from Celina-Marie Kuehne /
The “Seniors” – the graduates of the 12th grade – have made it!
Four years of high school are behind them, all tests and finals are over, and the longed-for graduation is coming up in the first week of June.
After that, life will change for most of the kids: they will go to Colledge or the University for another 3-4 years (mainly to another city and live there), and only a few of them will look for a job right away. But more about that in another post sometime …
Here in Austin, it’s customary for each school to hold a CAR PARADE of its “graduating class.”
The cars of the students or parents are decorated; sometimes, the kids sit on a party trailer with pom-poms, flags, and balloons – roughly comparable to German carnival parades – and celebrate their last days of school. (Alcohol as in Germany, there is, of course not! Are all still under 21!!!)
The whole thing is, of course, opened and ended by flashing and honking police car. The parents, friends, and relatives stand on the street and clap, wave, waving flags, banners, etc.
After the parade, it’s party time at the school:
Everyone gets together to celebrate; the cheerleaders and marching band are there, food trucks, school bands, teachers, parents, and friends….
At my school, a car – what was supposed to be the principal’s car – was smashed and overturned. All, of course, under the eyes of the school police … Well, I don’t know if my teachers in Germany would allow something like that….
This year three of my friends from the Ballet Folklorico celebrated their graduation: Rosalia, Anabella, and Alex! Congratulations, you three, and good luck for the future!!!
The GRADUATION – the famous graduation ceremony with the familiar gowns and hats and official certificate presentation – takes place a few days later at the Burger Center.
Here’s a short clip of the video from the Austin ISD Facebook page: (Austin High, 2021)
https://www.facebook.com/austinisd/videos/5657756610963852/
In this context, it is worth mentioning the PROM – the prom!
As in the movies, this is an event for the students in a posh location, the girls in ball gowns, the guys in suits. And the “dates” are not simply arranged but are celebrated like a marriage proposal…. Yes, other countries, other customs!
I’m curious to see what awaits me then, but until then, I still have two years…