Among the rows of chairs for Minneapolis North High's class of 2024, one seat remained empty throughout Friday's graduation ceremony. Had he not been shot and killed just blocks away from the school two years ago, that seat would have been for Deshaun Hill Jr. "We keep him included in everything we have going on.
He's always recognized and always remembered," said senior Javayaa Puckett, who had known Hill since elementary school. Senior Kai Darden, who played on the football team with Hill and stepped into his shoes as quarterback this year, agreed. "Deshaun is a big part of the class of 2024," Darden said.
"He is like our symbol to keep going." Puckett and Darden's four years of high school have also been marked by other shattering losses in their personal lives. But their senior year has had its share of jubilant moments, too, all leading to the triumph of graduation and excitement about what's to come.
Puckett's family was in the audience, but her father's booming cheers, a sound she remembers from her fifth-grade graduation at Lucy Laney Elementary, were missing. Her father died in his sleep in April 2022, just weeks after the funeral for her mother, who'd struggled for nearly a year with a rare form of colon cancer. Still, Puckett knew she would feel her parents' presence and pride, as she often does in milestone moments.
The custom stole she wore was adorned with photos of her mom and dad — a way to ensure they both stayed close to her heart when her name was called .