Arizona High School Grads Open and Close Ceremony with Prayer "The world keeps saying 'No to God,' we said 'Yes to God!'"

Aimee Herd : May 30, 2014
Kim Trobee – Citizen Link

"We can all take heart that God is raising up courageous and passionate youth to speak up, take action and lead future generations." –Focus on the Family Education Analyst, Candi Cushman.

(Arizona)—When an Arizona school district decided to stop allowing any formal prayer at commencement ceremonies, Pima High School students took matters into their own hands at their graduation last week. (Photo via Citizen Link)

Senior student, Esperanza Gonzalez volunteered to open her school's ceremony with a prayer, and Calleigh Summers ended the event with a benediction.

Fellow students bowed their heads and prayed with the two, and afterward, broke into cheers. (Photo via Citizen Link)

"The world keeps saying, 'No to God, no to God,'" Esperanza told the Eastern Arizona Courier, according to the Citizen Link report. "So, we said 'Yes' to God, because He has helped us throughout our entire high school career."

The superintendent of Pima Unified School District noted that the decision to disallow formal prayer was made at the advice of legal counsel, but he added, "The fact that the students here at Pima High School felt that they wanted to show their true colors, as it were, by saying a prayer at the beginning and end of their graduation ceremony makes me very proud."