DENVER — The sounds of Friday night football still echo across southwest Denver, but at Kennedy High School, the crowds aren't quite as large as they once were.
For students like senior Urijah Garcia, that doesn't change what it means to represent the Commanders.
"I just want to make an impact on the field in the best way I possibly can," Garcia said.
Watch how the community is coming together in the video below:
Garcia plays multiple positions for Kennedy's football team and says seeing supporters in the stands motivates him to perform. He appreciates every person who takes the time to show up and cheer on the team.
"It kind of gives you a sense of thankfulness," Garcia said. "I'm really appreciative of those individuals coming out and watching us play."
A school at the heart of a neighborhood
For generations, Kennedy High School served as a gathering place for the Bear Valley community. Alumni remember a time when nearly every family in the neighborhood had a connection to the school.
Biology teacher Corina Enns knows that history firsthand. She graduated from Kennedy before returning to teach there and now serves as a student council advisor.
"My graduating class was 350, and basically everybody that lived in this neighborhood came to this school," Enns said. "We all went to elementary school together. We all went to middle school together."
She remembers a community that rallied around the school.
"You would wear your Kennedy jersey places, and people would be like, 'Hey, I saw your game,'" Enns recalled. "That's the kind of place it was."
Enns said the relationship between the school and the neighborhood extended beyond sports. Students volunteered throughout the community, and residents returned that support by attending games, concerts and school events.
"It built a structure and a support system beyond just your teachers or your family," she said.
Over time, however, Denver Public Schools' open enrollment system gave families more options about where to attend school. As more students began attending schools outside their immediate neighborhoods, some of those longstanding community connections weakened.
"A lot of kids that are in our neighborhood don't go to this school," Enns said. "It's a lot harder to establish that same community just because of the distance."
Alumni keeping traditions alive
One person working to strengthen those ties is Phu Nguyen, owner of Jade Cafe and a Kennedy graduate.
Nguyen's family has owned the restaurant since 1988, and he says many of his fondest memories come from his years at Kennedy.
"I loved it," Nguyen said. "I loved all the teachers interacting with the students. Made lifelong friends. Really valued my education there."
As a student, he remembers classmates filling the restaurant during lunch and the community gathering around local sports teams on Friday nights.
Today, Nguyen gives back to the school that helped shape him. He donates meals to staff, hosts meetings for school organizations, including the PTA, and offers teachers and staff a 50% discount at his restaurant.
"I just want to give back to the community," Nguyen said. "I really value my education, and I feel so grateful for all of the leadership, the knowledge and the schooling that Denver Public Schools has offered."
Nguyen believes schools remain a critical part of building strong neighborhoods.
"The school is really an institution from which the community can build around," he said.
A parade that rekindled school pride
That connection was on display during Kennedy's recent homecoming celebration.
For the first time in years, the school revived its traditional homecoming parade route through the Bear Valley neighborhood, drawing excitement from students, alumni and longtime residents.
"When I planned the parade and talked to the Bear Valley neighborhood, they were so excited that we were going to get to do our old route," Enns said.
She said alumni repeatedly asked whether the vintage route would return, describing it as an important tradition and a symbol of the school's connection to the community.
Garcia called the parade "amazing."
Nguyen watched from outside his restaurant as students marched past.
"They paraded right down the street, and we're cheering them on," he said. "It's nice to see all the students come out. It's nice to see the community rally."
Building the future together
Both Enns and Nguyen believe thriving schools and thriving communities depend on one another.
"Schools traditionally have been the foundations of your community," Enns said. "They're where people gather. They're where everybody sends their kids."
She says support must flow both ways, with community members attending school events while students remain active and visible in their neighborhoods through service projects and other activities.
"As much as we would love for our community to come to us, it's also our job to be serving in our community and to be seen in our community," Enns said.
Garcia shares that vision. Whether on the football field, during homecoming celebrations or in everyday interactions, he wants to help bring people together.
"What I like to do is just bring a community together and not be afraid of showing who you are and showing what community you are from," he said.
For Kennedy High School, the crowds may not yet look like they did decades ago. But through renewed traditions, dedicated alumni and students proud to represent their school, community spirit is finding its way back home.
