John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School honored its 2024 graduating seniors, Friday afternoon, at its 38th Commencement Ceremony.
Some 92 graduate candidates processed into the James Brown Arena auditorium at about 2 p.m. This year’s class was awarded more than $9 million in scholarships, had two National Merit semifinalists (Katelyn Scoggins and Hannan Zhou) and is seeing off 82 of its students to four-year colleges.
“I know there were moments when we questioned whether we were on the right path, but with each decision we learned to trust in the process,” said salutatorian Ava Bai, a Harvard Book Award winner who plans to study neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, speaking to her fellow grads about the struggle of balancing a fine arts pathway with academic aims. “Embrace the uncertainty and open up to the experience.”
Valedictorian Iris Moore, an up-and-coming University of Georgia English major with three scholarships, noted in her address the fact that the majority of Davidson’s student body is female, underscoring that her own gender never felt like an impediment to her success.
“Students feel socially accepted enough to express themselves,” said Moore, calling Davidson’s emphasis on “achievement, individualism and empathy” the school’s “true magic,” and praising how it creates a common experience for a musicians, dancers, artists and actors alike.
“Our class has created a collaborative environment in which we mutually respect each other and strive towards our goals,” she said, before lauding her teachers “for giving us the freedom to choose our own definition of success.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
