Rain can’t stop Manatee's 'shining' graduates from earning their high school diplomas

A little rain proved to be no match for the Hurricanes on Saturday night.

A mostly rainy day cleared up just in time for Manatee High School’s 2018 graduation ceremony. Family and friends flocked to Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium armed with umbrellas and ponchos to watch their loved ones walk across the stage.

“We are going to get this done,” principal David Underhill said as soon as the ceremony began.

And nearly 500 students did get it done, walking out onto the field just as a faint rainbow appeared in the dissipating clouds above.

A light drizzle persisted throughout the night, but it had already been established that nothing was going to get in the way of this celebration.

Underhill told the anxious seniors the ceremony might feel like the end, but it was actually the opposite — a new beginning for each and every one of them. A new adventure means new challenges, too. However, every graduate has been learning the skills needed to tackle any incoming issues with ease.

“We all hope that you grapple with that tomorrow and use what you have learned in the past to build a bright and shining future," Underhill explained.

While the graduates are now equipped with a well-rounded tool it of capability, Underhill also thanked his faculty and staff for getting them there.

In turn, their achievement means taking accountability for their actions as they go from children to “citizens of the world.”

"As you learn to build those responsibilities, you will also understand that you will not be able to point the finger and blame them for your wrong choices," said Underhill.

James Heagerty, one of the ceremony’s student speakers agreed with Underhill and told his fellow graduates that they’ve all been working toward this moment.

“We began high school as children but we are leaving here as young adults," he said. "Some of us will go to college, other will go straight into the workforce, but each of us will travel our own path.”

Their paths will diverge soon, but Saturday night, they were all the same. Each of them crossed the stage, thanking their mentors and teachers. What comes next, is success, said one of the student speakers.

"After we walk across the stage, we are stepping into the unknown," said Emma Moneuse. "Although it may be terrifying, just know that loss you feel now is the present tense of your future work."

This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Rain can’t stop Manatee's 'shining' graduates from earning their high school diplomas."