(UPDATED) Injured student wins MCHS Principal's Award in hospital bed

Principal Mickey Fabre repeated the phrase often during Friday’s Morgan City High graduation at the Municipal Auditorium: “I believe in miracles.”
Then Fabre produced a miracle.
He gave the Principal’s Award to Francisco Romeo Sierra, who was visible to the packed auditorium through a big screen Skype presentation from his room at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.
Sierra didn’t speak. He didn’t have to.
He was critically injured in an April auto crash and has been the target of rumors saying his condition was failing.
Don’t believe rumors, Fabre said.
The principal said he saw great progress in Sierra’s ability to move and to smile in response to funny stories during a Thursday night hospital visit.
But Fabre said that as he drove back in Thursday’s storm, he realized he couldn’t give Sierra the Principal’s Award. He didn’t meet the traditional criteria.
“Beat the odds? Check,” Fabre said. ‘Overcame great obstacles? Double check.”
The third standard is that the recipient beat the odds and overcome the obstacles “to be here tonight.”
That’s when Fabre paused. And Sierra appeared on the big screen, bringing the audience and graduates to their feet as they cheered.
Fabre demonstrated more showmanship when he announced the winner of what was supposed to be one H&B Young Foundation scholarship of $8,000. The principal said three students emerged from the selection process, and no one could choose just one winner.
So, with a wand, some white gloves and a hat — Fabre said he’d taken an online magic course — the principal turned the one $8,000 scholarship into a $12,000 scholarship for Harleigh Price, one of the valdictorians, and $8,000 scholarships for Taylor Richard and Joleesia Minor.
Later, Fabre gave credit to the foundation for performing the real magic by providing the additional money.
Fabre, now in his 10th year as principal, said he was afraid before each of his previous nine graduations.
“Each year I came and stared at the people in the balcony,” Fabre said. “I looked at all the graduates sitting before me, and I wondered, will this be the last time I ever get to do this? Instead of living and enjoying the moment, I worried about things I could not control. In a way, I worried about the things that were behind me instead of what lies ahead.
“Now I look back on my past as principal of Morgan City High School, and I have many wonderful memories that will make me smile forever. ...
“But I also look forward to the future with excitement and anticipation,” he said. “Each of you will have a lifetime of experiences waiting for when you walk out those front doors tonight. Don’t be afraid. Don’t pull back on the reins.”
Another ovation-worthy award-winner Friday was Colby Glatter. One of eight valedictorians with 4.0 grade point averages, Glatter was the top four-year grade achiever in four subjects — math, English, foreign language and social science.
The valedictorians reflected on the meaning of the colors in the crayon boxes with which they started school. Glatter spoke about green.
“Green represents all the people we’ve met and all the experiences we’ve had together,” Glatter said. “For me, green is playing hard on Tiger Diamond and Friday night football games and toilet-papering houses for homecoming. Green is the friendships we’ve created here that made these years some of the best years of our lives.”
Fellow valedictorian Emily LaCoste talked about orange, the color of sunshine.
“Just like a sunset ends the day, tonight it ends our high school careers,” LaCoste said. “On the other hand, a new chapter of life will emerge tomorrow, just as the sun rises every morning. As we part ways, I just ask the class of 2016 to never forget those orange colors high school has brought us.”
The other 4.0 students honored as valedictorians were Sara Gaudet, Ileane Ledezma, Laura Nolazo, Price, Breanna Savant and Antonio Williams.