SAN ANTONIO — A Memorial High School senior is preparing to walk the graduation stage next week. A cancer diagnosis couldn’t keep the remarkable student from making family history.
Tuesday night, Edgar Velazquez will walk the graduation stage. At first, you may notice his crutches but if you look closer you’ll see a proud smile and determined twinkle in his eye. It took real grit for him to join his class at Commencement.
The teen missed his junior year of high school because of bone cancer.
Some of his senior year was also spent in a hospital bed.
Graduating from high school was a goal Edgar made years ago so it was something he would see through, no matter what.
“I know that whatever I go through I can push myself to succeed in the things that I really want to do,” said Velazquez.
He is the first in his family to graduate from high school but earning his diploma is just the beginning.
“I want to major in Engineering. I will attend San Antonio College for my first two years and after that I will probably transfer to a bigger college,” said Velazquez.
For teachers, students and staff at Memorial High School, Edgar is an inspiration. College advisor Noe Benavidez says Edgar taught him the power of the word “when.”
“He knew right away it was just a matter of when he was going to college, not if and for him to come back with that mindset, it just lifts you up every day,” said Benavidez.
When Edgar returned to school the campus welcomed him with open arms and offered any support he needed to catch up on schoolwork.
“To see him come back to school the way he did, it brightened my day because I knew he wasn’t giving up. I knew that he was willing to pursue the education as well as get his life back on track one step at a time,” said Sandra Contreras, his Spanish teacher.
Edgar says beating cancer gave him a new outlook on life. He shares his optimism with everyone he meets and hopes to encourage others to stand strong despite their own, personal battles.