Nantahala – A small but mighty class of eight was ushered in by junior marshals Hunter Bryant and Emily Chafin, along with class mascots Hazel Pickles and Theo Anuszcyk, as the seniors graduated from Nantahala High School to a near-capacity gymnasium of faculty, family and friends Friday night.
Graduates enjoyed the special tradition of a meal with family before the ceremony.
Special guests of honor attending the ceremony included Macon County Schools Superintendent Josh Lynch, school board Chair Jim Breedlove and members Melissa Evans, Stephanie Laseter, Dierdre Breeden and Hilary Wilkes.
Principal Amanda Sutton addressed the class and thanked them for her first year as leader of Nantahala School. She reminded the audience that, no matter the size of the class or school, this is indeed their launchpad for the future.
Sutton’s husband, the Rev. Brandon Sutton, led the invocation. He urged the students to listen to and follow God’s voice for their respective paths in life as well as going through life with grace and love.
In the first of two student honor speeches, Willow Manning spoke of her experience with several in the class spending a full 13 years to thank both faculty and staff of Nantahala School, along with each students families for continuing support throughout the class’s years together. Too, drawing from her experience in aviation studies to urge the Hawks’ alumni to soar into the future with words from her inspiration Chuck Yeager: “You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”
Manning was awarded the highest grade point average and the Zonta – Young Women In Aviation Scholarship along with the Guy Taylor Memorial Scholarship, presented by school counselor Kim Bateman.
With the second-highest grade point average, Manning’s sister Meadow’s speech focused on not only the challenges the class had already faced during their years together, but also those that may face them in the future. She said to use their memories of how they’d overcome to give them strength to succeed in the future.
In addition, Meadow was the recipient of both the school’s English and vocational awards and intends to study neo-natal nursing in the future.
The eight students graduated with a combined total of almost $10,000 in scholarships, including recipients Skyler Taylor, a New Century Scholar which guarantees two years tuition-free at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. Taylor was also the winner of the physical education award and one of the four available Guy Taylor Memorial Scholarships as well as the Valleytown Visionary Guild’s inaugural scholarship.
Other scholarships awarded included the Nantahala Community Development Club award to Ayla LeDuke, who is also a recipient of one of the four Guy Taylor Memorial Scholarships. LeDuke, who was also given the Spanish award, plans on attending Appalachian State University in the fall to study nursing.
Melina Monteiro received the science award as well as one of the Guy Taylor Memorial Scholarships and plans to study at UNC-Wilmington to study nursing. Monteiro was also the recipient of the WNC Bridge Health Scholarship to help further her studies.
Rounding out the class are Addison Dartez, a Magna Cum Laude graduate who plans to enter the military; along with classmate Hank Jenkins, who plans to enter the local workforce immediately. Magna Cum Laude graduate Kellen West plans on attending Tri-County Community College and then pursuing studies in engineering at N.C. State University.
After the award and scholarship presentations, the class distributed roses to family in the audience before a special senior video presentation.
The slideshow featured each senior in a variety of both candid pictures during family adventures as well as school activities and their senior picture with each one adding their own flair with theme songs, including Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey” and Carrie Underwood’s “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” and Hank Williams Jr.’s “Country Boy Can Survive.”
After the traditional tassel shift signifying their achievement as bona fide graduates the octet broke out into a now-common Silly String battle before moving into the crowd to embrace family and friends.