Potentially ominous skies stayed clear Thursday night for the graduation ceremony of the Callaway High School class of 2018. The 192-member senior class gathered at Callaway Stadium for the final time as high school students, prepared to walk across the makeshift stage and accept their graduation certificates, the culmination of a young lifetime’s worth of work.

Students, parents, faculty and friends were welcomed by 2018 class president Ashley Juarez, who led those gathered in a moment of silence and the pledge of allegiance.

Student council president James Layten Robinson welcomed Superintendent Cole Pugh, as well as the Board of Education, the curriculum team from Callaway High School and paid special recognition to Callaway’s feeder schools, Hogansville Elementary, Rosemont Elementary, Whitesville Road Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Callaway Elementary and Callaway Middle.

Robinson also spoke to the mission of Callaway High School, and reinforced his classmates’ endeavors to live up to those ideals.

“Here at Callaway, our motto is be courteous, be capable and be cooperative,” Robinson said. “The students at Callaway go above and beyond to live up to these ideals.”

Callaway High principal Jonathan Laney addressed the graduates for the final time as high school students, challenging them to continually push to be the best version of themselves they can be

“My father often said to me, ‘The only thing a man has in this world that is worth anything is his good name, do everything in your power to protect yours,’” Laney said. “Tonight, I challenge you to always strive to be the best version of yourself, to always overcome your mistakes and to always be Callaway.”

Salutatorian Alexia Hurston and Valedictorian James Wood spoke to their classmates as well prior to the group receiving their diplomas, thanking family, faculty and friends.

“I would like to thank our teachers and family who have helped us blossom into the young adults we are today,” Hurston said. “They have also helped us prepare for our next journey in life. Class of 2018, I know that your future will be full of success and I wish each and every one of you the very best.”

“Today is the culmination of our work, not just from the past four years, but from our educational careers as a whole,” Wood added. “Today marks the end of the first chapter of our lives and symbolizes the beginning of the next chapter. This is not the end goal of our lives. The race isn’t over. It just started.”

After remarks from Pugh, the seniors walked across the stage to collect their diplomas, putting the finishing touches on their Callaway careers.