Six graduate from Nantahala School

    Nantahala – Proving that good things can indeed come in small packages, the Nantahala School Class of 2021 graduated Friday evening.
    The six seniors received diplomas after hearing from Principal Andrew Pyle. Pyle grew up with the class, arriving as a new principal the same year the seniors started ninth grade.
    “These six and I, we started at Nantahala High School together,” Pyle said. “They came as freshmen and I came as a new principal, and we kind of felt our way through that freshman year, and we’ve not looked back since.”
    Pyle lauded the group, saying he could not have had a “greater bunch of kids” as his first four-year cohort.
    Makayla West and Rebekah Stewart both graduated summa cum laude. Zac Taylor graduated magna cum laude and Dillon McLean graduated cum laude. Charlie Rich and Gracie Stroud rounded out the class.
    In her summa cum laude address, West thanked all those who had supported the class in the close-knit community.
    “When you succeed, you are in a position to give rather than to take,” West said. “It has been a long four years, but here we are ready to graduate. We worked hard to get to this point, and we didn’t do it by ourselves. We owe a huge debt of gratitude.”
    She also encouraged her classmates to make the most of their opportunities.
    “We’ll pay that debt of gratitude forward, “ West said.
    The seniors also gave roses to family, friends and mentors who supported them individually through high school, participating in a Nantahala School tradition. A slideshow featuring videos and photos of each senior throughout their life was also presented.
    Additionally, the seniors received their awards and scholarship recognitions during the ceremony.
    After graduating, West said she was excited for
what the future would hold as she headed to Costal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., to study forensic psychology. She said she hoped to eventually attend medical school and become a psychiatrist.
    However, she also said she would miss seeing her classmates and teachers at Nantahala School every day.
    “It’s just a big family,” West said.