La Feria residents come together to support graduates

Updated: May 14, 2020

By NELDA BRIONES
LFN

***Jason Yates, a senior at La Feria High School, poses with a gift he received from Elva Cruz, who adopted him as part of the adopt a senior campaign.*** Photo: Nelda Briones / LFN

LA FERIA – With graduation less than a month away, local residents have taken it upon themselves to make this year’s senior class, which has had to deal with a shortened school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gets extra special treatment by adopting a senior.

Adopting seniors is actually something that has been done in many communities throughout the state. So a group of residents, led by Lisa Montalvo, a La Feria High School senior parent, wanted to join in on the idea to make sure that all LFHS graduating seniors understand that the community is behind them, particularly this year.

They decided to start an adopt a senior campaign here in town where community members offer to adopt a graduate up until the end of May. The plan is to provide each graduate with a small gift each week.

Seniors fill out a simple questionnaire on what things they may like and then the sponsor puts together a gift to drop off or send out.

Elva Cruz said she was invited to adopt a senior and, in fact, knew what senior she wanted to adopt. She had remembered a shy kid that stood out when her husband coached in youth football. His name is Jason Yates.

She mentioned that she hadn’t seen him in years since he last was on her husband’s team. When she went and dropped off his gift, she then knew she made the right choice. She felt that they connected and felt like she just adopted another grandson.

She not only wants to give him gifts through the end of May, but wants to continue being in his life from now on, helping him along the way.

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