By Nicole Bowman-Layton

EDENTON — Under warm skies and a gentle evening breeze, about 133 graduates of John A. Holmes High School celebrated commencement Friday night, June 5, 2026, before a packed football stadium filled with proud family members, friends, faculty and community supporters.

The crowd stretched beyond the stadium seating, with spectators lining the fences surrounding the field to catch a glimpse of the ceremony as members of the Class of 2026, dressed in blue graduation gowns accented by gold stoles, processed onto the field. Many graduates also wore honor cords and academic sashes recognizing scholastic achievement, extracurricular involvement and membership in various organizations.

Leading the procession of graduates was 2025-26 Teacher of the Year Shaunte Chappell, who carried the school’s ceremonial academic mace. The mace, crafted by students in the school’s Advanced Cabinet Making program, symbolizes the importance of academic ceremonies and the achievements of John A. Holmes students.

The evening marked the culmination of a high school experience unlike any other. The Class of 2026 spent much of its four years navigating construction, temporary classrooms and multiple campuses as the new John A. Holmes High School was completed. Throughout the ceremony, speakers reflected on the unique challenges the graduates faced and praised them for their perseverance and adaptability.

Chappell has more than 20 years in education and her dedication to helping students reach their potential both inside and outside the classroom.

In a speech that blended literature with life lessons, Chappell shared four truths she hoped her students would carry long after graduation.

The first was to live life on their own terms rather than someone else’s definition of success. Drawing from Their Eyes Were Watching God, she reminded students that “there are years that ask questions and years that answer them,” before telling graduates, “You are entering the answering years.”

Her second lesson challenged students to think critically and question what they are told. Referencing Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Chappell urged graduates to “read the fine print” and look beyond appearances, reminding them that “all that glitters is not gold.”

The third truth centered on being present. Using Madame Bovary as an example, she encouraged students to pursue their dreams without overlooking the value of the life unfolding around them.

“Being present doesn’t mean you stop dreaming,” Chappell said. “It simply means that you can find the beauty in what you have while reaching for those dreams.”

Her final lesson came from Voltaire’s Candide. While students cannot control every challenge life places before them, she said they can control how they respond.

“You cannot control the chaos of the world, but you are responsible for choosing what you plant and how you tend to that which you have planted,” she told the graduates.

She concluded with a charge:

“Go find your horizon. Read the fine print. Love your real life and tend to your garden.”

Salutatorian Hailey Roberson reflected on the journey from nervous freshman to graduate.

“I’m coming to learn that being nervous doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t ready or prepared, but rather that you are stepping into something important,” Roberson said.

She spoke about the countless “lasts” experienced during senior year and the tendency to always look toward the next stage of life.

“We spend so much time looking ahead to what comes next that sometimes we forget to appreciate what is happening right now,” she said.

Roberson reflected on the memories unique to the Class of 2026 — navigating multiple campuses, forming lifelong friendships and experiencing a high school career unlike any class before them. She encouraged classmates to carry those memories with them and ended with a simple but powerful message:

“Be present. Live in the moment.”

Valedictorian Ava Bunch followed with a speech that embraced uncertainty and reminded her classmates that no one has everything figured out at 18.

“The future is so incredibly big, unpredictable, exciting and even intimidating,” Bunch said.

She encouraged graduates to focus on three principles: finding supportive people, learning from failure and extending grace to themselves when plans change.

“No one succeeds alone,” she said, thanking parents, teachers, coaches and friends who helped students reach graduation.

Bunch also challenged classmates to rethink failure.

“Failure isn’t something to fear but rather something to embrace,” she said. “It teaches us how to get up, grow and move on when things don’t go our way.”

Recognizing that plans often change, she reminded graduates that life rarely follows a straight path.

“It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to start over,” she said.

Bunch told the Class of 2025: “It’s not to have everything figured out by graduation, but rather to become someone who can learn and move forward, no matter what life throws at you.”

One of the most emotional moments of the evening came during the presentation of diplomas.

As graduate Jameria Elise Hall approached the stage, the crowd watched as she stood from her wheelchair and walked across the stage with assistance from Chappell and an aide.

The moment brought the ceremony to a pause as family members, classmates and community members cheered and clapped and rose to their feet in a standing ovation. Applause thundered across the stadium as Hall proudly crossed the stage and received her diploma, creating a memory many in attendance will never forget.

The ceremony also included a military recognition honoring graduates who have chosen to serve their country after graduation. Recognized were Tony Cobb, who will enter the United States Army; Isaac Ramirez-Rojas and Fernando Rozales Rodriguez, who will join the United States Marine Corps; Robert Baldwin, who will enter the United States Air Force; and Robert Layton, who earned an Army ROTC scholarship to Virginia Military Institute.

School leaders highlighted the class’s accomplishments, including six sets of twins, six students who signed to continue athletic careers, several who earned associate degrees and professional certifications, and more than $1.1 million in scholarship offers.

Principal Sonya Rinehart, who is retiring after 32 years as an educator, praised the graduates for embracing the theme, “We Are the Change, One Team United,” and challenged them to lead with courage and conviction.

“Don’t just go with the flow,” Reinhart told the graduates. “Be leaders. Be trendsetters.”

She urged students to resist allowing social media, trends or outside influences to define who they are and encouraged them to make a meaningful impact on the world around them.

Quoting Pope John XXIII, she left graduates with one final challenge:

“Do not walk through time without leaving worthy evidence of your passing.”

Despite the heat, the celebration remained spirited throughout the evening. Emergency Medical Services personnel and law enforcement officers were stationed throughout the stadium to assist attendees.

As the evening drew to a close, Student Government Association President Chai Dillard congratulated the class for graduating.

Cheers erupted across the stadium as graduates moved their tassels, signifying their transition from students to graduates.

Moments later, fireworks burst above the football stadium, illuminating the night sky as families and friends celebrated the accomplishment. Graduates then exited the field and made their way toward the stadium gates, where loved ones waited with flowers, cameras and embraces.

For the approximately 130 members of the John A. Holmes High School Class of 2026, the evening represented far more than the receipt of a diploma. It was a celebration of resilience, friendship and achievement — and the beginning of whatever horizon awaits them next.