed a teaching position in DISD.
"We hope that this employment incentive will motivate students to complete their college education and get a teaching certificate," Moses said.
Students in the top 10 percent of their classes will be recognized at their graduation ceremonies. The Class of 2002 at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will be the first graduation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12, at the Meyerson Symphony Hall, 2301 Flora Street. Summer school graduation, scheduled at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, concludes the district's graduation ceremonies for the school year.
A complete list of the Dallas Independent School District high school graduation ceremonies follows:
May 12
• Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, 7:30 p.m., Meyerson Symphony Hall, 2301 Flora Street
May 16
• Thomas Jefferson, 7 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road • Skyline, 7 p.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
May 17
• A. Maceo Smith, 7 p.m., Dallas Convention Center Arena, 650 S. Griffin Street
• L. G. Pinkston, 7:30 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
May 18
• Bryan Adams, 10 a.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
• Seagoville, 10 a.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• Justin Kimball, 1 p.m., Dallas Convention Center Arena, 650 S. Griffin Street
• North Dallas, 1 p.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
• Middle College, 2 p.m., El Centro College, 801 Main Street
• H. Grady Spruce, 2 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• Woodrow Wilson, 4:30 p.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
• Hillcrest, 6:30 p.m., Dallas Convention Center Arena, 650 S. Griffin Street
May 19
• David W. Carter, 4:30 p.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
• Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet, 1 p.m., Dallas Convention Center Arena, 650 S. Griffin Street
• W. T. White, 1 pm, Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
• South Oak Cliff, 4:30 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• Sunset, 7:30 p.m., Reunion Arena, 777 Sports Street
May 20
• School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 6 p.m., Majestic Theater, 1925 Elm Street
• W. W. Samuell, 7 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• James Madison, 7:30 p.m., McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane
May 21
• School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 4:30 p.m., McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane
• Moisés Molina, 7 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, 7 p.m., Majestic Theater, 1925 Elm Street
• School of Science and Engineering at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 7 p.m., McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane
May 22• School of Business & Management at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 4:30 p.m., McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane
• W. H. Adamson, 7 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road
• School of Education and Social Services at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 7 p.m., Majestic Theater, 1925 Elm Street
• School of Public Services: Government, Law and Law Enforcement at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, 7 p.m., McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane
July 23
• Summer School, 2 p.m., Loos Fieldhouse, 3815 Spring Valley Road