EDENTON — John A. Holmes High School celebrated the 137 members of the Class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony on the school’s football field Friday, June 7.
Forty-four members of this year’s graduating class will enter directly into the workforce after graduation, while 52 have enrolled in a two-year college. Forty other graduates will enroll in a four-year college. Holmes graduates also earned more than $3.9 million in scholarships.
Nichole Exum, Edenton-Chowan Schools Teacher of the Year and a special education teacher at Holmes High, said she was proud of the graduates.
“I learned that you are so very kind and accepting of others,” she said. “One of my first glimpses of your kindness was when many of you, as upper elementary students, became buddies to our Special Olympics student-athletes.
“As you entered high school, the people you were buddies with throughout elementary and middle school entered high school as well and became my students. Then I began to see the day-to-day interactions you all have had with each other.”
Class Salutatorian Liza Grace Bond said she was grateful to those who made her education possible.
“Thank you to all the teachers, coaches, guidance staff, administrators, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, and custodians who have supported and encouraged us through this journey,” she said. “We’re grateful. To all the parents, family, friends, and guardians that have been by our side unconditionally, thank you for supporting us.”
Valedictorian Trent Louis Spear thanked the teachers who pushed him to excel academically.
“On behalf of our class, thanks for your patience and tireless dedication, basically for just putting up with us,” he said. “And to all my coaches, my dad included, thank you for pushing me to the absolute limit, even my coach for yelling at us — yelling at us at 5 a.m. He was hoping that some of his coaching was sticking to our half-awake brains.
“Thank you, coach, for helping me understand and be thankful to appreciate things outside the game of basketball,” he said.
Holmes Principal Sonya Rinehart said life for the graduates was going to change.
“The next chapters will be up to you to write. It will not be AI-generated,” she said.
Dr. Michael Sasscer, attending what will be his last graduation as Edenton-Chowan Schools superintendent — he leaves next week to take the principal’s job at Topsail High School — gave the graduates some life advice.
“Don’t let the fear rob you of living your life. Take the risk and enjoy the adventure,” he said. “Keep pushing forward without quitting because your summit is waiting, and it will be mind-blowing. Put your hand on your heart for just a minute. Do you feel that? That’s called purpose. … Let your passion captivate you. Not the world’s definition of success or failure. Be captivated by what you are called to do and let that passion ignite you, for if you live every single day with a purpose and a passion, then there is no failure.”
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