Schools across Northeast Georgia are holding their graduations tonight.
In Habersham County, over 480 seniors will cross the stage to receive their diplomas during a ceremony starting at 8 p.m. at Raider Stadium. The featured guest speaker is Air Force Lt. Col. Preston McConnell. Lt. Col. McConnell is a 1991 alum and this year’s Habersham Central High School Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
The ceremony will include 468 graduates from Habersham Central and 22 graduates from the Success Academy.
Central’s principal Jonathan Stribling calls this year’s graduating class a “special group.”
“They are a close-knit group of Raiders who support one another and celebrate each other’s successes. The Class of ’23 boasts athletes going on to play at the next level and high academic achievers headed to study and conduct research at some of the nation’s best colleges and universities,” he says. “Some classmates have felt a sense of duty to protect and serve and plan to join the different branches of the United States Military. Still, others will join the workforce contributing to the economic development and well-being of our local community.”
There are 218 Honor Graduates in the HCHS Class of ’23; of those, 84 are Honor Graduates with Distinction.
“I am proud of our seniors and see value and potential in all the members of the 53rd graduating class of Habersham Central High School. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Class of 2023,” Stribling says.
Livestream Link Habersham Central High School Graduation
‘A special time’
White County High School Principal Mary Anne Collier expresses similar sentiments when talking about her school’s graduates.
Close to 250 students will graduate this evening from White County High School. The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. at Warrior Stadium.
“This group of kids, they all have worked really hard. It’s a close-knit group, very competitive against one another, which I think has pushed them to just excel in so many different areas,” says Collier.
Like their peers in neighboring Habersham, many of White County’s graduates have plans to attend college, join the military, or get a job.
“We just have a lot of kids investing in that next step in their lives, and so we are really excited for them,” Collier says. “It’s just a special time for them and their families. They have worked so hard for this.”
Stephens County High School will graduate 233 seniors this evening. Class Salutatorian Abigail Brown and Valedictorian Tina Vu are the featured speakers.
“Stephens County is very proud of the Class of 2023. Their hard work and dedication has paid off. We look forward to seeing where the future takes them. We know they will be successful at whatever path they choose,” says principal Michael Keown.
Elsewhere in Northeast Georgia
Like Habersham White and Stephens, public high schools in Banks, Hart, Franklin, Elbert, and Rabun counties will also hold outdoor ceremonies this evening beginning at 8.
Banks County will live stream its ceremony on YouTube. Rabun County will stream its ceremony on YouTube’s WildCat TV.
Athens-Clarke County held its public high school graduations yesterday and this morning. Seniors in Hall County, Union County, and Towns graduated last week.
