BELTON, TX. — One Belton New Tech senior is using music to remind his classmates and the entire Class of 2020 that they are in this together.
"My first reaction was tears. I couldn't stop them from coming but they were not tears of sadness, they were tears of hope," said Belton New Tech High School Principal Jennisty Thomason.
For Jaden Rudloff, music is his passion.
"I started playing guitar when I was about 7 or 8," he said.
That passion led him to write a song that is now going viral. He says it's negativity from classmates brought on by the pandemic that motivated him.
"I got tired of opening my Facebook and seeing negative post after negative post, so I was up at three in the morning and sitting in my piano, and I started coming up with these lyrics, and it came right to me," said Rudloff.
The hope is to simply inspire his fellow seniors. Three classmates joined to sing the chorus. One of them, Kara Fish, says this is exactly what seniors need.
"I am so excited that he is bringing this strong community together to give us hope," she said.
"Make It To The End" has a clear message.
"Don't make this year about the coronavirus. [Seniors] need to look back at what we have done so far and do it in a more positive way so when they look back they think of the good memories we've had," said Rudloff.
"We got to have those times, and even though it's sad we did not have our big stuff, everything else is just so beautiful, and I am just going to hold on to that," said Fish.
Principal Thomason says this song will resonate with seniors beyond just Belton.
"He chose to produce a message that is so powerful. We just could not be more proud," he said.
Rudloff has decided to use his time in quarantine to start working on a music album and hopes to continue inspiring others.
Here's "Make It To The End,":
