Students, families, and educators from all around the district gathered at Carver High School last week to celebrate one last commencement ceremony for the season, one recognizing the Class of Summer 2024.
On Thursday night, 38 seniors from eight different Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools campuses were joined by their principals as they took the stage for their graduation. It was one of the smaller graduation ceremonies WS/FCS has held since June, but the crowd wasn’t any less ecstatic to come out and support the students. This moment is the culmination of over a decade of dedication seen through to its ultimate conclusion.
“We are so proud of the hard work of these young men and these young women to keep going and to get it done,” said Carver Principal Thyais Maxwell.
Graduating in the summer is an option students might pursue for any number of reasons, whether they be academic, personal, medical, or otherwise, in order to complete their high school education on a more flexible timetable. Despite the stigma that has historically been attached to this pathway, these students have put in all the same work that their classmates who graduated in the spring did and have made the necessary arrangements to keep from falling behind as they pursue their post-secondary goals. The resilience they’ve demonstrated will be an essential skill to have as they navigate adulthood.
“Whatever you do, remember it’s going to take perseverance,” said Lieutenant Dwayne Little from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the keynote speaker for the evening. “There will be more hills to climb and more battles to fight, and you must persevere.”
With their diplomas secured, these graduates will soon be moving on to colleges, universities, trade schools, the military, their first professional positions, and other diverse opportunities. Whatever they choose to do in the next chapters of their lives, they’ll be prepared and outfitted with the academic, civic, and personal skills that the district prides itself on instilling in its students. WS/FCS wishes its graduates the best of luck going forward, and we’re proud to have given them a place to learn and grow.
“The purpose of what we do each and every day is to get you to this point where you are right now,” said Board of Education Vice Chair Alex Bohannon. “It’s to equip you with the ability to move on to your next opportunity, whatever it may be.”