By Eliz Dowdy

Shavonda Gates, the reigning Miss Victorville, was honored at a surprise graduation dinner on Saturday evening. Gates will graduate from Silverado High School in Victorville the first week in June. In addition to winning the Miss Victorville pageant and being crowned prom queen, Gates will graduate with a 4.0 grade point average, and plans to attend California State University, Riverside to study Criminal Investigator Psychologist.

Gates is the youngest of four children born to Patricia Gates, who raised them as a single mother driving a transit bus in Los Angeles. Mrs. Gates had to keep her youngest busy all day Saturday, who believed she would perform a praise dance for a High Desert Lodge #107 event. The Lodge has avidly supported Shavonda, financially, grooming and presenting her to the public. When she arrived at the Ambassador Hotel with her mother and everyone yelled “Surprise” she lost the poise that is she is known to possess.

Family members, church family, and the Lodge members were all gathered to wish her well. The master of ceremonies was Erwin Coleman, High Desert Lodge #107; he was assisted by Garner Morris.

Acknowledgements came from a friend, Octavia Peters, who shared the difficulty of trying to get Shavonda to go to the beach on a Sunday afternoon. She wanted to do homework and took her books with her, studying, until Octavia threatened to throw them in the ocean if she refused to participate.

When she was in second grade at Eagle Ranch Elementary School in Victorville, Hooked on Phonics filmed an infomercial using her class and teacher, Miss Carter, (now Mrs. Laymon). They wanted to film an update and asked Laymon if she knew where to find Gates. After several weeks when Laymon was ready to give up the search, she received a telephone call from Gates. She also thanked Mrs. Gates, the single parent of the Gates children. She closed with this statement, “Sometimes I wonder why I love teaching so much, then someone like you comes along and makes it all worthwhile.”

Theresa Davis spoke about her entry into the Miss Victorville pageant, the first Happy Feet, Turkey Treats she hosted last Thanksgiving where 101 participants received a pair of socks, and a turkey. She and Mrs. Gates had talked about her leaving a legacy from the year of smiles and ribbon-cuttings. Sisters Cindy Brown, who teaches at Silverado High School, and Martene Perry spoke about her accomplishments in sports and academia. She excelled in volleyball and basketball all four years of high school and maintained her position on the honor roll. Martene stated she studies calculus just for fun and would sometimes ask her a question that wasn’t in her field of expertise. Both sisters, married with children of their own, were profuse in the accolades for their youngest sister. Their brother Travon is in the Navy overseas.

Shavonda Gates was the first graduate to receive recognition from the Board of Supervisors; Garner Morris presented a proclamation from First District Supervisor Brad Mitzenfelt.

Mrs. Gates sang a song to her illustrious daughter, and motivational words came from Pastor Pamela Melas, and inspirational words from Bishop John Richards.