Draven Rodriguez’s Yearbook Photo: Petition For Cat In Portrait Surpasses Goal

A petition for Draven Rodriguez’s one-of-a-kind yearbook photo has not only reached its signature goal, supporters of his online petition to include his feline friend and lasers helped the high school senior smash it.

The Schenectady High School senior hatched an idea to do something that goes against the grain of traditional poses for yearbook pictures, according to Today on the cat photo petition.

Draven wanted to go big, leave a mark and toss in a bit of retro-love. He knew his plans for the yearbook photo would be met with resistance. Therefore, Rodriguez tapped his teachers first and then began a petition for the school to allow his whimsical idea to go forward.

“I don’t want to go in the yearbook with the generic ‘I-look-like-everyone-else’ photo. I wanted a ‘He looks great. Only he would try that’ photo.

“It’s mostly for fun. I really want to be remembered for who I was, a very vibrant, very intense personality you can say I have. I’m very humorous. I try to be very witty and I thought it would almost be a good statement, like, ‘Yeah, only Draven would really do that.'”

Draven Rodriguez hired a professional photographer who captured the essence of his vision. After editing, the final image featured Rodriguez looking dapper in a dark suit while holding his companion, a rescue cat named Mr. Bigglesworth, who was image was also superimposed on the background in flashy array of pink and blue lasers.

And in keeping with the decades-old tradition in photography, Draven and Mr. B. posed while looking aimlessly away from the camera’s lens.

The industrious senior took to iPetition and solicited support to bolster his chances in getting school officials to approve his epic yearbook photo.

“This is my photo that should be going into the yearbook, but we know how finicky the school systems can be. I’m hoping that with enough signatures, my school simply can’t turn this down.”

As of this writing, Draven Rodriguez’s yearbook photo petition has collected over 6,000 signatures of his original goal of 500. However, despite the enormous outpouring of support from the public, high school officials sort of punted at the idea and offered him a compromise.

On the first pass, Karen Corona, the school’s public information officer, outlined the school’s policies regarding yearbook standards.

“We’re not trying to keep him from being creative, but there other places in the yearbook where the photo could go. It’s a uniform, consistent looking section. When you opt to be included, all photos look like each other. It doesn’t mean the photo won’t be in the yearbook. It just means it won’t be in the section where the more professional photos are.”

Then, the magic happened. Lo and behold, when the school’s principal learned more about the student’s lofty plans, she countered with a brilliant idea. Diane Wilkinson, a rescue cat owner herself, suggested Draven pose just as he envisioned, but with a caveat: she be included with her cat as well. It was a win-win for the two of them, and promises to be a more “glorious” occasion, as Today wrote.

The pair will pose for Draven Rodriguez’s yearbook photo soon.