Olivia Allen
If your child is a senior at Lake Highlands High, you’ve witnessed the disappointment of the students and their classmates after Gov. Greg Abbott officially called off school for the rest of the year. No prom. No cap and gown. No walk across the graduation stage. Even informal celebrations that mark high school’s end have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. No Senior Walk. No end of year pranks. No returning to Kindergarten classrooms.
If you’d like to show a little love to a Wildcat, you can log onto the new “Adopt a Senior Lake Highlands Edition” Facebook page, where parents of graduating seniors are posting photos and short introductions. If it says “not adopted” just below their name, you can take them on as your personal project. Some do-gooders have sent cookies or balloons, while other sent gift cards or items they might use at college. After you “claim” the senior in the comments section, you may communicate with the parents via Facebook Messenger and ask how to mail or deliver your goodies.
Samantha Rodriguez is a Highlandette manager and choir officer headed to Texas Tech to become a nurse. As senior class vice president, she was integral in prom planning and is disappointed the party is cancelled. She also misses working at Top Golf after school.
Emily Fernandez served as a student teacher at Wallace Elementary. The experience solidified her determination to teach special education students, so she’ll seek a degree at Texas State. She received the Exchange Club’s Character Counts Award earlier this year.
Ryan Hocker’s varsity basketball team was able to finish their season, but he’s heartbroken for classmates on the baseball, softball and other spring sports teams whose seasons were cut short. He enjoys fishing and Young Life, and he’ll study business at OU.
Olivia Allen served as athletic trainer for the Wildcats this year, wrapping ankles and tending injuries for athletes. She also performed with the Wranglers country and western dance team. She’ll enroll at Texas A&M in the fall.
So far, 86 parents have shared their senior’s information and most have been adopted. More student names are being added daily.
Samantha Rodriguez
Ryan Hocker
