17 in '17!
All are welcome to the commencement ceremony, which will begin at 5pm in the Ocracoke School gym. The Class of 2017 Valedictorian is Carson O'Neal, and the Salutatorian is Dylan Sutton. They represent the biggest ever graduating class at Ocracoke School! Go, Dolphins!
The students chose Janet "Ms Juju" Baker as their commencement speaker. Juju has a special bond with these kids because they were her first Pre-K class on Ocracoke.
This will be Principal Walt Padgett's last time to award the diplomas; he is retiring in August and Ms. Leslie Cole, the current high school history teacher, will be taking on the role as school principal for 2017-18.
Congratulations to:
Sydney Austin: Sydney will head to Cape Fear Community College in the fall to continue her basketball career
Brieanna Boos: Brieanna will attend Pitt Community College in the fall
Kaylee Gaskins: Kaylee will spend the summer running her own business, Hang Ten Smoothies, and then go to Beaufort County Community College for classes in Education.
Spencer Gaskins: Spencer is heading to East Carolina University for Industrial Distribution and Logistics.
Matteus Gilbert: Matteus will be attending Virginia Tech, where he plans to study pre-law.
Jade Lopez: Jade is graduating early so she can work and spend more time with her baby daughter, Melissa.
Bricia Moreno: Bricia is going to Pitt Community College in the fall.
Carson O’Neal: Carson is the Class of 2017 Valedictorian, and will be going to UNC-Chapel Hill to study Sports and Exercise Science.
Hunter O’Neal: Hunter will continue to help with his family's commercial seafood business, Devil Shoals Oyster Company, and is also considering joining the U.S. Coast Guard or going to technical school.
Stacey O’Neal: Stacey is moving the farthest away to Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania to work toward a degree in Accounting.
Jordi Perez: Jordi is going to UNC-Greensboro in the fall to study pre-denistry.
Karen Perez: Karen will attend Meredith College, where she'll run for their cross-country and track teams and study exercise science.
Karla Perez: Karla is going to begin her higher education at Pitt Community College then transfer to a 4-year university to study pre-med.
Eldon Robinson: Eldon has plans to travel after graduation.
Dylan Sutton: Dylan is the 2017 Salutatorian and has been accepted into the Engineering Village where he will live and study with like-minded first-year engineering students at North Carolina State University.
Kyle Tillett: Kyle is heading to East Carolina University in the fall.
Waylon Underwood: Waylon is interested in a career in music production.
As a class, these seniors successfully completed thirty college classes and fifteen Advanced Placements classes for approximately 80 college credits awarded overall. We wish them all the best as they venture from their island home into the big, wide world!
