Fort Worth honors seniors graduating with more than a diploma: "You are all rock stars"
With the expansion North Texas is seeing, preparing tomorrow's leaders is top of mind for Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
This week, Parker recognized hundreds of high school seniors who will be graduating this spring with a secondary credential.
"Each student represented here today, you are all rock stars. You have incredibly bright futures, very different pathways, and that truly is the point," said Mayor Parker.
Hundreds earn additional credentials
Nearly 600 high school seniors received the Fort Worth Mayor's Achievement Award. Each of them will graduate with more than just a high school diploma. Four hundred will also receive an associate degree, and others have earned a post‑secondary credential.
"We have students in the audience, here today who have completed apprenticeships and trade certifications and are ready to enter the workforce right now," said Mayor Parker.
"I'm graduating with my CCMA, so certified clinical medical assistant certification," said Central High School senior Kinsley Kelley.
"I'm really excited to be here. I'll be graduating with a lot of experience in childcare," said Eaton High School senior Aubrey Newman.
Program aims to meet workforce demands
This is all part of Mayor Mattie Parker's push for education and workforce development, now in its fifth year.
"There's a crisis in our country right now around workforce preparedness, and investments in our students, and we need to make sure we're meeting workforce demands," said Mayor Parker.
North Texas has seen tremendous growth — just last year, Fort Worth's population surpassed 1 million.
"All of that growth requires incredible responsibility and guess what, we're going to be retired and hand it off to you, so just get ready," said Mayor Parker.
Students and families reflect on growth
"I have more of a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset," said Newman.
Newman's mother, Myra, stood beside her smiling with pride. "It kind of makes me emotional, to be honest. Just to watch her grow from a young age and just being so mature now."
"I wish we would have had these opportunities when I was in high school. The opportunity to try new things, figure out, do I like them? Do I not like them? These kids have this opportunity," said Kinsley's mother, Michelle Kelley. "She originally had had her pathway in pharmacy tech and then got in there and said, this isn't for me… She was able to move into the Certified Medical Assistant program and she's and now she's going to go on to be a nurse."
