by Shawn Nowlin
Whenever graduates of William Fleming High School (WFHS) organize an alumni event, it is a foregone conclusion that it will be well-attended and former classmates will pick up right where they left off, regardless of how much time has passed since they’ve seen each other.
The level of detail from all the event organizers left everyone involved in awe last weekend. Lifelong friends hugged, laughed, and shouted…and that was even before the all-white party.
Things began Friday evening with a meet and greet gathering. A barbeque cookout occurred the next day followed by the party. Anyone who was ever part of a WFHS graduation ceremony was encouraged to attend. While most participants live in the Roanoke Valley area, others had to travel long distances to partake in the festivities. North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana were just some places that guests came from. Being in the company of so many old friends took Robyn Mitchell down memory lane.
“My favorite part of the weekend was seeing faces I hadn’t seen in years. Just people coming together to fellowship and reminisce,” Mitchell, a 2005 graduate, said. “Being welcomed by the older Colonels with hospitality is something that I’ll always remember. There’s nothing like the Colonel family. There is a reason that Fleming alumni have been able to pull off something consecutively that many other local schools have not. There’s just something about the Cliff that is simply incomparable.”
Sharita Robinson, a 2002 graduate, says the strong relationships she formed in high school with teachers and classmates remain strong to this day.
For Robinson, the highlight of the weekend was attending the all-white party. “While I am active on social media, it was such a good feeling catching up with friends in real life. Knowing that countless pictures would be taken, I carefully picked out my outfit,” she said. “I vowed to do a better job of keeping in touch with people. Words can’t describe just how great a time I had.”
WFHS ’95 graduate Taisha Steele had the opportunity to participate in advanced classes as well as gain a few college credits in high school. Whenever she reflects on her Colonel journey, the word “relationships” come to mind.
“This includes relationships with my friends – many who have become my lifelong friends or what I like to call my ‘chosen family’ and relationships with teachers, administrators, and personnel,” Steele said. “The school staff knew us as scholars, but they also knew us as individuals and human beings. They not only invested in us academically, but they invested in us socially and emotionally too.”
Wherever Steele goes in life, that special Colonel spirit is always with her. “I would not trade my experiences at William Fleming for anything. I was able to hold leadership positions in campus clubs and organizations that gave me the foundation I needed for college. My education, friendships, the love from my educators, and experiences have all made me who I am today. I’m forever grateful,” she gleefully added.
