Troy High Welcomes Special Guests to Graduation

Troy High School Welcomes Special Guest to 2018 Graduation

Troy High School was thrilled to welcome Tony award winner and THS alumna Sutton Foster to their Graduation Ceremony at 3:30 on Saturday, June 9 at Oakland University’s O-Rena (318 Meadow Brook Rd, Rochester, MI 48309).

Foster, whose current television series “Younger” was just renewed for the 5th season by TVLand, graduated early from Troy High in 1993 in order to pursue professional musical theatre in a travelling production of Will Rodgers’ Follies. She has since been nominated for six Tony awards, and won two for Best Actress in a Musical for 2002’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and 2011’s revival of Anything Goes. In addition to her extensive appearances on Broadway, Foster has also transitioned to television, having appeared in “Bunheads,” “Law & Order,” “The Good Wife,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “Say Yes to the Dress.” She also released her third solo album Take Me To The World earlier this month.

Foster has remained close to her hometown and to her alma mater over the years, returning to visit Troy High School theatre teacher and mentor, Rick Bodick, on multiple occasions. She visited the set of the Troy Theatre Ensemble’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie back in 2002, headlined a TTE alumni fundraiser concert in 2003, and provided the pre-performance greeting for TTE’s Shrek the Musical in 2016.

Foster surprised Troy High’s graduating class on Saturday as a special guest speaker, and inspired them to follow their dreams by saying that anything is possible, with hard work, talent and a little luck.

Speaking of hard work and achieving your dreams, the 2nd THS graduation surprise happened as the graduates receive their diplomas. Leanna Azme Fakhouri, a member of Troy’s graduating class of 2018, has dreamed of joining her classmates as they greet TSD dignitaries and receive their diplomas. From a young age, Fakhouri experienced some physical complications that have limited and restricted her ability to walk, leaving her reliant on a wheelchair. In middle school, Leanna made an important decision. She promised herself that on the day of her high school graduation, she would walk across the stage.

With unwavering resilience and determination, Fakhouri has worked through countless hours of therapy to keep that promise, and accomplish her dream of being able walk across the stage to receive her diploma. Leanna embodies “Pure Colt Determination,” not just today, but every day, and these two remarkable women with Troy High ties show that truly anything is possible.

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