As of now students attending St. Tammany Parish High Schools as foreign exchange students are not allowed to participate in graduation activities. After speaking with the St. Tammany Parish School Board we are writing this to show our support of those who agree with our cause of allowing foreign exchange students to “walk” in graduation, not receive a diploma but to be able to participate in the ceremony and simply have their name called while they walk across the stage. :

In order to have a complete, well rounded foreign exchange experience I believe that senior students although not completing the curriculum needed for graduation should be allowed to “walk” if they are in a foreign exchange program that is meant to immerse the student in the United States culture. Many other exchange students have the opportunity to “walk” at their graduation across the country, even when they do not have the necessary credits to receive a diploma.