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Although weather got in the way of Huntland’s graduation, the conditions couldn’t have been more ideal an evening later when 283 Franklin County High School seniors received their diplomas.

The graduating class was blessed with a spectacular sunset to accompany an outdoor ceremony on Friday.

The evening began with the procession of the senior class entering the stadium to “Pomp and Circumstance.” 

The pledge and welcome statements were then led by the senior class officers.

Senior class officers included Jacob Dyer, president; Natalie Daugherty, vice president; Eric Worthington, secretary; Libby Vincent, treasurer; Aidyn Holland, sergeant at arms; and Piper Smith, historian/reporter.

Principal Dr. Roger Alsup then took the stage to welcome and address the audience. He asked different people to stand, including members of the audience, school faculty and staff and parents.

“Look around, you did not get here by yourself,” he said, motioning to those standing while making graduates aware of the various people who helped them get to this moment in their lives.

Alsup also asked those in the graduating class who planned to enlist in the military to stand. The audience applauded at their commitment to serve.

He then introduced the 2023 salutatorian and valedictorian who have maintained impeccable grade point averages throughout their high school careers.

Salutatorian Cason Perry Orr spoke first.

He began by joking at his tendency to be long-winded and that he and his teachers worked together to edit the speech down to a reasonable length.

He thanked his parents by saying, “You have pushed me every day to be the best version of myself, and I can never truly thank you enough.”

Orr went on to thoroughly thank his brother, sister and additional family members for their contributions to his life and successes.

“To the faculty, staff and administration of Franklin County High School, you have given me so much,” he said. “I feel so unworthy when I think of the countless people who have poured love, kindness, and wisdom into me.”

Orr lastly thanked God by quoting Pslams 118:24.

“This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it,” he said. “So today, on this graduation, we shall rejoice and be glad.”

The rest of his speech was directly to his graduating classmates.

“Whether it is the workforce, college, trade school, the military, you name it, this class is pursuing it,” Orr said, referencing the many places the students in his class are headed. “Tonight represents a celebration, so do not worry about what tomorrow holds, have fun. Do so responsibly and safely, of course, but enjoy this night, as it is truly once in a lifetime.”

Valedictorian Krisha Rakesh Patel then had the opportunity to give her speech.

She began her speech by thanking those who had contributed positively to her life. She then went on to say that in her speech, she wanted to write a letter to her graduating class.

“We started this journey in 2010, and after 13 grueling years we stand, or mostly sit, here awaiting to accept the certificate we poured our blood, sweat, and tears into,” Patel said.

She went on to describe a variety of experiences she and her classmates had over the course of those 13 years.

“We experienced dreams and disappointment, love and heartbreak, and although these moments made us want to quit, we preserved,” Patel emotionally added while her classmates nodded and smiled. “With the different paths, we will expand the world with our own personal experiences and thought processes which will, hopefully, leave the world in a better place than we found it.”

She ended her speech with a quote from Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

The students then walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, presented by Alsup.

After all the students had been recognized and given their diplomas, Alsup then asked the class to move their tassels to the other side of their caps.

Upon being presented as the graduating Class of 2023, the entire student body joyfully tossed their caps into the air.