WS Chronicle

The class of 2017 made history last weekend as more seniors than ever before received their high school diplomas.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) reported that 101 more graduates got a diploma over the weekend than did last year.  “At 3,726, that makes this class have the largest number of graduates we have had as a district,” said Brent Campbell, chief program officer for Marketing & Communications.

The district reported other highlights: To date, the scholarship award total stands at nearly $86,953,400 million; students are attending over 115 different colleges and universities across the country; and various students have prestigious scholarships. The district has two Goodnight Scholars, five National Merit Award Winners, two Duke Scholars, four different Chancellor’s Scholarship winners and many more prestigious scholarship recipients.

The weekend of celebration for the class of 2017 started on Friday, June 9 and ended on Sunday, June 11. While many of the students saw graduation day as the end of long journey, during his commencement address to the graduating seniors at Kennedy High School, Mayor Allen Joines reminded the graduates that it is only the beginning.

As he stood before the graduates inside Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University, Joines encouraged students to be acceptable to change and dare to take chances. Joines said when he decided to throw his hat in the mayoral race in 2001, he had never run for anything in his life. But he accepted the challenge and the rest is history, as they say.

“It has been a great experience but it wasn’t something that I had planned for,” said Joines. “As you make your goals and decisions for life, be prepared to make some changes and don’t be afraid to make those changes as you go forward.”

The following high schools are in the WS/FCS district: Glenn, Carter, East Forsyth, Mt. Tabor,  Carver,  Kennedy,  North Forsyth, West Forsyth,  Reynolds,  Reagan,  Parkland,  Atkins,  Walkertown and Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy.