One thing Lake Highlands Advocate owner Rick Wamre hates for us editors to do is us pat ourselves on the back. So that’s not what this is, even though our May story did help match a homeless high school senior with a loving Lake Highlands family, this isn’t about us.

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Each May, for at least the last 10 years, the Lake Highlands Advocate has published a story about high school seniors who have overcome enormous odds in order to graduate — we’ve meet refugees, Katrina survivors, reformed drug addicts and gang members and orphans. We’ve talked to students who care for dying parents, terminally ill and disabled siblings and those who are themselves disabled or permanently sick. And all of them are on the honor roll, work outside jobs, participate in extracurricular activities and sports and give back to their communities through volunteerism. We learn that it takes a village — parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, neighborhood residents all — to fuel their success.

Here, you can find a bunch of them.

Last week Communities in Schools (CIS) counselors arranged a meet-and-greet with the featured students to honor them, and to allow members of the community to visit with them. Which was really fun, and something that will now be an annual event.