Stepping into future: South High grad sheds wheelchair

John Harte / The Californian Maribel Herrera gave her classmates a big surprise -- and moment to remember -- when she walked across the stage to receive her diploma from principal David Yanney. It was the first time the wheelchair-bound Herrera ever walked in front of her classmates. John Harte / The Californian Graduate Eric Tavarez races to give his former teacher, Chris Goodell, a hug before the start of the South High graduation ceremonies Wednesday night.

Filed: June 7, 2001

By TIM BRAGG
Californian staff writer
e-mail: tbragg@bakersfield.com

Speakers at Wednesday's graduation at South High School evoked the idea of the road to the future.

If one cannot find it, they said it was OK to make one's own.

And that's just what one graduate did, garnering applause from the audience and her classmates.

Maribel Herrera, who normally uses a wheelchair to get around on campus, decided that she would not get her diploma sitting down.

Herrera is just over 2 feet tall, her growth limited due to dwarfism.

With help from her counselor, Steven Faulk, Herrera got out of her wheelchair and walked across the stage to pick up her diploma, to the cheers of almost everyone in attendance.

Herrera, who plans to study art at Bakersfield College this fall, said most of her fellow students had never seen her walk before.

"I just wanted to get it, I didn't want to be in my wheelchair," she said.

Faulk said Herrera didn't practice her onstage walk at graduation rehearsal.

"We had just one shot, so it had to be perfect the first time," he said. "She's such a talented student, it was great to see her do it."

Like most students at the graduation, Herrera was happy that four years of hard work had paid off with a diploma.

Instead of delivering the usual graduation speech, Christopher Bowers rapped his remarks on the South High School Class of 2001.

"We'll succeed or we'll fail, but hopefully our dreams will prevail," he said in a rhythmic cadence, to the cheers of the crowd.

Melissa Larroque, another graduation speaker, said the future is for the graduates to take. "The road to the future is waiting for you," she said.

After four years of hard work, the future seems bright for most graduates. "It's like the opening of a whole new time for me," said graduate Kuljit Kaur, who plans to attend college.

Principal David Yanney said this year's class of 438 graduates was the most ethnically diverse in the school's history.