MARFA — The high school careers of 23 Marfa students came to a close Friday evening as family, friends, teachers and administrators gathered at Martin Field to celebrate Marfa High School’s graduating class.
The Class of 2024 wore white, rather than traditional purple, graduation gowns and clutched their caps as strong winds threatened to blow them away. After customary opening ceremonies including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, Salutatorian Jaidan Villa took to the podium to express gratitude to families and faculty for helping the graduates get across the finish line.
“Your unwavering love, support and guidance have played an integral role in shaping us into the uniquely gifted individuals you see today,” Villa said. “We are deeply grateful for the roles you have played in our lives, and we couldn’t be happier to have you by our side.”
Villa then introduced Valedictorian Jack Marquez, who congratulated fellow classmates and opened up about his personal struggles throughout high school. He said while earning the highest academic honor may make it seem like he constantly excelled, there were tough times balancing classes, sports and jobs while knowing he was the only transgender kid in “the entire school.”
Marquez said all of that took a toll on his mental health and impacted his overall high school performance. “There were many times I felt lazy, overwhelmed or burnt out [and like] I couldn’t keep up,” Marquez said.
Despite those personal challenges, Marquez said, he managed to place second this year in the state powerlifting competition and become the first out trans student to earn the title of valedictorian in Marfa ISD’s history.
“The reason I mentioned my struggles while in high school is because everyone has things that they’re going through. It can be very hard and exhausting to be alive, and not everyone sees every side to every story. It makes it really easy to feel alone,” Marquez said. “I want my underclassmen, as well as my graduating class, to know that you’re not alone in what you go through, and these hard times do not prevent you from achieving greatness if you don’t let them.”
Next up were commencement speakers Caroline and Connor Travis, Marfa locals who have close relationships with the graduating class through their roles at the Alamito Foundation and local Young Life chapter, respectively. The couple, addressing the grads directly, explained that the Class of 2024 taught them life lessons about “goodness, truth and beauty” — three qualities they hoped the young adults would continue to pursue as they transition into adulthood.
“You’ve helped teach us the meaning of those things,” Conner said. “Goodness, what’s worth smiling about? The things that remind us of our purpose. Truth, what’s worth believing in? The internal compass, the true north, which you faithfully navigate life. And beauty, what’s worth sharing? Your personhood, which is wonderfully designed to enhance the world around you.”
The couple encouraged the graduates to be lifelong learners and emphasized the importance of their varied high school experiences and close-knit relationships as solid foundations to build on. “The further you venture from here, the more unlikely it becomes that you will meet anyone else that can say that they played multiple sports, usually in the same season, danced folklórico, produced one-act plays, worked part-time jobs, rode horses, wrote poetry, kayaked the Rio Grande for science class, and started a floral business all in high school,” Connor said.
“Your willingness to engage opportunities is really evident,” he added. “And I think it’s also bonded to y’all for life.”
With the conclusion of the commencement speech, each graduate crossed the stage to receive their diploma, and the Class of 2024 gathered for one last group activity: the senior huddle, where grads put their arms around one another, sway to a song of their choice and toss their graduation caps into the sky.