SHANNON • Shannon High School’s Class of 2022 seniors crossed the football field during a windy Saturday evening ceremony to receive their diplomas.
Delivering the welcome address, senior Se’Nyah Haynes congratulated the 122 graduates on their achievement and reminded them that they have the power to change the nation.
While Shannon’s Class of 2022 faced a worldwide pandemic and other struggles, “we made it,” she said.
Valedictorian Brandon Floyd looked out across the graduating class and saw nothing but untapped potential waiting to be released.
He told classmates that during their time together, he learned there is nothing that can stop them, though many things have tried to do so, from the coronavirus to severe storms.
“I hope that we all continue to put forth our best effort in whatever we do,” he said. “I hope everyone here goes on to succeed in life.”
Salutatorian Tashunti Trice thanked all of the families, teachers, administrators in staff present to witness the Class of 2022’s crowning moment.
“We are here today to celebrate all of our hard work over the past 13 years and reflect on our experience — one that was unique from any other class to graduate from Shannon High School,” Trice said.
Something that impacted each senior on their path to graduation, she said, was a simple question asked of them since an early age: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“In elementary school, this question was the best,” she said. “I knew kids who wanted to be astronauts and movie stars. I even knew this one girl who knew for sure she’d be president one day. That was me.”
As they grew though, the question became stressful. It came with the pressure of having to know their life’s plan.
But reflecting on her time at Shannon High School, the most important memories were shared with her classmates rather than learned in the classroom: early mornings in front of the cafeteria eating and talking with friends as they enjoyed the morning sunshine, planning outfits days ahead for their biggest rival’s basketball game and cheering on the Red Raiders under Friday night lights, dancing to the school band and praying with Coach Carter and the team after every single game, win or lose.
The Class of 2022 is special to principal Dr. Jason Arledge in that he served as a school administrator with a majority of the graduates for seven years — four years at Shannon High and three years during his tenure as assistant principal at Shannon Middle School.
Arledge said it has provided him a unique perspective in regards to the growth, maturity and success of the graduates.
“They’ve persevered through more adversity than most graduating classes due to the pandemic,” Arledge said. “They’re coming out the other side with the ultimate success story, which is to walk across the stage and earn a high school diploma.”
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