Cue the graduation march. Ready the certificates. The cutest class of 2021 is stepping up to the hallowed halls of elementary school. In a “Leaving Ceremony” filled with all the pomp and circumstance their adorable little selves could muster, the “seniors” of Wilma’s Little People’s School stood side by side at the River House, ready for the future and filled with potential.
One by one, dressed in ruffles and bows, collared shirts and cowboy boots, they accepted their pins and their “parchments.” Jacksonville University President Tim Cost addressed each scholar individually as an assembly of proud parents snapped pictures and savored the moment.
In a highlight of the event, a Jacksonville University scholarship was awarded to each graduate. The scholarships can be applied to a Jacksonville University education in $1,000 increments over four years, for a total of $4,000 per student. While these mini Dolphins-to-be may not fully grasp what that means, they had a marvelous time mastering the Phins Up hand sign and sharing it with one another, and in return, they presented President Cost with an abstract artistic masterpiece.
There was a performance and a slide show and plenty of photo ops, and then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, their preschool years were over. They hugged their classmates and their teachers and their parents and walked away from Wilma’s Little People’s School tall and proud. They were alumni now with fresh memories of a special place on the campus of Jacksonville University where they had been welcomed and encouraged, just like their college counterparts around them.
By Jacqueline Palsha
Director of Communications