“Uncle David!” Navy Man Surprises Niece at Kindergarten Graduation

By Jackie Salowitz
Tribune Recorder Leader

Deckerville Schools held its Kindergarten graduation last Wednesday.
Similar to all kindergarten graduations, there were cute little kids, singing cute little songs, and of course, the handing out of kindergarten graduation “diplomas”, with lots of proud parents and grandparents on hand.
But, this year, there was an even more special moment when Sofia Hernandez walked across the gym floor to get her diploma – her Uncle David, dressed in his Navy attire, walked across the gym, surprising her. The first word out of her mouth was “David!!!!” – leaving everyone in attendance a little teary-eyed.
David Torrez is the uncle of Sofia, and the brother of her mom, Ariana. He enlisted in the Navy in July of 2021, and began active duty on July of 2022. He was a graduate of Cros-Lex Schools, and is currently on leave. Ariana said, “It brings tears to my eyes to say how proud I am of my brother.”
Sofia’s mom said of Wednesday’s graduation – “It is a memory I will cherish forever.”
Sofia has always been close to her Uncle David, as Ariana and her brother were always close. When Ariana was pregnant with Sofia, David would always ask about his niece. He said, “The best birthday gift ever would be for my niece to be born on my birthday” – but she came two days before. Sofia and David have a great bond, and with a little planning by Ariana and her mom and brother, they pulled off this amazing surprise for her.