Family and friends of Pike County High School’s 73 graduating seniors packed Sartain Hall Thursday night for the school’s commencement ceremony.

Principal Willie Wright said it was a special moment and a special class.

“This isn’t just an athletic class,” he said. “They also achieved academically. They’ve had over $1 million in scholarship opportunities. They’ve represented the community well.”

Nineteen of the graduates already received an associate’s degree in applied science from Enterprise State Community College through participation in the business and finance academy.

Valedictorian Chelsey Holland and Salutatorian Jasmine Paxton are two of those students.

Both also turned their academic careers around to become the top two in their class.

Holland elaborated on her academic journey in her valedictory speech, and used it to challenge the graduating class to never give up.

“In elementary school, I wasn’t the brightest student,” she said. “I made Cs, Ds, and even Fs. Then I made a bet with my grandfather that I would finish at the top of my sixth grade class.”

She went on to tell the class not to be “people-pleasers” but to do what they felt they should do, and to continue to move past obstacles.

“It does not matter what you have failed in,” she said, “but what you will do next.”