Pomp and Circumstance for City of Bellaire Seniors

Under the ever-watchful eyes of the Bellaire water tower, Class of 2020 seniors filled vehicles lined up along S. Rice in front of the new City Hall Building. Due to Covid-19 safety restrictions, many of the honorees won’t be experiencing the traditional ceremony, which includes marching into Pomp and Circumstance this year but, thanks to the City of Bellaire, they received a dose of pomp with a special police escort through the neighborhood. 

Last Friday night, spectators of all ages came out in full force to cheer, clap and ring cowbells at the first-ever City of Bellaire High School Graduation Celebration Drive. The Class of 2020 fan-lined route headed south down S. Rice, around Bellaire High School onto Maple Street, down Ferris and then up Jessamine St. ending by the police station. Adding to the merriment were American flags donated by the Southwest Rotary Club waving along both sides of the streets.

Deborah Roylance, whose daughter Raegan is a Tenney School grad headed to Ole Miss, planted the seeds for the event. She shared, “This was truly a community effort for these graduates. The City of Bellaire was more than willing to help make this celebration of graduates something to remember. City officials personally put in the sweat equity to get all this done.”

The Mandell sisters, Sonnet and Lyric, are both headed to Baton Rouge to continue their studies at Louisiana State University (Lyric for her PhD and Sonnet for undergraduate studies). The girls were happy to receive one of the best decorated car awards. 

Their whole family, including parents David and Ember and older sister Noelle, were in the car during the parade. Mom Ember said, “The enthusiasm of the graduates, their supporters, and cheering residents of Bellaire made it a day we will never forget!” 

Deborah said, “As parents of Class of 2020 seniors this year, it’s been hard to watch our child lose the opportunity to enjoy celebrating milestones like senior prom and walking across the stage to collect their diplomas. The residents of Bellaire truly showed up to celebrate these grads. Personally, as a mom of a Class of 2020 senior, it brought tears to my eyes to see the families lining the streets, the little kids holding pompoms and waving. Residents, old and young, were proud to step out and show these kids that where they come from is special. As they head off to college, they will hopefully take with them a sense of their hometown, a warm hug that they know will always be here for them." 

The parade left senior Megan Frankel smiling. A Kinkaid grad, Megan shared, "I loved how the community came together to support us. It meant a lot."

High schools represented included Bellaire High School, St. Agnes Academy, Episcopal High School, The Kinkaid School, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, The Tenney School, St. Thomas High School along with home-school programs. The 77401 grads are headed to a variety of colleges including Sam Houston University, Texas A&M Galveston, Louisiana State University, The University of Mississippi, The University of Houston, Washington University, Georgetown, The University of Texas, Texas A & M University and Villanova University.