Jack County celebrates the Class of 2016

Jack County seniors crossed stages at each school Friday evening to collect their hard-earned diplomas.

Bryson had 23 graduate with seven honor graduates, Perrin 21 with eight honor grads and Jacksboro 56.

Bryson

Bryson saw 23 students graduate with seven honor students.

“To my fellow graduates I say, how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” said Bryson Salutatorian Jacob Jonas during his speech.

During Bryson’s commencement ceremony, $64,250 in scholarships were awarded. The Bailey Pippin Memorial Scholarships awarded by his mother and grandmother to 12 of Bailey’s classmates left few dry eyes in the school’s auditorium.

Lindsey Martin gave the invocation, Riley Smith the valedictory address and Clayton Dennis the benediction.

After the scholarships and the diplomas were given, after the school song was sung and the caps were tossed, Bryson students gathered yellow carnations to present to honor those who helped them along the way. They made their way through the audience giving flowers to mothers, grandmothers, and more. 

Jacksboro

Roughly 100 Jack County graduates entered “the real world” during graduation ceremonies across the county Friday evening.

Fifty-six of them came from Jacksboro as a packed house at JHS Gym welcomed the new graduates. Brooklyn Green stated what most everyone was feeling throughout the 90-minute ceremony.

Before the ceremony, a video ran of when the students arrived in Jacksboro and also some of their favorite memories of school. In her opening remarks, Diana Brock said that without the support of friends and family, graduation would not be possible. Salutatorian Karson Hood said a new chapter in their lives was just beginning and compared life to a plastic fork, saying there would be times where grads needed to be flexible and others where they would need to hold their ground and be steady, just like a plastic fork.

A number of scholarships were awarded by groups, including $88,000 by the Jacksboro Ex-Students Association. In her valedictory remarks, Bayley Richardson talked about when she realized she could become valedictorian and would actually have to give a speech.

“My last speech lasted 30 seconds in Coach D’s class and I remember having a problem with profuse sweating,” Richardson said. “The level of success you achieve is related to the contributions others made in your life.”

Perrin

The Perrin Class of 2016 celebrated the end of their high school career with awards, scholarships and showing their appreciation for loved ones with flowers.

There were 21 grads with eight honor graduates. Students received approximately $80,000 in scholarships not including two semesters of free tuition for the school’s top ranking student Anjolie Moore who graduated a year early.

Moore gave the invocation and Jarod Holmes the salutatory address.

Maddison Richardson read a poem before the graduates strolled down memory lane through a video presentation.

Jaycee Staggs, valedictorian, encouraged her classmates to look back on the fond memories and said she is already looking forward to their 10-year reunion.

Diplomas were presented by Superintendent John Kuhn and the school board members.

Ty Tarver gave the benediction praying for adventure and hope-filled days for his classmates.

The recessional song was “Hall of Fame” by The Script.

For more on graduation, see the June 3 Herald-Gazette.