OTHELLO — Desert Oasis High School seniors thanked their parents with a special dinner June 4, and finished their high school careers with graduation ceremonies June 5. The 13 seniors and their parents attended a catered dinner Monday night, Desert Oasis principal Josh Tovar said.

Each senior gave a speech during the dinner, all of them thanking their families for the support as the kids navigated the sometimes turbulent waters of high school. Othello School Board member Mike Garza was among the people attending Monday, and he said it was an emotional moment for families and students alike. Kids stayed in school because their parents and grandparents encouraged them — or sometimes just insisted they stick it out.

More than 100 family members and friends attended graduation in the auditorium at McFarland Middle School. The class didn’t have a valedictorian or salutatorian, Tovar said. Garza was the guest speaker.

Garza said it was an emotional ceremony — but then, “our visits to that school become very emotional.” Teachers and staff are very supportive of the students and in many ways “they treat the kids like family,” he said.

Desert Oasis students had to work hard and persevere to get to graduation; “you (the graduates) endured a lot for this moment,” Garza said. He urged them not to be satisfied with a high school diploma, but to keep going and keep working, whether it’s college or trade school, or out into the workforce.