NORTH LOGAN, Utah — Surrounded by family and friends, Green Canyon High School student Feranado Lozano Zarate received his diploma on Wednesday after the school’s administration and staff hosted an early graduation for the terminally ill senior.
Fernando was diagnosed with a brain tumor his sophomore year. Despite several doctor’s visits, trips to the hospital and surgeries, Lozano continued to work hard in school. But in early January, Lozano found out he had developed a form of leukemia expected to take his life in the next few weeks.
In addition to friends, family and school staff, the Green Canyon student body joined to celebrate Lozano’s early graduation. During the event, family and administration lauded Fernando for his stellar attitude and efforts toward academic success.
“Every time Fernando got out, he would ask what kind of work he needed to get done because he had missed it from getting surgeries here at the hospital,” said Lozano’s mother, Violeta Zarate, via Spanish-to-English translation provided by Mariah Checketts. “Every day he has fought to graduate from this great school. Now we have to fight — whether it’s days, months, or weeks — we will fight until the very end of his life to do whatever is needed.”
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
