Siblings Sarah and Bert Merino are a part of the school's choir. For them, this year's service is a special one.
"I look at the concert in a different light"
"It's just a good feeling when I get on stage and I'm up there with all these people that I'm just, you know, so fond of."
Last December, during the winter break, the Dallas natives lost their home in a fire. No one was hurt, but they were forced to rebuild their lives. As Sarah prepared to return to Shreveport for the Spring semester, one thought reverberated in her mind.
"Just the fear of being treated differently."
They were not.
The Centenary choir rallied around the family, assisting them in returning to their normal lives......and in the process, creating a bond stronger than friendship.
"It's kind of like everyone's thankful and we can respect that she's here and we just pray nothing else happens to anyone else in the choir."
Bert was a senior in high school when the fire happened. It was the sense of family that helped lead him to his freshman year at centenary.
"I was like, that's a group of people I want to be a part of."
For Sarah, that group of people are what led her to appreciate the bonds that can't be taken away.
"I'm not sad when I leave home and my blood family because I can come here and be with my choir family."
Alex Cerda NBC 6 news.
