Carson graduate helps this year's seniors go on trip

A group of Carson High School 2000 graduates is partying in Cancun, Mexico, after a Carson graduate saved them from missing their senior trip.

About 30 students paid $700 earlier in the year to Student Tours, a travel agency in Arizona, to arrange the trip.

"When we tried to get ahold of them, they wouldn't answer the phones. They wouldn't return phone calls," said Judge John Tatro, whose son is on the trip. "Finally we found out they filed bankruptcy."

Tatro said the group was crushed.

"A lot of these kids saved all year for this trip," he said. "Then, bam, the rug was pulled out from underneath them."

However, when Kelly Millard heard of the dilemma, she stepped in to help out.

Millard, a 1985 Carson High School graduate and daughter of Dwight Millard, is a travel agent at Class Travel International in Redondo Beach, Calif.

"She pulled all the strings and got it all together in about two days," Tatro said. "She just flew."

Millard arranged with various agencies to waive commissions and cut fees so the students had to pay only $200 more to receive the same vacation package. About 10 of them were able to salvage the trip.

"It's awesome because she doesn't get anything out of it except for the satisfaction of knowing these kids are going to have a great time," Tatro said.

The students will join thousands of other graduates from around the world who celebrate the end of high school on the Mexican beach.

"It's a place not to be right now if you're over 18 years old," said Tatro.

The group left Wednesday afternoon. Millard squeezed the group on a charter plane that was carrying graduates from Reno to the vacation spot.

They plan to return June 27.

Tatro said the Arizona travel agency had a strong reputation and had been in business many years and he did not see any indications that it was going to declare bankruptcy.