Commencement has commenced.

Wednesday afternoon, 15 students from an array of districtwide programs that serve students with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) graduated in a ceremony hosted by North High. They were the first trickle from a faucet that will pour nearly 2,000 more students into their futures between now and Saturday evening. Actually, the Class of ’17 won’t be complete until the summer ceremony is held in August, but most of the district’s latest batch of grads will be official before the upcoming holiday weekend is over.

Caps, gowns and tassels for the districtwide pomp and circumstance sported the district’s official colors: blue and gold. So did the cupcake frosting at the reception in the cafeteria afterwards.

The speaker at the event was DMPS Director of High Schools Kathie Danielson. The theme of her remarks was resilience and she told the graduates a story that demonstrated it.

More than twenty years ago, when Danielson was teaching at East High, she met an angry, troubled student named Steve.

“His brother had been killed the year before we met and he was mad at the world,” she said. “He also faced challenges because of a mother who was in trouble with drugs.”

Steve graduated with the support and encouragement of Danielson and other school staff. Some of them later attended his wedding before losing touch.

“When I joined Facebook many years later I was contacted by a man who said he was a former student of mine,” Danielson went on. “It was Steve. We got together for coffee and caught up with one another. He has a son who is about to graduate from Simpson College and he graciously thanked me for my influence on him. But I told him it was his own resilience that made the biggest difference in his life.”

Randi Oleson is the principal of the districtwide programming and she had “one last assignment” for the graduates.

“You are leaving your DMPS community of supporters,” she said. “Make sure you reach out and find more. And reach back to keep in touch with us.”

Four students spoke.

Daniel Patterson recited an original poem that began in darkness but found its way to the light, just as he did.

William Inman took the opportunity to share congratulations with his classmates.

Haylee Richards acknowledged the importance of seizing second chances.

Tobie Noland improvised an expression of gratitude to his family and friends.

Then it was time to stand up and be counted; to get what they’d come a long way for; for Superintendent Tom Ahart to loosen up the hand that may not be able to stop shaking when all is said and done on Saturday night.

For the record, the first diploma for the DMPS Class of 2017 went to Nathan Backstrom.

Most would classify that as trivia. The ones clapping and shouting about it on Wednesday afternoon would not.