Manvel High set to graduate its first-ever class

Manvel High’s Johnathan Dietz remembers looking at the old black-and-white photographs of the first graduating class of a high school that he once attended in Tennessee, laughing at the out-of-style fashions from yesteryear.

But now, as a member of the first-ever graduating class at Manvel High, he realizes that joke will one day be on him. He expects plenty of laughter for a pair of sunglasses that he wore during panoramic photographs taken last week.

“It’ll definitely happen,” said Dietz, 18, the salutatorian of the Class of 2009 who will be headed to Rice University in the fall.

Of the approximately 275 seniors at Manvel High who will graduate June 6, many have attended the school since it first opened in August 2006 to freshmen and sophomore, Principal Darrell Alexander said.

“It’s been a three-year journey and this is the culminating activity,” Alexander said. “We know we’re going to have more graduations to come, obviously, but there’s something very special about your inaugural graduating class. We’re very excited about it. It’s an historic opportunity.”

This year’s seniors have been instrumental in establishing Manvel High’s traditions like the homecoming football game and pep rallies, he said. There are still other inaugural senior events that will be held prior to graduation.

Alexander believes the seniors understand the significance of their achievement.

“They have risen to the challenge in helping set traditions in everything,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of firsts. They’ve been the leaders of that. Not the teachers, not the principal. They’re the ones that have created these traditions on campus. They’ve exceeded our expectations in many different ways with leadership and maturity and everything else. I could not be more pleased with them at this time.”

Dietz was the first president of Manvel High’s National Honor Society and started the school’s chess club.

“We basically set the precedent for everything,” he said.

That’s especially true for valedictorian Tiffany Han, who compared the experience to being like George Washington, the first president of the United States.

“He basically set up the country and how the president should run it,” said Han, 18, who will attend the University of Texas. “I know I will always leave that mark here because I was the first and I was involved in many things. My name will be around here. It means a lot.”

Dietz is hopeful that future students at Manvel High build on the efforts of this year’s senior class.

“We want to see the next generation take it even a step further,” he said. “We want to see them go above and beyond the stuff that we’ve accomplished.”

He plans to be there at Manvel High to help with the organizations in which he has been involved.

“We’re a part of this school and the school’s a part of us, you know?” he said.

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