Immokalee HS senior first in family to earn diploma

Graduating high school is a huge accomplishment, especially for an Immokalee teenager we spoke to. He became the first in his family to do so.

Immokalee High School made sure its graduating seniors had a special moment to remember Friday, even though it could not host a traditional ceremony during the coronavirus pandemic. So it hosted a parade for them.

Among seniors graduating as part of Immokalee High School’s Class of 2020 was Tyler Crabtree.

“Very honored to be first generation and set that standard,” Crabtree said. “Better yet, make my family proud.”

And Crabtree will continue to make them proud when he goes off to college on a full scholarship.

While he appreciates the parade Immokalee High hosted for graduating seniors, he admits he’s missed a lot the last couple of months.

“Prom taken away and grad bash taken away and your senior season taken away, and now you have graduation taken away,” Crabtree said. “You go your whole life as a student in a public school to graduate and walk the stage and make your family proud, and that’s taken away.”

Four years ago, Maria Munguia also became the first in her family to graduate. Her goal Friday was to make sure Class of 2020’s hard work didn’t go unnoticed. She organized a graduation parade with Lipman Family Farms to do so.

“It’s very special to me. I graduated from Immokalee in [2016],” Munguia said. “And it was such a beautiful moment to share with my family. And so I think everybody deserves a moment.”

Munguia knows how Crabtree is feeling. She was supposed to get her college degree this month.

That’s what’s next for crabtree.

“Senior year is a big thing in life,” Crabtree said. “But you have college and where you find a job.”