Today is graduation.  Traditionally, we have a large graduation class and of course, an audience.  This year, we have twenty-seven children graduating from Happy Hearts and Early Intervention, twelve from Pre-K Counts, and thirteen from High School.

Last year, we had a drive by event as our school was closed. Usually, we have 400+ people in the attendance, however since we would be required to limit size, we decided to break into three groups and hold the event outdoors.  So today we had three ceremonies, one at noon, 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM.   The weather looked questionable, but we kept our fingers crossed and kept praying to Dr. Barber. We successfully completed the noon session with raindrops only at the end. The 2:00 PM session will be happening momentarily …and it is not raining!  We will have to see what transpires for the 6:00 PM???

Graduation is both happy and sad for us.  We are happy that our students are moving on, but we are sad to say goodbye to these children who we have come to know throughout the years, and the parents with whom we have had the good fortune to work with as part of our team.

When Dr. Barber established the Barber National Institute 70 years ago, it was to ensure that all children and adults had every opportunity to go to school, get jobs, and become active participants in the community. Each of our graduates have met their goals through hard work, diligence and dedication. We are proud of what our students have accomplished and are inspired by each of them.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!