Multiple stages allowed Allen High School students to get semi-traditional graduation ceremony

ALLEN, Texas - A very unique, thought-out graduation ceremony took place in Allen on Friday.

More than 1,600 seniors crossed one of four stages at Allen's Eagle Stadium.

Giving everyone their own mini-graduation ceremonies was an all-day affair, but dministrators said they’re happy to do it so their seniors can get the recognition they deserve.

Following tradition, Allen High School seniors got to walk across the stage and have their names called, though it looked very different than years past.

“It was excellent. I don’t have to wait for four hours,” said Sonja Brewster, a mother of one of the graduating seniors.

There were four stages, a quick diploma presentation and photo opp, and hand sanitizer stations and cleaning crews throughout Eagle Stadium.

“It was easy, we did our little handshake and pictures and we walked out,” Brewster added.

Allen ISD personnel were careful to keep separate families spaced apart.

“Just getting that sense of I’m finally done, all my efforts are paid off, and I’m getting to do this huge thing with people I’ve been with since elementary school. And not really getting to see everybody cross the stage,” graduate Laura Deanda said.

But for Kelly Brown and her special education students, the smaller individual ceremonies worked out even better than expected.

“But the exciting part about the way this went off today, a lot less people, a lot less stress and less anxiety for a lot of our students,” she said. “And so we had a couple participate that might not have in a traditional graduation ceremony, so that kind of made it extra special.”

The ceremonies lasted all day, with the district budgeting for extra time in case of possible rain delays.

But that wasn’t about to stop the students from having their moment.

“Part of me always wanted to walk the stage, this would be my last year,” graduate Terell Hill said.

“It’s not so much how it happened, but to just be grateful and thankful that it happened,” Patricia Hill added.

The individual graduations were set to last roughly 12 hours altogether.

The district will put together a montage video of everyone’s individual graduation moment.