White County High School bids farewell to 259 graduates
by Denise Etheridge and Jerry Grillo
White County News
Endings and beginnings—that was the theme last Friday night when 259 White County High School seniors received their diplomas, closing one chapter and beginning another.
For the Class of 2025, the road to graduation was anything but typical. Principal Mary Anne Collier discussed the uncertainty of a global pandemic, back when these students were just eighth graders.
“This is a special group. They bounced back after the pandemic,” Collier said, relieved that the weather had cooperated for the outdoor ceremony.
The mood on campus was celebratory and reflective as students arrived early to take photos, hug their teachers, and say farewell to the hallowed halls that had shaped them, before Warrior Stadium filled to capacity with friends and family.
“I’m not nervous, I’m more excited than anything,” said Mason
Ballenger of Cleveland. Ballenger, a member of the film club, plans to work this summer at Dairy Queen before studying performance and acting at Columbus State.
Andrez Vargas is headed down a different path. Vargas, who earned the JROTC rank of colonel, plans to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard in August. “I like boating,” he said, adding that he’d be getting his boating certification immediately after the graduation ceremony.
For Alyssa Jones, the road ahead veers away from her original interests. A student of graphic design and business at WHCS, Jones now plans to pursue marine biology. “It’s the complete opposite of what I thought I’d do,” she said with a laugh.
Madison Adams, who adorned her graduation cap with lace and pearls, wants to study clinical psychology at Columbus State this fall. She performed in numerous theater productions while at WCHS, including Mama Mia and Singing in the Rain. And though she plans to continue scratching the theater itch, Adams wants to conduct research in the future and is particularly interested in understanding why incarcerated individuals broke the law.
Alex Locklear, a young man with an impressive mane of hair, said, “I’m going into the army for four years, and I’m gonna be rich and famous. And don’t worry, I’m donating my hair.”
His pal standing nearby, Sam Stranyak, quickly added, “I’m going into archeology, and getting in line so that I can be first to get his hair.”
After milling about in the gym for a few hours, visiting with each other and their teachers, and taking a class photo, the students lined up in the tunnel leading to the stadium field. The band was already playing Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.
WCHS Assistant Principal Adam Wiley stood at the tunnel’s end, between the graduates and the field, congratulating every student with hugs, high-fives, and handshakes; easing their nerves with quick humor, and checking to make sure caps and gowns were in order before the grads appeared before a cheering crowd. Then valedictorian Aubrey Bolton led the long procession of students into the light of the stadium.
Graduate Emily Rhoads opened the ceremony with an invocation, recalling the Biblical leader Joshua’s faith and bravery. “Be bold,” she told her classmates.
Lillian Gann offered a welcome that felt both grounded and surreal. “The day we thought would never come is staring us in the face,” she said.
Salutatorian Lauren Black spoke with clarity and maturity about life’s unpredictability. “I am not in control of everything,” she said. “But I can control how I react in each situation I’m put in.”
Valedictorian Aubrey Bolton echoed that theme of growth and resilience. “Some of us wanted this day to come. Some wished it never would. And for most of us, it was different from day to day,” she said. “Regardless, here we are.”
After addressing the people who packed the stadium bleachers, she turned to face her classmate, urging them to embrace uncertainty: “The future is uncertain and quite terrifying, but it is also full of possibilities.”
And she reminded her peers of something more enduring: “Know that your worth is defined in yourself, not in what others believe.”
The ceremony concluded as Collier offered a final charge to the Class of 2025: “Stay true to who you are and never stop learning. Let your experiences shape you, not define you. Always move forward with courage.”
As caps flew into the night and families filled the stadium with cheers, one sentiment lingered: this wasn’t just a farewell. It was a launching point.
“We helped each other grow,” Bolton had said. “Now we’re stepping into the light of adulthood together.”