Debbie Truong
From A photo of Aaliyah Jones, 19, at her graduation ceremony in June 2020, captured on her mother s phone. Screenshot/
toggle caption Screenshot/
Aaliyah Jones high school graduation from National Collegiate Prep was a daylong celebration. She wore all white under a yellow graduation gown, her straight hair stopping neatly at her shoulders from under her cap. As she walked across the stage at the socially-distanced, outdoor ceremony last June, her mother, Jessica Jackson, beamed.
Jones path to graduation was rocky. She attended three high schools, transferring each time to escape bullying from classmates, Jackson said. So she felt a sense of relief when her second oldest child finished high school.