BY BRANDY TEMPLETON

The Class of 2023 at North Iredell High School marched into Raider Ravine Saturday morning to accept their diplomas.

Looking out over the large crowd, Principal Diana Jones teared up as she recognized a legacy. She hoped the new graduates realized they are part of something special.

“North High has always been about community. There are generations of excellence here. From great-grandparents to grandparents, parents — we have deep roots.”

Kaitlyn Miller, senior class president, opened by acknowledging the challenges that the Class of 2023 had to overcome.

“The last four years have not been traditional high school for us,” she said. “But our high school experience was what felt normal for us.”

Miller said that it was okay because she watched her “peers grow up into the people they are today.”

After Miller spoke, Trinity Webb sang the North Iredell alma mater, after which Jones greeted the guests and announced that the seniors had collectively been awarded $4.2 million in scholarships.

Elleigh Williams, first honor speaker, spoke about the importance of living in the present.

“If we spend too much time reminiscing about the past or worried about our future, we miss living in the moment,” she said.

Williams asked everyone to breathe in the air and be in the moment before closing with “Seize the day.”

Honor speaker Cadence Wenzel thanked Jesus Christ for allowing her to be graduating, along with thanking her parents and teachers. 

She spoke about the challenges of her early high school years.

“Covid-19 cut our freshman year in half,” Wenzel said. “We lost motivation in not attending school.”

Like Williams, she encouraged her classmates to move forward.

“Although our past has been fun, we should not live in it. Don’t dwell but look forward to the person you will become.”

Final honor speaker Amy Abrego-Lopez talked about how fast time has flown by, quoting from the movie Forrest Gump.

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get,” she said. “But life is too short. We must enjoy every moment we have.”

After the chorus sang, “For Good” from Wicked, diplomas were presented, and a new class of graduates walked away into their future with high hopes.