BY KARISSA MILLER
The Class of 2026 at the Agriculture and Science Early College marched in to Pomp and Circumstance from behind a lush backdrop of trees that overlooked a creek and waterfall at Buck Shoals Cabins in Hamptonville on Thursday.
Once the nearly 60 graduates in attendance were seated, honor graduate Carlie Styers sang the National Anthem.
Principal Todd Russo welcomed guests and challenged students to “respect the clock,” sharing a lesson inspired by a graduating senior pursuing a racing career.
“We are all given the same 24 hours in a day, but we get to choose how we use it,” Russo said. “Don’t just consume your time, invest it.”
Next, Russo introduced honor graduates Jaelyn King, Alexander “Xander” Black, Alyssa Sloan, Paola Guillotte, Carlie Styers, Riley Bennett and Mason Campbell.
Black told classmates the ceremony was “proof that every late night, every moment of doubt, every setback we faced along the way was worth it.”
King praised her classmates’ resilience through personal hardships and loss. “No matter what, you will get through,” she said.
Alyssa Sloan encouraged graduates to stay true to themselves. “Try, try, try — because only you can make it happen,” she said.
Styers reminded classmates that “no one is alone” and compared graduation to reaching the end of one song before beginning another. “Today, we are at the end of our ASEC song. But that doesn’t mean that the music stops. It is time to change the tempo, experience a new rhythm and raise our voices to a different level,” she said.
Guillotte reflected on shared memories, late nights and friendships, telling classmates to “be proud of yourself for balancing so much and still getting through.”
“Be proud that you are literally sitting out here about to walk across this stage and get your diploma …and never forget we’re so lucky to have people that make saying goodbye so hard,” Guillotte said.
Bennett spoke candidly about finding strength through hardship. She reminded graduates to “be brave, be kind, but most importantly be ourselves.”
Closing the student addresses, Campbell urged classmates to embrace the unknown future ahead.
“The most meaningful lives are rarely the most predictable,” Campbell said. “So, take today and celebrate this amazing accomplishment. Then tomorrow take the skills each of us have been taught in our time here and create the future you want.”
So far, the Class of 2026 has earned $3.9 million in scholarships.
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