CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hurricane High School celebrated the Class of 2022 on Tuesday with a commencement ceremony.
The event at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center ended a four-year period marked by an education work stoppage, the coronavirus pandemic, and a balance of virtual learning and in-person lessons.
“It feels like these past four years have been a blur, but we know better than that,” Senior Class President Malia Coles said. “When we stop and focus on those individual moments, we can see a vividly detailed image.”
Coles said it will be difficult to remember everything about high school as people get older, but they will recall the students they were and the learned lessons.
“Hold onto those pictures. Put them in a nice frame, let them collect some dust,” she added. “One day, the pictures will fade, but the people we were in that single moment will stay the same forever.”
Olivia Noel, the class’ highest honor graduate, noted while the students shared similar experiences at Hurricane High School, each student will lead a different life as they pursue career opportunities and unique goals.
“We have students going in every direction following this ceremony. Not a single one of us has the exact same story, nor will any of us have the same outcome from that story,” she said.
Putnam County Schools will hold additional graduation ceremonies on Wednesday. The event will take place at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center at 7 p.m.