Garza Independence High School honored 100 seniors at their graduation ceremony this evening at the Frank Erwin Center.

The ceremony included an address by the school's namesake, Gonzalo Garza.

"Good friends are like stars," he told the students. "You may not always see them, but they're always there."

The school, which opened in January 1998, recorded several noteworthy accomplishments:

• The school’s chess team won first place in the junior varsity division of the Texas State Chess Championships.
• The Garza Gearheads Robotics Team received the design award and won third place in the 2016-17 VEX Robotics Tournament.

Valedictorian Deborah Kubwayo thanked friends, family and teachers for supporting her throughout her academic career.

"School…gave me a sense of purpose," she said. "We all have the resilience to overcome."

Congratulations to the Garza Independence High School Class of 2017! We’re #AISDProud of our #AISDGrads!