“On the morning of my high school graduation, cap and gown hanging in the closet, family members from all over had arrived to celebrate when the Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Constable and two other officers knocked on our door to inform us that my father had been shot and they needed my mother to come to the hospital. About an hour later, my siblings and I were informed that our father didn’t make it. I couldn’t make sense of what was happening, but one thing I knew for sure was that I had to stay strong and keep going. Most people would never have found the strength to be able to move throughout the day as planned; however, I found it for my dad and through my dad. I walked the stage to receive my diploma, because I knew my dad would want me to. About 100 officers attended, lining the track, standing in place of my father – who would have been cheering the loudest of all.”

—Annie Rule