Two seniors at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas will walk across the stage with incredible honors.
Landon Finely and Martina Zuniga will be part of a graduating class of 220 students at Ellis Davis Field House.
Landon Finely
Landon is the youngest of six siblings, all raised by his father Kelvin Finely.
“My dad always pushed me and encouraged me to be better,” he said.
Landon's mother died when he was 3 years old, which left an emotional and financial strain on the family. He said he still grieves her.
“I miss her, but my dad would always remind me to reach for the stars just like my mom did," he said. She was valedictorian in her high school and she was going to college when she died.”
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
In the fall, Landon will attend Texas A&M and major in accounting. He received the prestigious Bill Gates Scholarship, meaning his undergraduate and graduate tuition will be paid for in full.
“My dad is going to be cheering for me the loudest when I walk across the stage," he said. "I think my mom will be clapping for me, too.”
Martina Zuniga
Martina also worked hard during her four years of high school. Not only is she the president of the National Honor Society, she is also mom to 3-year-old Genesis.
“When I first got pregnant people said ‘Oh, you’re going to drop out. Maybe you’ll finish high school but that’s it,’" she said. "People really looked down on me."
While Martina was raising her daughter, she was also taking care of her mother who is on dialysis. Martina is the oldest of eight siblings and wants to set a good example for her family and other teen moms.
“Getting my diploma will prove that, even though you have a child, you can still achieve so much," she said. "I’m a teen mom, but I was also class representative, president of the National Honor Society, I was in the band and I was on the dance team. I didn’t let my circumstances stop me.”
Martina was recently faced with another setback when her father, the biggest supporter in her corner, suffered a stroke the day after prom. Even though he can’t move or talk, he'll attend graduation.
"I asked the doctors if he could leave the hospital at least for a couple of hours to attend my graduation, " she said. "When I walk across the stage, I’m going to staring straight at him.”
Martina will be the first person in her family to graduate from high school. She was accepted to University of Texas in Dallas, but is still waiting on scholarship money.
“I want to be close to my parents and continue to help them, but I would love to go to that school," she said. "I hear they have a great education program. My dream is to be an elementary teacher."
