By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
When the 82 graduates of Hayesville High School cross the stage on the football field of Frank R. Long Memorial Stadium this week, they will be the first class who spent half of their freshmen year in virtual classrooms. For most, that meant learning from home during that time, but others had to do a lot of their online schoolwork from churches, the library and even the school parking lot. Yet, the students endured and their graduation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26 will showcase their perseverance.
Clay County Schools Superintendent Dale Cole gave his thoughts about the Hayesville High School Class of 2023, mentioning the “Portrait of a Graduate” released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. “I would like to draw attention to one of the seven competencies listed in this portrait, adaptability. The portrait lists five qualifiers under the competency of adaptability and I would like to specify two of those: North Carolina graduates demonstrate flexibility when navigating challenging situations and they exhibit steadfastness despite difficulty, opposition and/or failure.”
Cole continued. “The Class of 2023 lost almost half of your ninth grade year and half of the fall semester during your 10th grade year to the pandemic. You have been steadfast in your commitment to your own learning, to your school, to your community and to each other.”
According to Hayesville High School guidance counselor Quincey Rickett, 48 students plan to attend a two year or four year institution. “We have many students going into the medical field this year,” she explained. “Data and analytics, education, construction management, welding, cosmetology, animal science and more.”Two students are entering the Air Force, but no others plan to join the military after graduation.
Of the graduates, 40 received local scholarships valued at $225,090. In addition, some received scholarships from their institutions, but no monetary value has been calculated for those from the individual institutions.
There will be two graduation speakers sharing their thoughts and wishes with their peers. “Mary Nicholson and Jacob Christiansen were chosen as they are both Honor Graduates and they auditioned,” Quincey Rickett said.
Hayesville High School principal Stacey Overlin offered his sentiments to the 2023 graduates. “Congratulations on making it to graduation, I am proud of each and every one of you,” he said. “As I have said so many times this year, you have been a wonderful senior class. You have created memories and built friendships I hope will stay with you forever. Our faculty and staff, your families and the entire Clay County community have worked hard to prepare you. Now it is time for you to move on as graduates of Hayesville High School and take the next steps to creating the lives that you want and deserve. I wish you all the best in the future.”
Cole ended, “It has been my honor to serve you as your superintendent these past four years. Your collective accomplishments as a class as measured by metrics like scholarships earned, work certifications attained, CTE internships completed, are nothing short of excellent. I cannot wait to see what you accomplish as adults.”
Rickett added, “We are excited for this year’s graduation and the ability to celebrate the class of 2023.”