After Southlake Carroll graduate Hailey Hernandez qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will take place in Tokyo next month, Southlake DPS knew it wanted to celebrate her accomplishments.
“We usually try our best to celebrate the accomplishments of our CISD kiddos, and this was a big, big deal,” Southlake Public Information Officer Brad Uptmore says. “Monday morning we got to work to see if we could pull off a surprise for her in a short amount of time.”
So after leaving the trials in Indianapolis and landing in DFW Love Field around 5 p.m. on Monday, Hailey’s parents drove by the Southlake DPS Headquarters, where she was greeted with a grand celebration. Mayor John Huffman came out to congratulate her, and Officer Rogers turned on the lights. The crew then drove down Southlake Boulevard with a squad car and a fire engine.
“We turned on our sirens as we neared Southridge Lakes to the awaiting cheers of her neighbors, friends and family,” Uptmore says. “We always love to support our Carroll athletes, so we worked with our chiefs and community initiatives liaison Valerie Snyder and fire admin Lorna Boudreaux, who helped organize it and have it go off without any issues!”
Hailey was greeted by both neighbors and fans who are proud to see her represent Southlake on an international stage. Tune in to watch Hailey compete starting on July 25.