Delivering excellence in the face of adversity will be a hallmark for the Tallulah Falls School Class of 2021. After successfully navigating the academic year through a global pandemic, this close-knit group of seniors gathered on May 16 to mark the occasion of graduation.
Continuing the TFS tradition of intellectual achievement, the class earned more than $7 million in scholarship offers to more than 110 colleges and universities.
During the commencement ceremony, 73 seniors were recognized with all but 12 graduates accepting their diplomas in person. The remaining graduates were able to participate remotely from their homes across the world. Personal messages for each student from a faculty or staff member were included in the digital presentation.
President and Head of School Dr. Larry Peevy addressed the graduates, families, faculty, staff and guests and Chaplain Randy Morris provided a prayer. Peevy also extended greetings from TFS Board Chair Gail Cantrell. Peevy and Academic Dean Kim Popham presented diplomas and TFS Board Member Judy Forbes gave each graduate a commemorative pen, compliments of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Georgia.
“I am very proud of our seniors this year. I truly believe they all have very bright futures. I would wish you success, but success looks inward, significance looks outward and focuses on what impact you have on others,” Peevy said. ‘You have achieved success by being here today. Now go forth from here and strive to be significant!”
Popham said the graduates left a legacy for future classes.
“Whether the members of the senior class have been together for seven years or five months, they have all come together as a family of one,” Popham said. “They have left their mark on our campus.”
Both Valedictorian Baylee MacBeth and Salutatorian Caroline Turpin delivered a speech, expressing gratitude to family, teachers and others, reflecting on the memories of time spent with friends and acknowledging the impact of the TFS experience.
Turpin added a charge to her classmates, encouraging them to “never settle.”
“I want to share a message with you about something that I have learned throughout my seven years at TFS. This includes the idea of never settling. With everything that you experience in life, never settle—whether that is in school, a relationship, a job, or even simple decisions. I can tell you from my years here that going the extra mile has helped me in completing my assignments and creating closer friendships with my peers,” Turpin said. “Through each year of attending TFS, I have noticed that Dr. Peevy never settles either. He expanded the middle school to accommodate more students, he added a middle school gymnasium that we are all enjoying as we speak, and he built a beautiful natatorium that sadly our class won’t get to use to its full potential. Each and every one of you deserves all that you desire, and everyone believes in your abilities to achieve it—I do, your teachers do, and your parents do. Life isn’t about reaching the bare minimum. Life is about reaching and exceeding your goals and dreams regardless of the work that it takes. Never settling is how greatness is achieved, and as Nelson Mandela once said ‘There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.’”
MacBeth reflected on time at TFS, saying he has no regrets.
“As I recall these memories, it’s impossible to deny the fact that we have had a lot of fun over the years. Even though I am standing here today as valedictorian, and I worked very hard to get here, I never felt like I was missing out on my childhood,” MacBeth said. “When I drove out of my parking spot for the last time as a high schooler the other day, I genuinely felt like I had no regrets. This is mostly due to the fact that I’ve been able to experience this journey with all of you. If I would have sacrificed being a part of the fun times we shared together in order to achieve this title, it simply would not have been worth it. Sure, I am very proud of myself, but being valedictorian is going to be far from the highlight of my time at TFS when I am looking back on my life.”
Visit tallulahfalls.org/ to view the video and additional photos from the event.
