BY KARISSA MILLER
The gym rafters shook with deafening cheers on Friday evening as 172 West Iredell High School seniors hurled their caps into the air, exchanging tight hugs and tears as they celebrated the end of their high school careers.
“This is not just a graduation ceremony,” said Principal Ben Johnson. “Tonight is an overall celebration of your perseverance and dedication. It’s also a celebration of the obstacles you pushed through to get you to this moment.”
He challenged the graduates to use their unique talents or gifts not just personal gain, but also to lift up those around them.
“A gift is the thing you can do the best with the least amount of effort,” Johnson said. “Don’t stop using your gifts … your gift offers you the opportunity to bless someone else.”
Senior Class President Eva Jernigan expressed her gratitude for the families and friends that supported the Class of 2026 throughout their education journey.
“Lord, thanks for the parents, grandparents, siblings, other family members, friends, teachers, coaches and staff that helped us get through 12 years of school,” Jernigan said during the opening prayer.
Honor speaker Taylor Sowers spoke about overcoming adversity.
“High school wasn’t the movie version most of us thought it would be,” she said. “It wasn’t just Friday night football games or the TikToks in the hallways. For a lot of us, it was stressful.”
Despite those trials, Sowers emphasized that the true triumph of the evening was their collective resilience.
“Tonight matters so much, not because we have everything figured out — because none of us do — but because we made it through,” Sowers said. “Class of 2026, be proud of yourselves, not just for tonight, but for every early morning, every late night … we made it.”
Salutatorian Tony Trifaro thanked his teachers and his four close friends for being his support system in helping him reach his goals. He reminded the graduates that they reached this milestone as a direct result of their own choice to show up, wake up early and put in the effort day after day.
“At the end of the day, we are here by our own actions. And we are going to get where we want to be by our own actions,” Trifaro said. “Class of 2026 – we are out of here.”
Valedictorian Taylor Stikeleather reminded everyone that success requires active engagement with the world.
“We’re going to get where we’re going to be in life by taking action,” she said. “We survived 13 years of school. All of these 13 years have felt like a long journey, but it is only a short chapter in what is to come.”
Other special moments included: the entire class standing in memory of their late classmate Alexis Wright; The Warrior JROTC’s presentation of the colors; the WIHS symphonic band’s performance of a variety of songs, including “Pomp and Circumstance,” “Star Spangled Banner,” and the school’s fight song; and the West Chorus’s “Maybe We’ll Meet Again” arrangement.
By the Numbers
• This year’s senior class earned $3,597,074 in scholarships.
• 124 seniors plan to further their education at colleges and universities.
• 18 seniors are immediately entering the workforce to seek employment.
• 10 seniors have committed to enlisting in the military.
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