Sitting by his mother Helen Lavina Sinks’s hospital bed, senior Billy Landers makes the promise to his mother that he would graduate from high school.

“She told me that since her and my dad hadn’t been able to give me everything I wanted, she wanted me to have a successful life,” said Landers.

Two months later, Landers woke up to find out that after years of battling emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his mother had passed away.

On the day of graduation, Landers will achieve two goals. One, he will keep the promise he made to his mother and two, he will be the first member of his family to graduate high school.

“I’m very proud of him,” said Billy’s father Ronnie Landers. “I know it meant a lot to his mom and she wanted that for all of her kids.”

Prior to senior year, Landers admits he had skipped numerous days
during his junior year.

“Sophomore year was very easy but junior year was the toughest year,” said Landers. “I failed my first class junior year.”

At the start of his senior year, Landers needed four credits to get back on track to graduating. After being told the news that he may not graduate if he didn’t make up these credits, Landers decided to change his work ethic for the better.

“It was a tremendous improvement from last year to this year,” said Mr. Hoffius. “He has learned and mastered many new skills.”

Landers choose to take on the challenge of taking an English correspondent course for six weeks. After completing this course, Landers’s counselor David Clouse informed him that he would graduate.

“It means everything to me to graduate,” said Landers. “I promised my mom and I’ve been able to keep that promise of being the first to graduate.”

Along with his own strength and focus, Landers included the help of mentors or leaders to guide him on his path to graduation. Construction management teacher Gary Hoffius has served as one of these mentors.

“I helped get him to understand the importance of his diploma,” said Mr. Hoffius. “For any career path he is going to choose he will need his diploma.”

After graduating, Landers is still undecided regarding his plans for the future. He has enough scholarships to attend a technical school and wants to go into either mechanics or plumbing.

“Whenever it gets tough, I just hold on to the promise I made to my mom and that keeps me going,” said Landers.

In memory of his mother, Landers wears a necklace that once belonged to his mother. It not only keeps her in his memory often, but also reminds him of the promise he made to her two months before her passing.