LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock high schooler will forgo his graduation for a different stage: Marine boot camp.<\/p>\n
Cody Durham is a hopeful U.S. Marine who signed up for boot camp in June. When a spot opened up this month, though, he was called to service faster than anticipated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t really hit me until about three hours later. I\u2019m doing it, I\u2019m ready, oh this is real and I\u2019m actually leaving,\u201d Durham said.<\/p>\n
It was news that, while exciting, was a difficult pill to swallow for Durham\u2019s family.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called me up Monday and said, \u2018Hey mom, what would you think about me leaving Sunday?\u2019\u201d Chelsi Lewis, Cody\u2019s mother, said. \u201cUltimately it\u2019s his decision and I told him I\u2019d have his back no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new departure date means Cody will not walk his high school graduation stage. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to get to graduate from boot camp, which is a lot better in my opinion,\u201d Durham said.<\/p>\n
To make up for that, Chelsi decided to try and schedule senior pictures with just six days\u2019 notice. <\/p>\n
She posted to Facebook in hopes of finding a photographer. What she got instead was hundreds of comments and messages offering her support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a huge, unexpected thing but to have all of the love and support… I\u2019m reading through the comments crying,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cIt was so meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis says that same community support has made the unexpected news easier to bear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many people out there who you wouldn\u2019t think would understand what you\u2019re going through, yet there are so many that have their own stories,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cThey\u2019re just willing to be there for you and offer a shoulder to cry on if you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Durham will go to boot camp for 12 weeks, return to Lubbock for 10 days, and then leave again. Despite the timeline, the family says they wouldn\u2019t change a thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great decision,\u201d Durham said. \u201cI don\u2019t regret a single minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sad but I\u2019m happy and I\u2019m so proud of him,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n
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