School record $34+ million
Overcoming COVID, other obstacles, BHS Class of 2022 Commencement notes record scholarship $, championships
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Timyathus Spikes and Abby Stone instruct fellow Bearden High School Class of 2022 graduates, 453 strong, to move their cap tassels to left, signaling they are official graduates at the conclusion of BHS Commencement Wednesday evening, June. 1, on Bill Young Field. - Photos by Alan Sloan
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Andrea Michele Adkins, left, is recognized as a BHS graduate alongside principal Deborah Sayers. - Photos by Alan Sloan
KNOXVILLE — Despite the Alan Sloanmany COVID-related obstacles Bearden High School’s Class of 2022 had to negotiate — with the virus and its effects taking up more than half of their four-year learning experience — these 453 graduates combined to break a class record for scholarship dollars earned: $34, 266,650.
“What a wild ride you have been on throughout high school,” BHS principal Deborah Sayers said during her address to the graduates and a stadium full of parents and other relatives, school officials, underclassman students and others packed into Bill Young Field during the school’s Commencement Wednesday evening, June. 1.
“In March 2020, the remainder of your sophomore year was cancelled. ...,” Sayers added. “Things got weirder still in the toughest academic year of high school, your junior year. Your days and weeks were filled with isolations and quarantines, rapid switches between virtual and in-person learning, 500 fewer students in the building. ...”
And given the worst national inflation in 40 years dating back to 2021, “many of you had to step up after school to help support your families,” the principal said.
Through it all, “I saw you set a new standard of leadership in our school,” she added about the class, citing various examples.
Providing a list of four-year accomplishment by this class and school honors and awards involving these graduates was BHS Class of 2022 principal Greg Adams, which included: “the first-ever Virtual Enterprise National Championship team” plus repeat UDA national championships from the BHS dance team along with seven sports state championships; four National Merit Finalists; three National Merit Scholarship winners, one U.S. Presidential Scholar nominee; one perfect ACT score; and one perfect SAT score.
Among graduates choosing a military path, Sarah Geibig earned an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, as announced by Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Richard Cataldi, a Vietnam Veteran and former Navy Junior ROTC Senior Naval Science instructor.
Bearden alumna Nancy Barger earned the “Alumni of the Year Award,” as presented by Campbell Elizabeth Ella, BHS Student Government Association president from the Class of 2022.
Other Class of 2022 speakers were Baylor Ryan Johnson, valedictorian, and Lydia Joyce Pulsinelli, a Top Ten Scholar.
The Bearden Choir Seniors performed “The Road Home.” by Stephen Paulus.
