Seven graduates ... no graduations! Taisley Welch

Taisley Welch, second-to-the-youngest of Rick and Stacy Sappington Welch's 6 daughters, was set to finish her education as a Dixie High School Flyer on May 20, 2020. But like millions of other high school students, she will not cross the stage to receive her diploma due to the deadly coronavirus which has now killed more than 50,000 in the United States and at least 205,000 people to date around the world.

Taisley's describes her high school days as a combination of interesting, exciting, happy and sad.  Among her favorite memories and most memorable moments, she lists being selected to serve on her school's Hope Squad, a school-based peer-to-peer, suicide prevention program through which she provided many acts of service making her classmates feel valued.  Hope Squad members are students nominated as trustworthy classmates who are then trained to identify at-risk students, provide friendship and seek help from an adult.  

Taisley also "mostly" enjoyed being selected for her high school Cheer Squad on her first tryout.  She cheered for only one year because, while she loved cheering for Flyers football and basketball games (she still does), she quickly grew weary of her squad mates' behind-the-scenes drama.

It was during her junior year, a friend and classmate committed suicide.  "She had a difficult life - bounced around the county by feuding family members. I don't think she really intended to go through with it," says Taisley, "but it was painful to all of us who knew her.  We wish we could have done more."

Our beautiful granddaughter also regrets missing many high school activities because of a longtime relationship with a young man with whom she eventually broke up.  "He is a very nice guy but we are just so different.  I love high school games, dances and other events ... he doesn't," she remembers.

Finally, how can she - and every other graduate in the Class of 2020 - forget the year of the coronavirus, social distancing from family and classmates, missing all the fun of proms, senior sneak days, the excitement of graduation and everything else, all which was replaced by online classwork and cancellation of everything important?

Still, she has a bright future ahead.  In the fall, she will trade her blue and white Flyer uniform to become a red and white Trailblazer at Dixie State University which she will attend on a partial scholarship.  After completing her Associate degree, she plans to attend Southern Utah University to earn a Bachelor degree, although she is not certain yet what she plans to study.

Love this girl ... another wonderful family member who is making us proud with her good decisions and hard work!

As your grandmother, I pray you will always believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.  I can't promise to be here for the rest of your life, but I can promise to love you for the rest of mine, then into always and forever!