Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School (RCTCM) graduated just over 50 students on Friday morning, celebrating its close-knit class of 2025.
‘This future is mine’
“I’m going to miss the teachers,” said RCTCM graduate Nile Joyner. “The teachers at this school are very nice, but I’m also going to miss the students. They are very accepting and open.”
He added that his time at RCTCM taught him to seek authenticity.
“It taught me to honor and stay true to myself,” he said. “No matter what happens, this future is mine.”
Joyner plans to attend Augusta University where he will major in psychology with the hopes of becoming a counselor. He also wants to pursue a career in writing.
Celebrating and endurance and determination
Valedictorian Logan Alberti talked about the significance of the high school diploma.
“What does it mean to graduate as part of the class in 2025? What does this diploma mean? It may or may not get you a job. It may go into your closet forever. You might even lose it. You probably won’t even remember where it is five years down the road, but really, it proves a lot,” Alberti said. “Together here today, we’ve shown endurance…we’ve made mistakes and have grown from them. We’ve built lasting friendships, we’ve shaped our lives trying to get this, but I can’t help but feel I wish it were just a little longer.”
“RCTCM has given me the opportunity to discover myself in a way that no other school would have,” he said.
Alberti plans to attend either the University of California, Davis or Riverside City College to study medicine with the goal of helping develop treatments for currently incurable diseases.
Salutatorian JaKarius Calhoun shouted out the parents of the graduates.
“Your belief in us is part of why we’re here today,” he said.
Calhoun plans to attend Augusta University Honors College to major in cybersecurity with a focus on penetration testing.
