By RANDALL NEWSOME
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
A Carmel sixth-grader and her family did something special to send a message to the graduating high school seniors in their neighborhood.
“They don’t have prom, they don’t have graduation, they don’t really have anything,” Belle Giles said. “I thought we should provide a little bit of joy during uncertain times.”
With the help of her mom Liana, Belle put together their own graduation walk ceremony to honor five high school seniors who live in their neighborhood. The kids dressed up in their caps and gowns and took a celebration strut through their neighborhood.
After their neighbors cheered them on during the ceremony the seniors were given going away gift baskets.
“[We] felt like we should give them something to help them when they go to college and so that’s where the baskets came from,” Belle said.
Julia Roth, Isobel Pierce and Colleen Harless were grateful for the experience.
“We were walking down and I realized yeah, people … people care about us,” Roth said.
“We’ve grown up together, all of us, we all went to the same elementary school, but we kinda went our separate ways so just to come back together and get all the support from the neighborhood kids and the families just kind of blew me away,” Harless said.
David Mays III, a North Central High School grad, described what it meant to him.
“Pride,” he said. “I felt recognized for my four years of hard work. And honestly super grateful.”
“People have been telling me, you’re gonna be telling this story for a long time and now I believe it,” Roth said.
The memories will last a lifetime all because Belle Giles wanted them to have that special moment. A moment that filled Liana Giles with pride.
“As a mom, that’s what you want your kids to be is kind and giving and I teach my students that this is what life is about. Caring for each other is the most important thing.”