Posted on 05/28/2004 7:03:30 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Diploma another dream come true for graduate
By Michelle Dynes rep2@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE - Kara Durako said there are three things every teenage girl wants: to be prom queen, to have children and to graduate from high school.
This year Durako was named prom queen; her daughter, Kaitlyn, celebrated her first birthday; and she earned her high school diploma from Cheyenne's Triumph High on Thursday.
"I've been looking forward to this since I knew what graduation was," she said. "I've had a kid. I've been prom queen. Now I have to graduate."
The 16-year-old also was able to graduate a year early. She switched from East High to Triumph when she became pregnant and entered Triumph's Community-Based Occupational Education program.
She said at Triumph she was able to get the one-on-one attention and help she needed to get ahead. The school's flexible schedule allowed her to get a part-time job and spend time with her daughter while she took nine classes.
"It's not like what most people think, that the bad people go to Triumph," she said. "It's just kids who want extra help, who want to be done with school."
Now that Durako has met her first set of challenges, she said she's looking forward to setting new goals.
She said she plans on continuing her education but she doesn't know what career path she wants to take. She said she'd either go to beauty school or to Laramie County Community College to become a nurse. Durako said she's been interested in both beauty and medicine from a very young age.
"When I was 2, I started playing doctor with my friends, and I started cutting my Barbie's hair," she said. "So I was interested in both career paths for as long as I can remember."
She added that she did have an early bump in her goal to become a beautician when she switched from cutting Barbie's hair to her friend's hair when she was 5 years old.
"That got me into trouble," she said.
Five years from now, Durako said she sees herself working on her chosen career and owning a home.
"I'm finally done (with high school)," she said.
Triumph Principal Gary Datus said he got to know every one of the 58 graduates.
"I had some very academically talented students," he said.
He said all of them have a strong work ethic and will be excellent citizens in whatever community they join.
These students needed the class flexibility to reach their goal of high school graduation, he said. Many of them, including Durako, have had to fit in classes around a work schedule.
"They're not working through choice, they're working through necessity," he said. "I consider it a real privilege to work with these people."
Isn't this a variation of what then VP Quayle railed against 12 years ago this month: the glorifying of mothers bearing children out of wedlock? She mentioned her goals as having children, but there was nothing said about a husband.
And there was no mention of the father of her child. Beautiful, wonderful, where's the father?
We can only pray that the young lady can make her way in the world. Cripes... 16 years old....
Society says: "woman man fish bicycle"
Agreed completely. But we must also pray that the father finds his way in this world and becomes responsible for his children.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.