Photo credit: Erin Bloodgood
Friends and family taking photos of Kenyette Edwards, a member of Menomonee Falls High School's Class of 2020.
In the midst of a pandemic and a father battling stage four lung cancer, a family finds a way to celebrate the high school graduation of Kenyette Edwards. The Menomonee Falls High School virtual graduation is scheduled for the end of June, but Kenyette and her family knew that her father, Kenyatta Edwards may not live to see that day. Having never missed a graduation, the family was determined not to let him miss this one.
It didn’t take long for Kenyette’s mother, Natasha Dotson to organize a graduation in the front yard of Kenyatta’s home, where he is spending his hospice care. He sat outside on his porch as family members rolled out a red carpet and blew up balloons for the graduate. Aunts, uncles, cousins and friends gathered around the makeshift stage with masks covering their smiling faces.
Surrounded by a cheering family with cameras in their hands, Kenyette walked down the front porch steps to receive her diploma. Bob Vitale, principal of Menomonee Falls High School and a longtime mentor to the family, was there to present the diploma. “I’m so proud of her,” says Vitale as he holds back tears in his eyes. “We go way back; this is a really awesome family.” He helped Kenyette and her older siblings with hardships through school and made sure he was present for this special occasion.
After posing for photos, Kenyette walked up the front porch steps to her father to hug him and show him the hard-earned diploma. “This was better than doing the regular graduation because my daddy wasn’t even going to be able to make it so I’m actually happier that we did this instead,” says Kenyette. The intimate setting was filled with laughter that could be heard across the neighborhood. In this story of resilience, support and unconditional love, a smiling father got one more chance to tell his daughter how proud he is.
Erin Bloodgood is a Milwaukee photographer and storyteller. Click the link to see more of her work.
