IMPERIAL, Texas — After 53 years, a West Texas resident finally received his high school diploma.
John Strickland had the honor of starting off the Buena Vista High School graduation ceremony in Imperial, Texas where he got to walk across the stage and get celebrated by everyone at the event.
"I would have graduated in 1970, but switched school, and joined the air force in 1971 and got my GED," Strickland said. "I wanted to graduate, but I thought it was too late. Ten years later, I started pursuing getting my diploma, and Revis Daggett was coming and willing to help me on starting my procedure again on getting my diploma."
Strickland reached a solution to receiving his diploma from the school he went to more than 50 years ago after a conversation with Daggett in a Dairy Queen in Fort Stockton.
"Honestly John and I are friends and we started to get coffee at Dairy Queen in the Afternoon and John had mentioned that I never got high school diploma and we were talking, and he said I went to Buena Vista High School," said Revis Daggett. "And at the time, I was the acting principal at Buena Vista High School and Imperial. So, I helped john started the process. I said get the DD214 and let's get her done."
Daggett would help Strickland get the process rolling, which led to Strickland becoming a part of the ceremony that had 15 other graduates already involved.
"It is an honor for us to award him a diploma," said Buena Vista Superintendent Mason Kyle. "He was called into the military in 1970 and he got his GED but never got his Buena Vista Diploma. So, the board and I discussed about awarding him a diploma and in the affirmative, we will be awarding Mr. Strickland his diploma."
Strickland received a standing ovation from the crowd after his name was announced. Kyle and Strickland shook hands and gave each other a hug knowing the true magnitude of this moment.
"You can always achieve your dreams, never give up and good things can happen to good people," Kyle said.