Commencement speaker moves crowd to tears with speech that made school history

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (KUSA) – Seniors at a Colorado high school celebrated their graduation Monday night with a commencement speaker that moved the crowd to tears.

Jillian Ball made Broomfield High School history as the first person with Down syndrome to receive that honor.

As the high school seniors walked out in their caps and gowns, an arena full of proud parents eagerly waited for the moment they could spot their child in the sea of blue.

For Alexis and David Ball, the moment was one they thought about for a long time.

“My wife and I looked at each other and we were like, ‘Oh my God. It’s going to happen. It’s now,’” David Ball said.

“I definitely knew that it would be real,” Alexis Ball added. “Yeah, Jillian keeps it real all the time.”

Jillian is a confident, young woman. When she was born, her parents didn’t know what to expect.

“The NICU doctor said words that are burned in our brain. ‘Your daughter is showing several physical markers for trisomy 21,’ which is the medical term for Down syndrome,’” Alexis Ball said. “There was a lot of fear because we just didn’t know what her journey was going to be like.”

Jillian showed them they had nothing to fear.

“If we knew then what we knew now, we would not have been as scared,” Alexis Ball stated.

“She has been really embraced by her community. She’s done amazing things, and she’s going to continue to,” David Ball said.

When the school held tryouts for this year’s commencement speaker, Jillian didn’t even think twice.

“I like to show the people how great I am,” Jillian said.

In April, the school sent out an email announcing the speaker

“She’s jumping up and down. ‘I tried out to be a speaker and I was chosen. I was chosen!’” Alexis Ball remembered.

Her speech was about showing gratitude through what she calls her “thank you for.”

She said she wasn’t nervous about the moment. It was a moment Jillian was waiting for.

“Hello class of 2024. We did it. When I was growing up, I learned it was important to be thankful for the good stuff in life,” Jillian started her speech with.

Her thank yous came from the heart.

“I am thankful for you accepting me for who I am,” Jillian announced.

Jillian’s message reached the people she’s most thankful for.

“I am so proud of you. You did it, girl. You humble me. You are so amazing. I love you. I love you much,” Alexis Ball said to her daughter.

Jillian will go into a transition program where she will be able to build life skills and try out different jobs.

Copyright 2024 KUSA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.