Mooreville High School honors seniors at graduation ceremony
May 21—MOOREVILLE — More than 100 graduating seniors crossed Mooreville High School's football field Friday night to receive their diplomas.
Salutatorian Drew Thornton's time at Mooreville High was short, having transferred to the school in Jan. 2021, but he thanked the school for treating him like family and greeting him with kindness from his first moments there.
"I'm beyond grateful to be the salutatorian of this class, and grateful just to be graduating from Mooreville High School," he said. "These past four years have been extremely tough times including high school, the epidemic and life in general, but we stayed strong and made it out alive."
Thornton encouraged his classmates to pat themselves on the backs, reminding them that high school "is nothing like the movies." It's actually pretty difficult.
"We had a hard journey to get to this point, but we have a harder journey ahead of us and even harder choices to be made," Thornton said. "But always remember to give everything the most you can and have no regrets. Life is too short to be unhappy."
Valedictorian Emily Martin savored the bittersweet moment, bidding farewell to the school she and her classmates called home for the past 13 years.
But she encouraged the audience to look toward the future, quoting C.S. Lewis, saying "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
"Mooreville High School is just a stepping stone in your life to help you reach your next destination," Martin said. "Whether your next destination is college or the workforce, have faith that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."
As their final moments as classmates came to an end, 104 graduates tossed their caps into the air in celebration.
