Just for Girls eighth-graders seize 2017 graduation moment

Jessica Caballero-Ayala’s graduation speech was filled with positiveness, hope, excitement and satisfaction — all the things that had once been in short supply in her life.

“Wow! This is the moment!” a confident and not frightened Caballero-Ayala exclaimed Tuesday to her eight fellow graduates and a dignitary-filled crowd of 200, including Manatee County Schools Superintendent Diana Greene. They were gathered at Just for Girls’ Eighth Grade Class of 2017 Commencement Ceremony at the Woman’s Club of Palmetto.

Caballero-Ayala seemed to talking about all nine graduates having just seized a moment, made the most of an opportunity and grabbed a second chance in the Jane B. Pratt Alternative Education Program, also known as Just for Girls, a Manatee County school that gives girls who have fallen behind academically or emotionally a second chance.

“Now we realize we’re on our beautiful journey to becoming young adults,” Caballero-Ayala continued, referring to the nine young women’s entrance into high school this fall with solid academic credentials. “And now we realize we can succeed in our life more than ever imaginable.”

In her typed copy of the speech, Caballero-Ayala had underlined “imaginable.”

Caballero-Ayala is impressive for her maturity, as are her fellow graduates, said Becky Canesse, chief executive officer of Just for Girls.

“They are young girls who have been through some real life experiences that have brought them through to a point of wonderful maturity,” Canesse said after the graduation. “They demonstrated that when they spoke in public, when they shared their stories. When they do that, it helps the girls that come behind them. They discovered within themselves a sense of leadership.”

Besides delivering one of three student graduation speeches, Caballero-Ayala won the Citizenship Award for her respect toward all people, said school director Dee Ralph.

Caballero-Ayala’s “sister” grads were Odalys Cuellar-Santiago, Keila Gonzalez, Yasmin Juarez, Abbigayl Mong, Mikhailey Peel, Jaylinn Rosales, Taylor Visser and Alexiah Williams.

Williams also shined on her speech titled, “Baby Think It Over.” Peel’s entertaining speech was called, “A Year in Review.”

Graduates Juarez and Visser won the Eighth Grade Award and Math Award respectively.

Some non-grads scooped up awards, with Kesha Benoit taking Best Overall Student, Marion Andrews winning the Dr. Valerie Taylor Leadership Award and Jamia Wilson taking the Seventh Grade Award.

Victoria Saucedo-Delapaz won the Sixth Grade Award and Moraima Ruiz-Cordero won the Reading Award.

Dignitaries at the graduation included the ageless Jeannie Oliver and Lenore Stewart, both involved in the girls club in Palmetto that started in 1968 and eventually led to Just for Girls.

Also attending were Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, Just for Girls Foundation president Gail Hannah and school board member Dave Miner.

Greene’s gesture hard to forget

One can tell the difference between a school graduation keynote speech that is put together in 15 minutes before the graduation, and one that was well thought out and planned days before.

Greene thought about what she wanted to do on Tuesday so far in advance that she had time to go to a store and buy wrist watches and ear buds for each of the nine grads so they never forget the theme of her speech: It’s time for them to begin to love the girl they see in the mirror each morning, to shine from inside like stars and to listen and heed their inner voices.

“I thought I would leave something with you that would symbolize the things that I said,” Greene told the grads.

The watches she presented in little gift bags, she said, are to be reminders that the time is now. The watches have hearts and stars to remind the girls to love self and shine like a star, Greene said. The ear buds will be a reminder to listen to their inner voices.

Based on the awe from the graduates as they received their gifts and a nod of sincere appreciation from Canesse, it was clear that Greene also had seized a moment.

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Just for Girls eighth-graders seize 2017 graduation moment."