Graduating TJJD student tells his fellow grads why his incarceration was a ‘blessing in disguise’

By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications —

Lone Star High School Southeast at Giddings State School celebrated a joyous fall graduation on Oct. 18. The ceremony honored nine graduates who earned their high school diploma and nine who received their graduate equivalency certificate (GED).

A speech by student R.R., who became the first in his family to graduate from high school, was a clear highlight of the event.

He began his speech with a frank appraisal of his situation, saying to his fellow students: “We are not here because we chose to take education seriously. Nor are we here for being the best kids in school. All of us are in here (TJJD) because we committed crimes and for not being the best teenagers we could have been. . . . Most of us may have even given up on education at some point of our life,”

“Therefore,” R.R. said, smiling toward his peers from the podium, “this is not your average graduation.”

“We all had the option and choice like everyone else to remain the same, continue generational chains, and live our lives for what they are in jail. But we chose differently. With so much time in our hands, we took advantage of the time given to us and exchanged our curse for a blessing.”

The audience of parents, guardians, mentors and staff grew quiet as R.R. continued his five-minute address.

“I broke a generational chain today by being the first to graduate. My father left school. My mother as well. Then continued my older brother. My family relied on my little sister and myself. But going through freshman year, I failed most of my classes, and by the end of the school year, at 15-years-old, I got locked up with little interest in finishing high school.

My family lost hope in me finishing school and relied on my little sister to go all the way through,” he said.

“I received a blessing in disguise when I got incarcerated. I made the decision to never again give up my power. I understood that I could no longer change my past, but I can certainly determine my future.

I stopped seeking attention and started paying attention instead.”

To say R.R. had the audience in his hands would be an understatement. About 100 people leaned in as he explained how he turned his life in a new direction. It started, he said, when he gave his life to God and resolved to take small continuous steps toward his goals. He promised himself to resist all temptations that would pull him back into his old lifestyle.

He sought out new interests and developed new skills. He earned trade school certificates and became a peer mentor and student worker on campus. He taught himself to draw and discovered a deep respect for reading. “I learned how to properly write as well, like letters, poetry, books, speeches, goals settings and even expressing emotions,” he said.

Wrapping up, R.R. thanked his family – his parents, sister and brother were all in the audience — for never giving up on him. He thanked the adults in the juvenile justice system “who saw my potential and have chosen to support me.” Too, he thanked his peers and urged his fellow graduates to “take from our experiences here and become successful men out in the community.”

No doubt the graduating youths will confront hurdles as they move out into the world. Navigating the next few years won’t be a piece of cake. But at least on this day, they had one – along with a cap and gown and a diploma – and it was delicious.