by Shawn Nowlin
The Class of 2022 for both William Fleming and Patrick Henry High had a high school experience like none other. The journey to Graduation Day certainly wasn’t obstacle-free for nearly 770 graduates, but through perseverance and a strong work ethic, they were able to develop a strong sense of resiliency that will bode well for them as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
In the weeks leading up to Patrick Henry’s Graduation Day, which happened on June 9 at the Berglund Center, students were reminded of just how much they have overcome over the last four years to reach their ultimate destination. William Fleming’s ceremony was held the following day.
Camera phones were immediately pulled out as soon as the seniors began walking to their designated seats. One by one, graduates heard their names over the loudspeakers, waved at their loved ones in the stands, then proceeded to shake either WFHS Principal Tracy Anderson or PHHS Principal Karen Leslie’s hand before receiving their long-awaited diplomas.
During the diploma presentation to the mother of Isiah Robinson, a classmate who was fatally shot in Blacksburg earlier this year, the crowd cheered and every student rose to their feet.
Roanoke City Public School leaders, valedictorians, and salutatorians all gave passionate, heartfelt speeches during both ceremonies.
Superintendent Verletta White complimented the graduates on grabbling with political and social issues as well as balancing coursework all while living through a pandemic. “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do because you’ve already done it. You have everything inside of you and you have been prepared for success,” she said.
Reminiscing while speaking to her peers, Patrick Henry High Salutatorian Ann Foust Bailey said, “Wasn’t it just the first day of kindergarten or sixth grade or freshman year?”
Jasmine Thompson knows that feeling all too well. Six years ago, Thompson was walking across the same Berglund Center stage to receive her high school diploma. Last Friday, she was in the stands to support her younger cousin.
“I’m pretty sure when they started their high school journey four years ago, no one could predict what was to follow in the coming years. Sometimes in life, you must adapt to less-than-ideal circumstances,” Thompson said. “These graduates went through the pandemic together and I think it prepared them for whatever life throws at them in the future.”
It still hasn’t hit Khaliah Campbell that she is indeed a graduate of Patrick Henry High School. As she explained, “honestly, everything doesn’t seem real right now. I’m just happy that I made it. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long, long time.”
Some graduates will head directly into the workforce. Others are heading off to the military. A smaller percentage have yet to make up their mind.
Members of Roanoke City Public School’s Class of 2022 will attend various colleges all over the country, including the University of Richmond, Wake Forest University, Roanoke College, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina State University, Clemson University, and the University of Virginia, just to name a few.
Wherever life takes the 770-plus teenagers who just earned their high school diploma, Superintendent White believes that they will be ready to meet the challenge head-on.
