I’ve been looking forward to graduation for four years. It’s almost here, and I found out that all three high school graduation ceremonies are going to be on the same day and at the same exact time. Usually I wouldn’t be upset about this, but considering I have many friends from Kimball High and West High, I won’t be able to attend their ceremonies.

Since I went to two different schools in high school, I am close with people from both schools. I would love to be able to go to my best friend’s graduation ceremony and share that special moment with her, just as she had planned on going to mine, but with the change this year it doesn’t look like that will be happening.

Graduating is a huge milestone in one’s life. It’s a time to share your accomplishments with the ones that you love, and especially the ones that were there for you and helped you get through 13 years of schooling.

For many friends, this is the time when you move on with your lives and start the next chapter in college, the military, or a job. Often times this is even goodbye. You spend the majority of your life growing up with these people, you should be able to celebrate and say goodbyes with them too.

The graduation ceremony for all Tracy Unified School District senior classes will be held at 9 a.m. on May 31.

This is different than previous years because usually each of the three high schools in graduated at different times. In the past, this was nice because families who had children or relatives at different schools would be able to go to both graduations without having to worry about choosing one over the other.

In my case, my dad has to choose whether he is going to go to my graduation, or if he will be attending his wife’s nephew’s graduation. This puts me in a weird position because I obviously would love for him to go to mine, but I know that might not be the decision he chooses.

The arrangement in the past has also allowed friends to go to each other’s graduations as long as they were able to get a ticket. Schools would switch off who would have the morning ceremony and who would have the evening ceremony.

Tracy is a very small town where pretty much everyone knows each other. Kids have grown up with other kids from different schools through sports teams, family friends, and community events.

I feel that they might have changed the way that they are having graduation this year because we now have three high schools instead of two. Last year, the district had two of the high schools graduate very close in time and then the other school later in the day.

Graduation ceremonies are generally two hours long, so there should be a way for all three high schools to graduate on the same day, but at separate times. In fact, why not have one school graduate Thursday night, one Friday night, and one on Saturday morning.

Family and friends would be able to attend the graduations of their loved ones as long as they had a ticket. It is time to change this silly schedule to one that benefits the people who are important: the graduates and their families.