CHARLOTTE — Harding University High School’s graduating class got their diplomas in style Friday morning after every senior received professional attire for the occasion. It’s all thanks to a principal’s push to support graduates as they step into the next chapter of their lives.
For Aleiba Tun-Aguilar, a daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, this moment has been years in the making. The Harding University High School senior is now the first in her family to graduate from high school.
“After all I’ve done these past 13 years in school, I feel like this is one of the greatest moments in my life,” she told Channel 9’s Miana Massey.
She’s one of nearly 200 students who crossed the stage at Truliant Amphitheater, but before the ceremony, Interim Principal Dr. Erica Turner had a vision. She rallied alumni and community partners to ensure every senior had professional attire for this milestone and the opportunities that follow.
“It was about them having confidence,” Turner said. “Graduating with dignity and getting them prepared for what’s happening in the future.”
For Tun-Aguilar, the future is already taking shape. She plans to join the Army and one day study mechanical engineering.
“My dream is to someday become a Formula One engineer,” she said.
For some students, this gift meant one less thing to worry about. The young men received suits, shirts, ties, socks and shoes. The young women received dresses, shoes and pearls.
Turner says this was always about more than what students should wear.
“I want you to have your first black suit for your first job interview, for your internship interview, for that first college presentation,” she said.
D. Williams Suits helped make the effort possible, providing formal attire for the entire graduating class.
“It’s like making history,” Dr. Dana Williams, CFO at D. Williams Suits, said. “I’m thankful that we were able to answer this call.”
As Harding University High School seniors take their next step, the message from their principal is simple.
“Walk in confidence, walk in your calling, walk with your head up, held high and just walk in greatness,” she said.
What started as one principal’s idea became a community-wide effort to invest in the Class of 2026. Organizers hope the confidence these students gained will stay with them long after graduation day.