By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
The skies were filled with mortarboards and “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed in the halls as more than 1,200 area seniors took the final steps of their high school careers during graduation ceremonies held in the past weeks. More than 760 seniors graduated May 18 from Cabot, Beebe and Lonoke high schools, and about 550 more graduated Friday and Saturday from Jacksonville, North Pulaski and Sylvan Hills high schools as well-planned graduation ceremonies commenced on schedule.
Seniors at JHS graduated Friday evening at the JHS football stadium. Jacksonville’s class of 2007 co-valedictorians were LaRae Brown and John Wilkins; salutatorian was Christopher Copeland. There were 13 other honor graduates in Jacksonville High’s Class of 2007.
Sylvan Hills High School seniors graduated Saturday at the Jack Stephens Center located at the north side of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus. Valedictorian Andrew Reynolds and salutatorian Caroline Borden, with 15 other honor graduates, lead the class.
North Pulaski High School’s commencement was also held Saturday at the Stephens Center at UALR. Sarah Watson, valedictorian, and Charles Gervasini, salutatorian, lead their graduating class. There were 14 additional honor graduates in North Pulaski’s Class of 2007. Cabot’s 480-plus graduates walked at Alltel Arena May 18 in North Little Rock with more than 7,000 family and friends watching the ceremony.
John C. Thompson, chairman of the Cabot Scholarship Foundation and Cabot alumni, was the community representative for the evening’s ceremony and told graduates to move their Class of 2007 tassel from the left to the right, marking their transition from high school into the real world. Heather Bodiford and Sarah Coggins graduated at the head of Cabot’s class as co-valedictorians; Sondra Grinnis was the salutatorian.
Cabot had a total of 13 high honor graduates, including Bodiford, Coggins and Grinnis, and 86 honor graduates.
Lonoke High School graduated 113 seniors at the Lonoke football stadium on May 18.
Jason Barnes and Jonathan Tackett led the LHS Class of 2007 as co-valedictorians; Logan Danielsen was salutatorian. Lonoke had nine other honor graduates.
At Beebe, out of a total of 170 graduates, 167 walked during the May 18 commencement. Brittney Bass and Katie McIlwain led the Beebe High School Class of 2007 as valedictorian and salutatorian; there were 18 other honor graduates.
Searcy’s Class of 2007 graduated May 12.
