by Shawn Nowlin
Such a stark contrast exists between today’s high school climate and what high school students a half-century ago experienced. Obviously, there were no social media, but neither was the incessant nature of parent’s worrying so much or constant promotions to take vaccines and drugs for certain symptoms.
Pamela Parker, 68, says it feels like just yesterday that she was walking the halls of Lucy Addison High with her friends. By this point, she already had her professional life trajectory planned out – attend college, graduate with a degree and have a fruitful career as an educator.
Among the most important lessons life taught Parker is just how important healthy friendships and relationships are to one reaching their full potential. “We take tremendous pride in being the last class to graduate from Lucy Addison High School. As soon as we walked across that stage, we entered the next chapter of our lives with wide eyes and youthful optimism,” Parker said.
She added, “I am a retired 32-year veteran teacher. Mayor Sherman Lea and I were at Virginia Union University at the same time. My first teaching assignment was at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Roanoke, but I spent the majority of my career at Highlands Spring High in Henrico County, Virginia. The biggest difference between when I was in high school, and today’s teens has everything to do with the change of family and structure.”
When the ’73 Class celebrated their 50th reunion on Sept. 23, people picked up right where they left off, whether it had been a few weeks or decades since seeing each other.
Leading up to the reunion, the planning committee made sure that every “T” and “I” was crossed. A moment of silence was dedicated to former classmates who have since passed.
Present for the occasion was Superintendent Verletta White who acknowledged the ’73 Class as an historic one. Her welcomed address brought tears to the eyes of many.
“If I had to use one word to describe the reunion, it would be surreal. When people walked through the doors, you could tell that they still had that same swagger,” she said. “The spirit of my classmates was exactly the same 50 years ago. At times, it felt like an out-of-body experience.”
The desegregation of Roanoke City Public Schools impacted all of us growing up, noted other attendees, but high school was always a very safe bond and a natural place to be.
Before the reunion concluded, event organizers made sure that plenty of pictures were taken and stories shared so attendees could forever cherish the memory.
“One of our classmates is moving forward with a Lucy Addison High School closing Resolution to the General Assembly. We are so thankful for the role Delegate Sam Rasoul has played in this process,” Parker said. “Everything will play itself out in the coming months.”
