The Bassett High School Class of 2025 celebrated their accomplishments at a graduation ceremony held on May 23. Graduates were awarded a mix of standard and advanced diplomas, and several were recognized for earning associate degrees.
Student speakers reflected on the past, looked ahead to the future, and emphasized the strength found within each graduate.
Class President Bailey Stanley opened the ceremony by encouraging his classmates to remember what lies behind them and how it shaped their journey. He reflected on the years they spent together, many since elementary school.
“We entered and exited doors together each day during these years. Going into Stanleytown, John Redd, Sanville, Campbell Court, or Carver, being greeted by those smiling faces opening car doors or helping us off of steep bus steps,” he said.
Stanley recalled their time at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School, where many of them came together for the first time, and where they experienced more doors and more possibilities.
“The world suddenly got bigger. We were teens, and we were loud, shy, silly, smelly, and lost with all those doors,” he said.
Stanley told the group that one of the most influential memories of his time at the middle school was that of a poster on the back of a teacher’s door that read, “Do not tell me that the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
Their journey then led them to Bassett High School.
“Our final destination as a collective group was through the doors of Bassett High School. This entrance into our school is really where we became the Class of 2025, and where we became Bengals together,” Stanley said.
Stanley said that many of the high school experiences—friendships, breakups, breakdowns, and dreams—shaped who they are.
“We experienced friendships, break ups, breakdowns, and formed our dreams, that propelled us through the boring classes, the challenging projects, and the stressful tests,” he said. “These memories are the memories we leave behind us as we exit Bassett High School for the final time. Yet, as we close the doors of Bassett, we take with us all the experiences, positive and negative.”
He closed with a reminder: “Our futures, Class of 2025, will form from what lies behind us.”
Caroline Knouse echoed Stanley’s reflection on the past but focused more on what lies ahead.
“Today is more than just a celebration of diplomas and goodbyes. It is a moment of reflection. A chance to look back at everything we have walked through together and everything that now lies before us,” she said.
Knouse told her classmates that high school taught them more than facts—it taught them resilience.
“Each of these experiences, big or small, helped prepare us for what comes next. They taught us more than just subjects or skills; they taught us who we are,” she said.
She ended with confidence in the class’s readiness: “The road ahead is ours. What lies before us may be unknown, but we are not afraid of the unknown anymore. We are ready.”
Karlee Shively reminded graduates of what lies within.
“In a world that consistently tries to define success by wealth, titles, or followers, it has become easier and easier to look outside of ourselves for approval. But the truth is, everything that truly matters, everything that will carry us forward in our journey, has always been within us,” she said.
Shively encouraged graduates to leave behind the labels they began high school with.
“I hope that you leave here today remembering this: our greatest strength does not come from the diplomas we receive, but it comes from the person we have become along the way,” she said.
She also assured classmates that uncertainty about the future is normal.
“Not knowing what you want to do does not mean that you’re lost. It means you’re wide open to discovering who it is that you want to be,” she said.
“The world needs what only you can give. And your journey starts today with what’s already within you,” Shively said.
Principal Michael Minter Jr. announced that the Class of 2025 earned more than $2.1 million in scholarships to date.
Tyler Powell was recognized for achieving perfect attendance through all 13 years of school.
The ceremony also featured a touching moment when graduate Carleigh Hawks, who was seriously injured in a car accident several months ago, walked across the stage to receive her diploma.
Minter urged the graduates to carry the lessons of Bassett High School with them.
“You’ve showed us the power of collaboration, innovation, and perseverance. As you step into the next chapter of your lives, remember the lessons you’ve learned within our walls,” he said.
“Go forth and create the future a little brighter, more just, and more compassionate. Be the change you wish to see in this world,” he said.
