Oak Mountain hosts commencement
The Oak Mountain High School Class of 2021 celebrated the end of their high school careers at an outdoor ceremony at Heardmont Stadium on Wednesday, May 26.
The class not only made it through their senior year despite a global pandemic, a tornado that ripped through their community and even flooding.
The OMHS band welcomed the graduates into the stadium with the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance." Principal Dr. Kristi Sayers gave the welcome and assistant principal Sandy Evers, spoke the crowd as an administrator and mom of a graduating senior.
Evers began her role as an administrator at OMHS when this group of seniors were freshman in 2017. Evers reminded the graduates of four things to do in the future: work hard, be nice, smile and call home.
"If there was ever a vote to pick a class that is most prepared for their next journey or chapter in life- I pick you," she said.
Salutatorian Veronica Kloss and Valedictorian Peter Anella III addressed their fellow graduates with memories of their time together and encouragement for the future.
The senior class of 2021 had 115 honor graduates, those who are in the top 5 % of their class or who attain a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 by the end of the first semester.
Other achievements of the class included:
- 1% percent of the students in this senior class will join the military.
- 12% will enter the work-force or take a gap-year
- 87% percent will be attending either 2 year or 4 year colleges or universities
- 5,068 students scored 30 or above on the ACT
- At the May 7 deadline, the Class of 2021 has been offered scholarships and awards totaling $14,273,872.
After the diplomas were handed out and the alma mater was sang, the almost 400 graduates turned their tassels to the left and threw their caps in the air.