On Friday night, 92 seniors flipped their tassels from the right to the left to complete their graduation ceremony at Pike County High School. 

“This is the ultimate finale for our seniors,” PCHS principal Jeffrey Torrence said. “When children start in kindergarten, they want to graduate from kindergarten. But, the ultimate goal is to be a high school graduate. This is a great day for our graduates. But it’s also a great day for the faculty that has worked with the students over the years. It’s also a great day for the student’s family. The students have worked hard to get to this point. The stands were packed tonight, so that shows the excitement and pride the families and friends have for these graduates.”

Before receiving their diplomas, the Class of 2025 received some final words from the class salutatorian and valedictorian. 

“High school has been a journey filled with both challenges and triumphs,” salutatorian Joseph Countryman said. “Yet standing here today is a testament to our hard work, commitment, and perseverance. I want to especially recognize our dual enrollment students who have navigated tough schedules, demanding professors and intense workloads. High school alone is overwhelming, and adding jobs, sports, and extracurriculars makes it even more so. But it’s those very challenges that have shaped us into stronger, more resilient individuals. The lessons we’ve learned along the way, about time management, determination and perseverance will serve us well with whatever path we have chosen. 

“Whether that’s entering the workforce, continuing our education, or taking time to discover what’s next. As we move forward, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Truett Cathy. ‘Why not your best?’”

Valedictorian Qualiyah Caffie said her years in school flew by quickly and graduation night came more quickly than expected. For others, she said the experience may have been different. 

“But, we all walked the same path to get here,” Caffie said. “But we can all agree that walking this path wasn’t easy. But if there’s one thing that we all have, it’s resilience. We’ll need that resilience as we push forward after we leave the stadium to officially enter adulthood. We will encounter many challenges and be faced with many difficult choices. 

“But by keeping that same resilient spirit, we’ll overcome any hardship life throws our way. Whether that be paying bills, being late for work, or looking into the mirror one morning and realizing your hairline is advancing on a faster path in your career. 

“Speaking of adulthood, I happen to be turning 18 today. And it’s hard not to think about milestones on a day like this. We’ve all had our own. We’ve all learned from making new friends and finding ourselves. This is a small personal milestone. This small personal milestone feels like it’s a part of a much bigger one we all share. Graduating, growing up, and starting the next chapter of our lives. It’s strange to think that we’ve spent so many years together, yet there are so many different paths we’ve taken. Some of us have shared nearly every step, while others have only crossed paths here and there. As I look into the sea of purple, I realize that there are some of you that I’ve never met. And some of you that I’ve known since kindergarten. Still, even if I don’t know your names, stories or faces, I truly believe you are going to do great things.”