Aubrey's graduating class and their loved ones filled the competition gym at Aubrey High School to mark their next steps in moving forward on May 20.
Aubrey High School Principal Dr. Vanessa Zavar welcomed the graduates and their families to the rose cutting celebration.
'You, as the class of 2026 currently linked together as one with the ribbon, will cut your ropes to symbolize your journey into adulthood and independence as you go your separate ways,' she said.
Zavar also instructed the students to stand for as many years as they had been part of the Aubrey ISD family, with many of the graduates remaining standing down through kindergarten.
'Now, these students that remain standing have spent their entire education in the Aubrey ISD,' she said. '... No matter why or how or when you arrived, we are glad that you are here and that you stepped through our doors.'
The ceremony, an annual Aubrey tradition, featured some guidance from the speaker for the present, Marissa Cabrales, and the speaker from the past, Dawn Dooley.
Cabrales drew on some of the phrases from her math classroom: 'show your work,' 'no name, no fame,' and 'why do I have to learn this,' and talking about limits.
'People will not remember every grade you made, every award you earned,' Cabrales said. 'Every time, they will remember your character, they will remember how hard you work, how you treated others, how you handled diversity and how you kept going.'
She also encouraged the graduates to 'share your ideas; state your opinions; ask questions; stand up for what is right.'
'Do not rush through your life trying to get to the next stage so quickly that you forget to enjoy where you are right now,' Cabrales said.
Dooley, a perennial graduation speaker, mentioned that this was her first time as the speaker from the past.
'The past should be a tool for us to learn from, and most importantly, to grow from,' she said. 'Your past year does not define the person that you will become.'
She reassured those graduates who struggled.
'What you can do is refl ect on what didn't work and maybe try another path,' Dooley said.
She added that it's important to be understanding with yourself.
'Be kind to your past self, because they were still trying to figure it out with all the knowledge that they had at the time,' she said. 'But also try to live in such a way that future you will appreciate past you. You are becoming the you that you were meant to be.
'... As one of my favorite heroes of literature, Anne of Green Gables once said, 'Tomorrow is always fresh, no mistakes in it, and there is always another bend in the road.' So know that as you move forward, you have the love and support of all of us at Aubrey High School, and above all, we wish you a life of joy and love, whatever that looks like to you.'
Between the speakers played the Day in the Life and senior videos, which were produced by Samuel Gonzalez, the adviser of Aubrey High School Publications, and his students.
The student council members played a role in the ceremony, with class Rep. Starlitt Burney leading the pledge and giving the farewell, and Senior Class President Isabella Duncan, Senior Class Vice President Makiah Radick, Senior Class Secretary Carmela Castiglione and Senior Class Reporter Ella Burton sharing the rose cutting tradition and symbolism.
