The class of 2016 wrapped up their high school careers Thursday night on the DCHS football field.
A total of 152 graduates crossed the stage to receive their diplomas from DCHS Principal Kathy Bryant and Director of Schools Patrick Cripps. This year's White Rose Awards went to Seth Wright and Tyra Graham took home the coveted White Rose Awards this year, and Morgan Vickers received the Citizenship Award for 2016.
White Roses are presented to a male and female graduate who not only performed well academically, but contributed to the school and community and exhibited exemplary moral character. The Citizenship Award is given to a senior who exemplifies strong academic performance and contribution to the school and community. Honors, distinction, and top rank students were also recognized during the program.
Alex Rhody delivered the invocation, and the benediction was performed by Andrew Cornelius. Music was provided by the DCHS Band and Chorus.
Class President Chloe White urged the graduates to look toward the future, but not forget the past.
“Graduation is an exciting time. It’s both an ending and a beginning. It’s warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future,” White said. “Soon we will all be moving on to the unknown. We will be starting our new lives at college, jobs, or in the military.
“While some will be practically in their own backyards, others will be across the world starting adventures we can only dream about. Although our lives will be vastly changing, we will never forget the many memories we have all made together. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for all of us. God bless, and congratulations Class of 2016,” she concluded.
Valedictorian Ashli Chew asked her fellow graduates not to allow naysayers to lure them from the path they know to be right.
“In 1963, mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz hypothesized that a single butterfly could flap its wings and set enough molecules of air into motion that were capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the world,” Chew said. “Naturally, scientist all over the world laughed at his idea. His idea was mocked and ridiculed for more than thirty years until a collaboration of physicists concluded that his hypothesis was, in fact, valid and viable. Scientists have concluded that the so-called “butterfly effect” is true for all forms of matter, including people.
“One of the most notable accounts of this ripple effect occurred more than a century ago on July 2, 1863, during the battle of Gettysburg. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a schoolteacher from Maine, made one courageous decision that changed all of life, as we know it. Chamberlain, who was a colonel in the Union army at the time, was faced with insurmountable odds.
“Chamberlain’s eighty remaining men were tired, wounded, and entirely out of ammunition when they noticed more than five-hundred Confederate troops marching up the hill towards them. Chamberlain later recalled that as he looked down on the advancing troops that he, ‘had, deep within [him], the inability to do nothing.’ Chamberlain ever so boldly told his ragged group of men to fix their bayonets and charge down the hill.
“Greatly outnumbered, the battle was a sure loss for Chamberlain and his men, but the effects of what happened next still echo through our lives today. Within a matter of five minutes, Chamberlain had his sword on the collarbone of a confederate captain. Chamberlain stared at the captain and simply said, ‘You, sir, are my prisoner.’ The man then handed Chamberlain his fully loaded revolver and replied, ‘Yes sir, I am.’ I’m sure you all can guess how the story goes on from there.
“Historians speculate that had Chamberlain not charged on that day, the Confederates would’ve won Gettysburg, allowing them to win the entire Civil War. From that, it is believed that the United States would now exist as two countries: the Union and the Confederacy.
“Therefore, when Hitler swept across Europe in the 1940s and when Pearl Harbor was attacked, there would not have been one country big enough or strong enough to fight and win on two different fronts at the same time. Joshua Chamberlain’s courageous acts seemed so small and almost foolish at the time, but he singlehandedly changed the course of history for the entire world for the better.
“As you can see, the choices we make are far more than just black and white. There is a grey area that results from every decision we make. As you go through life, it is important to understand that you are free to make any choice you would like, but you are never free from the consequences of those choices.
“Life is all about choices. Some we regret. Some we are proud of, but no matter the case, we are what we choose to become. One of the best decisions you can ever make is to find something you are passionate about and work hard at it every single day. It has been said that spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation, and that could not be any more true. Hard work alone is what separates the mediocre from the great, and the average from the truly successful.
“At face value, success that stems from hard work seems to be nothing but goodness, praise, and honor, but believe me when I tell you that often times there is more bad than good that comes with success. Mother Teresa once said, “If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.” That’s the thing about being successful. The wise will admire you. The wishful will envy you, and the weak will hate you.
“This is the reality for those who dare to be epic. You will always be too much of something for someone: too big, too loud, too soft, too smart. If you round out your edges to accommodate other’s comfort zones, you lose your edge.
“Apologize for mistakes. Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone, but never apologize for who you are. Work hard, and do not allow anybody to make you feel bad for your success.
“Each person should aspire to make his or her mark on the world. After all, that is what the butterfly effect is all about, but it is more important to be open to all the different things that are in the world. I recently had the opportunity of working with some of the most amazing kids I have ever had the privilege of knowing.
“The first day I met them, all I could think about was all the new things I would teach them and how I would change their lives, but what I would soon come to find is that they would teach me more than I could ever teach them. They taught me patience, and love, and that everybody in this world has something valuable to teach us.
“From this day on and for the rest of your lives, I hope that each and every one of you allow yourselves to be changed for the better while also having your own kind of butterfly effect. Rumi once said, ‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.’
“Andy Andrews said it best: ‘You have been created with the ability to change the world. Every single choice you make, every single action you take, matters. But remember, the converse is also true. Every choice you do not make, every action you do not take, matters just as much.’ It is my hope that you all choose wisely. Choose to always work hard as if you are working for God and not for man. Choose happiness. Choose to live a life that is nothing short of your absolute best. Congratulations, class of 2016. I am so proud of you all!”
The following students met requirements for top rank:
Ashli Chew, Maxwell Pafford, Frank Oliver, Mariah Lynch, Kirkland Smallwood, Noah Parsley, Morgan Vickers, Mackenzie Keaton, Caitlin Turner, Alexander Rhody, Hailey Walker, Seth Wright, Hannah James, Christopher Bryant, Hannah Leach, Kyra Slager, Tyra Graham, Hannah Walker, Anna Malone, Jaidyn L. Huggins, Harley Johnson, Chloe White, Carlee White, Hannah Lasser, Carl Mooneyham, Jr., Caitlin Jacobs, Matthew Wright, Amber Montgomery, Hayden Plymel, Gabriella Nokes, Katherine Parker, Delaney Johnson, Haden Cripps, Elijah Hendrixson, Nicklas Patterson, Katelynn Hall, Roberto Mata, Noah Byford, and Carly Moss.
To be considered for top rank, students must take at least 10 honors, dual enrollment, and AP courses and students must have a 21 or higher ACT composite score.
The following students have met the requirement for Tennessee State Distinction:
Jailyn Bolding, Jerica Braswell, Chase Bryant, Kaylene Ferguson, Tyra Graham, Elijah Hendrixson, Jaydin Huggins, Caitlin Jacobs, Hannah James, Delaney Johnson, Mackenzie Keaton, Hannah Lasser, Hannah Leach, Mariah Lynch, Anna Malone, Taylor Marshall, Keeley McKay, Carly Moss, Alexis Nokes, Eli Oliver, Max Pafford, Katie Parker, Noah Parsley, Hayden Plymel, Austin Poss, Alex Rhody, Kyra Slager, Kirkland Smallwood, Caitlin Turner, Christian Turner, Morgan Vickers, Hailey Walker, Hannah Walker, Carlee White, Chloe White, Matthew Wright, and Seth Wright.
Students with Distinction met at least one of the following:
•Earned a nationally recognized industry certification
•Participated in at least one year of the Governor's Schools
•Participated in one of the state's All State Musical Organizations
•Been selected as a National Merit Finalist or Semi-Finalist
•Attained a composite score of 31 or higher on the ACT
•Attained a score of 3 or higher on at least two Advanced Placement (AP) exams
•Earned 12 or more semester hours of postsecondary (dual enrollment credit)
The following students have met the requirements for graduating with Tennessee State Honors:
Chase Bryant, Ashli Chew, Elijah Hendrixson, Mackenzie Keaton, Mariah Lynch, Anna Malone, Roberto Mata, Eli Oliver, Max Pafford, Hayden Plymel, Alex Rhody, Kyra Slager, Kirkland Smallwood, Caitlin Turner, and Seth Wright.
Tennessee State Honors students have met all of the ACT subject area readiness benchmarks.
