Graduates excited about future, sad to leave

On Saturday, 98 students walked across the stage in the Rock Hill High School gymnasium to get their diplomas.

Students were both excited and sad.

Isaac Floyd is graduating with a Summa Cum Laude, honors with distinction; state honors and is a member of the Honor Society.

He said he worked hard to get all those honors although he didn’t quite realize he was going to graduate as one of three people to have a 4.0 average.

“I always wanted to keep all A’s, I didn’t realize until last year that I could get these honors,” he said. “I kept working at it and was more surprised than anything to graduate at the top of my class. It’s a great honor.”

He will be attending Ohio University Southern to major in Middle Childhood Education, which has always interested him. He hopes to become a teacher and a soccer coach.

As for leaving the halls of Rock Hill, “It is going to be different. I am going to miss sports, but as far as everything else, I am ready to move on to the next chapter,” he said.

Mackenzie Clark is graduating Cum Laude with local honors, a 3.0 GPA and is also a member of the Honor Society.

She is going to attend Rio Grande University to study nursing.

“I have always just had a passion for helping people,” she said, adding that several of her family members are already in that field. “It just felt right. It is a task, but I think I can take it on.”

She said she was both excited and nervous to be graduating.

“I am going to miss my friends, we had a lot of good times and a lot of good laughs,” Clark said. “It’s just crazy that it is all over. We are all going to miss each other, but I think we are going to do great in the future.”

Madison Scott is graduating with a 3.4 GPA, local honors and is also a member of the Honor Society. She is going to attend Shawnee State University to study psychology.

“As of now,” she said. “I’m not for sure, I’ve been between teaching and psychology for awhile.”

She said she was excited about graduating “and I’m upset too at the same time. I loved high school and I am going to miss everyone. I will definitely miss basketball and my teachers. I will miss it all a lot, but I am excited for the future.”

Assistant High School principal Sam Gue said the Class of 2018 had been a very academic class. Twenty-two of the 98 students are graduating with honors.

“We have a lot of students who are going to be moving on to college and the career technical field that are graduating from Collins Career and Technical School. And we have a lot who are going to join the military so they can serve our country,” he said. “We can see a lot of great things in their future.”

Gue has been the assistant principal at Rock Hill High School and will replace David Hopper as the principal next school year. Hopper is the new superintendent, replacing Wes Hairston, who is retiring.

“This is my fifth year at the high school, so this is the class I’ve really gotten to know,” Gue said. “They will hold a special place in my heart moving forward. In that time, it has been nice to build relationships with kids and see them grow and develop into great, productive citizens. Our goal is for them to give back to whatever community they become a part of. Our hope is they serve their communities well.”