2011 will always be a special year for the Aguilar family of Lufkin. They'll look back on it with pride, and maybe a little wistful sadness, because it will be remembered as the year the baby of their family of 11 children graduated from Lufkin High School.

When Bethzabeth Aguilar walked across the stage at Lufkin High School’s graduation Friday night, she fulfilled her parents’ lifelong dream: to become the last of 11 siblings to accomplish the exact same feat.

After graduating from a technical school in Mexico, Agustin Aguilar moved to Lufkin in 1972.  Education was important in his life, and he was determined to make it important in the lives of  his children.

Every year since 1990, the Aguilar family has had at least one child attending LHS, starting with Agustin Jr. graduating in 1993 and ending with Bethzabeth this year.

High school isn't the end of their education journey. So far, six Aguilar children have graduated from college, three more are in college, one son is overseas in the military, and Bethzabeth Aguilar says she will attend Angelina College in the fall and eventually she wants to study architecture at Texas A&M.

This story shows what people can accomplish when they make education an important goal and are willing to work hard for it.  The Aguilar family scrimped and struggled to put their children through school and continue their education after high school.  Families like the Aguilars are what makes this country great.

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