The first class to spend all four years at Chaparral High School let their Bobcat spirit known as they celebrated the legacy they brought to life during a fired-up graduation ceremony Saturday at the Cadence Bank Center.
A total of 620 Chaparral Bobcat seniors stepped across the stage to receive their diploma, before singing their school song together and tossing their gray caps in the air to the roar of the crowd.
Class of 2026 President Jashaun Warren thanked parents, teachers and friends for their support and declared that the class made history.
“We have been through so much together, but we grew from it and in doing so grew Chaparral itself,” he said. “Some of us have been here since the very first day those doors opened, while others joined along the way and became part of this amazing legacy.”
Salutatorian Alana Green spoke of groups like Student Council, which she helped form and the responsibility that came with attending and launching a brand-new school.
There won’t be another class to begin a high school in this area for decades to come, she predicted. “Not only did we face the usual high school struggles, but we took on the responsibility of establishing our legacy,” she said with passionate force.
During those difficult times, Green said, classmates showed compassion. “The way we uplift each other and how we pick each other up during times of extreme stress – I love that about us.”
“No matter what career path you take continue caring for people as you’ve done for four years.”
Valedictorian Jerome Mina returned to Fort Hood with his miliary family in time to join Chaparral as a sophomore. He spoke of the interchange of faith and fear.
“Faith and fear both require you to believe in something that you cannot see,” the top-ranked graduate said. “How many things did you not do because you feared failing at them?”
Though he knew he lacked skill, Mina said he made the decision to join the school soccer team, where he played on the junior varsity. He tried every position on the team only to make the JV B team, an example of overcoming fear and gaining new friends as a result.
He thanked his parents, his younger brother a close friend and his girlfriend for their support during transitioning and thriving in a new school and community.
“But whether it is the love of our families, the loyalty of a best friend, or the support of a partner, these bonds are what give us the strength to face the unknown,” he said.
To end, the valedictorian quoted the movie Coach Carter. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us,” he said.
“If you are purposefully making yourself small to fit into this world, you are doing a service to no one,” Mina said. “It is when you try to become something more for yourself that you allow others to shine alongside you.”
See KISD photo galleries of the high school graduation ceremonies at www.killeenisd.org/photos