A sea of green and yellow flooded the Bell Auditorium on Thursday morning as just over 100 seniors celebrated their transition from student to graduate of T.W. Josey HIgh School.
The high-energy ceremony saw graduates jumping from their seats to cheer for classmates walking the stage and the crowd joining in with graduate Mariah Houck as she sang a rendition of “Opportunity” from the 2014 adaptation of “Annie.”
Eagle pride
Two graduates, Gionvanni Jefferson and Shanigha Sapp, said that T.W. Josey instilled a pride in them that they hope to carry with them as they pursue future plans – majoring in music technology at Alabama State University and pursuing a career as a defense attorney at Georgia Southern University, respectively.
“You’re gonna have pride,” said Sapp. “You can’t last at Josey without having pride. I thank everyone in Josey, teachers, staff, students, for giving me that pride. That pride that I needed to make it in the world.”
Jefferson said that his time at Josey taught him to have “pride and dedication.”
Surviving the ups and downs of high school
Salutatorian Makayla Johnson, who plans to attend Howard University in the fall to major in criminology, took to the stage to talk to her classmates about resilience.
“Together, we faced challenges from online learning, Hurricane Helene and COVID-19, but we adapted, we grew, persevered and we made it,” she said.
Valedictorian Jan Blake followed up Johnson’s speech by saying that the commencement was not only a momentous occasion for the graduates, but for the loved ones of the graduates as well.
“Walking onto the stage, it’s not just an honor for me, and the class of 2025. It’s an honor for our parents, teachers, mentors and everyone who has supported us along the way.”
Blake plans to attend the Cebu Institute of Technology-University in the Philippines, where she will major in electrical engineering.
