THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 15, 1996 TAG: 9608150339
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 68 lines
The caps and gowns were the ones that would have been worn if they had graduated with their peers in June.
The hootin' and hollerin' from the audience at Great Bridge High School Wednesday night would have been the same if the 110 seniors had graduated, as many had wished, two months ago.
But there is one major distinction between June and summer school commencement: It's hard to find a get-down, I'm-outta-here blowout graduation party.
``A lot of my friends and the people I know have already left'' for college, said Byron Harvin Jr, 18, of Oscar Smith High School.
``Oh, but we're going to do something, go down to the beach or something.''
No matter.
For most of the summer's graduates, the walk from the seat to get the diploma was a bit longer, but just as sweet. For one reason or another, many Chesapeake seniors didn't graduate with most of the class of 1996 and spent the last eight weeks at Oscar Smith, Great Bridge or Deep Creek high schools to make up for lost time and grades.
There were exceptions - such as Kathleen Johnson, a 17-year-old honor graduate from Great Bridge. Johnson moved from New York as a junior last year but had enough credits to graduate a year early.
``It's kind of weird just thinking about getting out earlier than my friends,'' Johnson said, smoothing out her green robe.
She said a lot of folks assumed she'd flunked a class when they heard she attended summer school.
``I'm just not really cocky about it,'' Johnson said. ``I just tell folks I graduated a year early. That's it.''
But other graduates were present Wednesday night because they had taken their senior year for granted.
``There was too much senior privilege,'' said Kelvin Kearney of Oscar Smith. ``I missed a lot of class time having fun.''
Harvin said he was juggling too many responsibilities - a job and basketball, football, indoor and outdoor track teams - and found out the day of graduation that he didn't pass a class.
``I was really, really disappointed,'' Harvin said. ``I wanted to just graduate with my senior class, march with my friends, and still go to summer school. But they wouldn't let me do it.''
This has been a busy two weeks for ``Pomp and Circumstance'' tapes. Virginia Beach held its summer school graduations last week, while Portsmouth had its on Wednesday evening and Norfolk's five high schools held individual ceremonies, all but one on Wednesday. Booker T. Washington will have commencement exercises at 9 tonight.
Suffolk schools will have a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday at Nansemond River High School.
During Chesapeake's ceremony, Bill Myers, assistant superintendent for personnel and support services, quickly gave a few gems of advice to the squirming graduates on stage.
``No matter what walk of life or contributions you make, make your own little corner of the world better than you found it,'' Myers said.
But 20-year-old Sherita Harris had her own words of wisdom.
Harris gave birth to her son, Audrex, 17 months ago and has since struggled to get her diploma.
She did Wednesday night.
``I want to let those girls out there know that just because you have a child, it doesn't stop you from graduating.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
JIM WALKER/The Virginian-Pilot
Diana Cartwright, left, Tanea Coles and Walter Ray Harris were among
the 110 seniors receiving degrees at Great Bridge High School on
Wednesday night. by CNB