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Mid-July is not traditionally graduation season, but dozens of Albuquerque area high school students have completed their summer studies and now have diplomas in hand.

At graduation ceremonies on the night of July 19 in a ballroom at the Wyndham Albuquerque Airport Hotel, about 80 students moved their tassels to the right to the cheers and applause of family and friends. "Some are catching up and some are getting ahead," summer school teacher Larry Walsh said of the mid-summer grads.

In a typical year, he said, about half the summer school students are taking extra credits to graduate early. The other half are making up credits they didn't complete in the regular year, he said.

Walsh taught world history this summer at Freedom High School, his seventh year of summer school. "It's good to see these kids do it. It's a good thing they don't get left out," said Alvin Meadors, a staff member at Eldorado High School's summer school. Steve Wenz, 19, graduated from Albuquerque Charter Vocational High School. "All my family is here," he said July 19. "It makes me feel very proud." Daniel Corral, 17, graduated on July 19 from West Mesa High School. "I ditched too much, which now I regret, because I am embarrassed," he said.

"I know I could have done it, if I had wanted to," Corral said of graduating with the rest of his class, but graduating late won't delay his educational plans, he said. He will attend the University of New Mexico this fall, he said. Jessica Williams said her sister Luchiana Williams used summer school to graduate early. Luchiana graduated in the top 5 percent of her class and will attend UNM in the fall at the age of 16, her sister said. Judith Leiro's granddaughter, Danielle Leiro, missed graduating from Eldorado by half a credit. The elder Leiro said she appreciated having a graduation ceremony in the summer, where students like Danielle can actually receive their diplomas.

"It is a lot better than getting it in the mail," Judith Leiro said. Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Beth Everitt had only a few remarks for the mid-summer class, even though the program stated she was going to deliver the commencement speech.

Everitt has come under fire for upholding a controversial grade change that allowed a Rio Grande High School student to graduate with his class rather than attend summer school. Albuquerque Board of Education member Martin Esquivel gave the commencement address instead, and made the grade change the subject of his speech.

"In life you don't cut corners," he said. "You can disagree with the administration, so long as you do it in a respectful way. I hope I have done it in a respectful way," he said.

To the APS summer school class of 2007 he said, "You did it and you did it the right way."