DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Dearborn high school student found himself in an unexpected place when he was denied an opportunity to walk at his graduation due to missing a rehearsal.
He was devastated. But what he didn’t expect was the big way his Dearborn community would rally behind him in support.
“Myself in the cap, the gown- walking down the stage with my friends looking, my family clapping,” is how Hatem Gelan, an Edsel Ford High School graduate describes the moment he had envisioned for six years, since immigrating to Dearborn from Yemen.
“It was supposed to be a proud moment,” he says.
But despite a 3.7 GPA, he never saw it happen, because he slept through the ceremony’s rehearsal which the principal said was grounds to deny him his chance to walk.
“I was heartbroken, I was devastated,” he says.
Hatem had been working late the night before because he needed the financial support for family members back in Yemen.
“He is special, and this wasn’t his fault and he’s not a bad kid and he deserved to be celebrated,” says community advocate Samra Luqman.
The Dearborn community member, who caught wind of the story, made it her mission to do just that — helping to organize a mock ceremony.
“It was more than we expected,” she says. “Amazing turnout.”
It exceeded everyone’s expectations. 150 people showed up on Monday evening, many of them strangers, as businesses called to ask what they could donate from the chairs to the food.
The location was picked for a reason, because you can see it is steps away from Edsel Ford High School itself where a school board meeting was underway.
The celebration then turned into an act of protest.
”You can’t take away 12 years of hard work in one sentence in one day for a simple mistake,” says Gelan’s cousin Faisal Ali.
We reached out to the school district who, while standing by the principal’s decision, said in part, “We reflected on what occurred and will evaluate all of our high schools’ procedures and practices to see if there may be room to make changes in the future.”
“We did all of that so that doesn’t happen to anybody else,” says Gelan.
Gelan grateful for the we in all of this - the community that stood behind him.
So that he could stand tall.
“It was mind-blowing for me to see the support from every corner, it was incredible,” he says.
You can read the entire statement Dearborn Public Schools released through Facebook below:
This year just under 1,600 Dearborn Public School students took part in seven different commencement programs. We, as a District, are proud of the accomplishments and success of all our students and wish them the very best.
Each year, we invest significant time, effort, and resources to meticulously plan and execute exceptional graduation experiences for our students and families. Many hours of planning are needed to ensure programs run smoothly and efficiently. We share in the disappointment that an Edsel Ford student experienced due to the circumstances that led to the student not being able to take part in the commencement program.
As a school district we look at every situation as an opportunity for learning. From a district perspective we have reflected on what occurred and will evaluate all of our high schools procedures and practices to see if there may be room to make changes in the future. For our students, this event is a chance for them to learn and understand the importance of being forthright and sincere while instilling the values of prioritization, commitment, and adherence to rules.
The District planned to hold a recognition ceremony in the summer for students who required additional summer classes in order to be eligible to graduate. We will hold this ceremony in August and this student, along with other students who may not have been able to walk at graduation, will have an open invitation. The Principal at Edsel and the Superintendent reached out to this student’s family and they accepted the invitation.
Decisions that impact a small number, or even one student, can send a message to all the other students about the culture, climate and expectation of a school. The actions of staff, students, and parents play a big role in building a culture and climate that respects, and is fair, to all students.
As the school year comes to a close, we hope all our students and families enjoy a safe and restful summer filled with joy and relaxation.
