For Tiger Mountain Community High School student Victoria Krantz, graduation was history in the making.

Krantz was the first in her family to ever graduate high school.

“It feels pretty good,” Krantz said. “My parents are really proud of me.”

Krantz began attending Tiger Mountain during her freshman year, after falling behind in her classes at Liberty High School.

At Tiger Mountain, Krantz not only survived, she began to thrive.

Not only was Krantz able to make up the credits she needed to catch up, something she attributes to the one-on-one nature at Tiger Mountain, Krantz also improved her academic status so much that she was named Issaquah Rotary Student of the Year.

“If I hadn’t been at Tiger, I wouldn’t have gotten that recognition,” Krantz said.

The award also came with a $1,000 scholarship. Krantz plans to use that and a second scholarship she received to pay for attending Lake Washington Technical College, where she wants to study to become a registered nurse.

If all goes well, Krantz hopes to attend the fall or winter session at Lake Washington.

About a dozen of Krantz’s relatives turned out for her momentous graduation ceremony.

One person she said she wished could have helped her celebrate was her grandfather, who passed away two days before graduation.

“We really thought he was going to make it,” Krantz said.

For now, Krantz will work part time, saving money for college and her eventual career as a nurse, a future that wouldn’t have been possible if not for the program at Tiger Mountain.

“It’s really a small community where everyone is friends,” Krantz said.

Kyra Low can be reached at klow@reporternewspapers.com or 391-0363, ext. 5052.