Metropolitan Classical Ballet Press Release

Thanks to the dance training she was able to pursue outside class because of the school's flexible schedule, she's heading to the University of Oklahoma to make one of her biggest dreams, acquiring a ballet degree, come true.

"The program is No. 2 in the nation for ballet," said Bollinger. Grace Prep schedules classes on alternate days, so she was also able to train with the Arlington-based Metropolitan Classical Ballet during high school, she said. "There were probably 100 girls who auditioned."

"I think about 12 students were accepted to the OU program," she said earlier this week. "I got the most [scholarship] money that they give. I'm very excited."

Bollinger wasn't the only one who was excited as the 2005 graduates took the commencement stage Friday night at Lake Arlington Baptist Church.

"We should have the mind-set of Fat Albert when he said, 'Hey, hey, hey!' " said valedictorian Andrew Vitaliti. "It is time for us to move on."

Class treasurer Joanna Kelley reminisced about how she and two classmates had spent all 12 years of school at Grace Prep. And she talked about how the school had changed from a place that just had flag football to a powerhouse with five state championships.

For nearly 20 minutes, two video screens flashed photos of each graduate above the packed sanctuary as music played.

There were childhood snap shots of class members in tutus or diapers. One showed a youngster with a favorite dog. In another a cake-smeared face filled the screens.

Then the pictures changed to recent images of each graduate: a smiling boy standing beside a car; a girl in a prom dress, or a Grace Prep letter jacket.

"Thank you for allowing me to enjoy my childhood," said class secretary Stacy Ball, addressing her parents. "Thank you for loving me enough to let me go."

The students left the stage to give each mother or guardian a rose, then returned to receive their diplomas a moment later.

"I present to you the graduated Class of 2005, high school students no longer," said dean of academics Evan Kenyon. "You know what you want to do."

They cheered and threw their mortarboards in the air.

"I think we have a Christian graduation cap tonight," Kenyon said as the applause died down. "It went into the baptismal font."