Thomas County Central High School recently recognized members of its senior class for their achievements.
Honors Night occurred 6 p.m. Thursday, May 5, in the TCCHS gym. Students received medals, certificates, stoles, cords and scholarships for their accomplishments in a variety of academic and elective areas.
" Dr. James Rehberg, TCCHS assistant principal said. "The students recognized tonight are a great group of well-deserving kids with a very bright future."
Every student was honored with the award(s) and scholarship(s) they received.
"I feel honored that all of my hard work from the past four years has paid off," honoree Kacy Jones said. “I know that I will be more prepared for the future that is ahead of me."
Guanghui Li received several honors, including academic medals for AP Calculus, British Literature and Spanish.
"I was excited when I was recognized as an honor graduate,” he said. “I felt that all the hard work that I had put in was paid off.”
Many students were honored several times for different accomplishments and/or scholarships.
“I received four awards, which included National Honor Society tassel, community service medal, and two scholarships,” Shamaria Daniels said. “I feel that I deserved these awards due to the hard work I have done in school to earn them.”
Every student earned their awards for the hard work they have done over the past four years.
"I was incredibly excited that all my hard work paid off, and I received honor graduate status, a white cord for completing two pathways, broadcasting and welding," honoree Miranda Dees said. "I was awarded a scholarship with Thomas University through collaboration with our broadcasting program that covers a portion of the tuition cost in return for filming and editing their sports' games."
Every student strived for what they wanted to accomplish because they loved what they were doing and being passionate about each.
"I also earned a department medal for welding, which I care deeply about, for my achievements in both the classroom and the welding shop," Dees said.
Some students see their accomplishments as steps toward their future goals.
"Being an honor graduate and a MERIT recipient means being one step closer to going after my dreams," Olivia Jones said. "It provides me with a more competitive edge in the veterinary medical field."
Shi’Keriya Davis feels similarly.
"When I graduate from high school, I plan to attend college and become a registered nurse," she said. "Getting the awards I did helps me get one step closer to my future and goals."
TCCHS Class of 2016 members also took time to reflect upon their journey to this moment and the encouragement they received along the way.
"When I first came to the United States, I was scared of this strange country; however, I felt that I was welcomed after enrolling in TCCHS," Li said. "I could not have achieved so much without the help of my teachers and friends: they have constantly encouraged me and challenged me to work harder to keep me going harder after my dreams."
The night was a success, administrators said, thanks to the hard work of the students recognized and the support of those who helped make the various awards and recognitions possible.
"Once again our Honors Night was an overwhelming success thanks to our generous donors and kind benefactors who recognize the hard work and academic excellence exhibited by our students," Rehberg said. “Each year we are so grateful for their support and patronage of our academic mission.”