There were cheers for all of the Chapel Hill High School graduates on Saturday, but nobody got a louder ovation than Quentin Taylor.
Taylor suffers from cerebral palsy — but despite his disease he still went across the stage and received his diploma like the rest of his classmates. Once his name was announced over the loudspeakers, the stadium quickly turned from a quiet murmur to a standing ovation as Taylor was escorted by his father, Kannis Minor.
“This is a great day for us,” Minor said.
After the ceremony, Minor assured the small crowd coming to congratulate Taylor that high school was the first step — this was just the start of bigger things to come.
“He’s going to be doing some volunteer work and all of that good stuff,” Minor said.
Taylor’s graduation was just a highlight on a day full of celebration for high schools in the area. Carrboro, East Chapel Hill, and Chapel Hill High Schools all held their graduation ceremonies at the Smith Center.
“I’m really proud all four years of high school paid off,” said Chapel Hill graduate Justine Lockhart.
The ceremony started with a rendition of the school’s alma mater, followed by speeches given by some of the students. The speeches ranged from serious to thoughtful, while some commented on the difficulty of preparing a speech.
“It won’t be easy to sum up four great years at Chapel Hill in less time than Pharrell gets to say he’s happy,” said senior class speaker Marlow Durbin.
