Barnwell High School has 133 new alumni after the Class of 2023 galloped away.
The Warhorse Class of 2023 took to W.W. Carter Field on Friday evening, May 26, for their commencement ceremony. The class earned an estimated $3,419,527 in scholarships.
“Thank you for your hard work. Each one of you have made us all very proud,” said Principal Franklin McCormack.
Valedictorian Reid Barker reflected on their past four years at 474 Jackson Street, a place that’s been a second home for the students. It’s a place they learned together. It’s a place where their class won three pep rallies. It’s a place where they withstood the hardships of COVID.
“Not it’s time for a new journey away from home. It’s a journey that’s more individualized and personal, one you designed yourself,” said Barker.
That new journey will send the Class of 2023 separate directions – to the military, workforce, or higher education. To those headed to college, Barker thanked her classmates for their determination and ambition. To those headed to the workforce, she thanked them for their dedication and hard work. To those joining the military, she thanked them for their bravery.
“Change is scary. You will no longer take the same classes, see the same faces, and be at the same places. Whatever you choose to do with your life, make sure you love it. We all have different skills and strengths, so utilize it to the best of your ability,” Barker said.
As they pursue their dreams, Barker said they will encounter obstacles that will push them to their limits and make them want to give up. However, persevering through those obstacles will “make the reward that much more satisfying.”
Salutatorian Holly Thomas discussed how she aimed to be number one in her class. She was motivated by the motto “If you’re not first, you’re last” from the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
“According to these standards of greatness, I am last,” said Thomas of coming in second.
Quoting lyrics by The Rolling Stones, she said, “You can’t always get what you want.”
“Things don’t always end up like you wanted, but you always get something to work with, improve upon,” she said. Her race will continue with eight more years of medical school.
Principal McCormack thanked the faculty and staff for the “lifelong impact you’ve had on our students’ past, present, and future.”
“I pray we will be able to use this knowledge to go out and bless the world,” said BHS Class of 2023 President Katilyn Elmore during the invocation.
During the benediction, third honor graduate Hayden Horton encouraged classmates to “use this knowledge to know what is right and wrong” and to “use our gifts wisely and in service to the Lord.” This includes helping others.
After singing the alma mater, the Class of 2023 threw their caps into the air and released confetti as family and friends cheered from the stands.
