Connor's Class of 2024 High School Graduation

Before we knew it, the time we'd been anticipating (and dreading?) had arrived. May 17, 2024 -- Connor's high school graduation! It was a date that had been on my calendar for years (true story!) and it never quite felt real and yet, here it was. Leading up to this day, all year long, I kept waiting for some type of emotional melt down. And while I definitely had my tears and moments, there was no official melt down. Just joy and happiness over this amazing milestone and Connor's incredible accomplishments during his high school career. We were so excited to celebrate this special evening with Connor and all his classmates in the KHS Class of 2024!

We arrived early to the massive Legacy Stadium where all of the Katy ISD graduations are held. This was a brand new experience for us, but thankfully it was well organized and managed for the large crowd expected. My parents drove in for the special weekend, and Kevin was able to join us for part of the ceremony as well. We took some family photos in front of the stadium and then it was time for Connor to depart for his role as one of the graduating seniors. Excitement was in the air!

We had been given an assigned "quadrant" of the stadium to enter, and once inside, we scanned the large crowd of seniors on the field to find Connor and cheer him on. Luckily we found some great seats and were able to spot him easily for photos. Because he was in the Top Ten students, he was going to be honored at the beginning of the ceremony in addition to the full class recognition. It was a beautiful summer evening with the sun setting in the sky, and Connor was on cloud nine as he mingled with friends and his teachers and prepared for the night ahead. 

In the stands, we watched and observed the excitement below and all around us. It was a surreal feeling to behold the Class of 2024 below on the field while the sky was painted in a masterpiece of glory, almost like a tribute in honor of the special evening for so many families. I sat in wonder, soaking in all the moments of pure joy for my firstborn in this milestone occasion. 

The ceremony began, and it was all such a blur. With a class of nearly 800 students, it was quite the production to behold. There were several speeches by the Katy ISD administrators, class valedictorian and salutatorian, and then the Top Ten students were honored on the stage with a special plaque. Then, one by one, the students walked across the stage, shaking the hands of the principal and other administrators, as they were recognized for their high school achievements and earning their diplomas. It was a long ceremony with all those students, but the rest of the family was able to leave after the C names were called, ha! But Jeff and I soaked in every moment of the special night and were overjoyed to celebrate when the ceremony concluded with bubbles and fireworks. It was a magical evening, only made more special when we saw Connor's joy and excitement for his official graduation. He had a blast, and so did we. They did it, Class of 2024!