Excitement was in the air at the DCHS graduation ceremony Friday night where members of the Class of 2017 celebrated an important milestone in their lives
There was also an air of sadness due to the absence of a classmate Jacob Davis Billings, marked by balloons tied to a chair along with a framed photo of him and a cap and gown where he would have sat among the graduates.Billings died tragically in a bicycle collision with two motor vehicles four years ago. Billings was 14 years old when he died and would have been a senior this year.
During her welcome address, Class President Madison Butler paid tribute to Billings and called for the graduates to stand and observe a moment of silence in his memory.
“The class of 2017 wants to honor one of our own. Jacob Davis Billings was a part of us. Jacob was the sweetest and happiest people most of us have ever had the chance to know. He was the kind of friend everyone should have. Tonight, Jacob has a chair among the graduates, because he is one of us. Jacob will forever be in our hearts. To end, I want to ask all the graduates to stand as we honor Jacob with a moment of silence,” said Butler.
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