The Shadow
The morning of June 1, 2024, marked a historic day for the Alleghany High School Cougars. On that beautiful, sunny morning, the first ever graduating class of the combined schools marched from the direction of Covington Middle School onto Casey Field. From a distance, the hushed crowd watched eagerly —cell phones drawn and recording every precious moment— as a flurry of midnight blue caps marched in the distance, drawing closer and closer to the emerald green lawn.
To say the day was perfect would be an understatement. The powder blue sky parted ever so slightly, making room for scattered, puffy clouds of white that seemed to gradually thin as the seconds passed on. The temperature was an inviting 80 degrees or so and the smell of fresh cut grass lingered in the air.
Suddenly, the sound of the graduation song rang out as the graduating seniors made their way to the chairs facing the stage. One by one, they lined up until, at last, they were seated and it was time to begin the day’s festivities.
To start, the Alleghany High School (AHS) band and choir joined forces to perform the “Star Spangled Banner” before Eagle Scout Nathaniel Mckinney took the podium to lead the pledge of allegiance.
Principal Derek Cantrell was first to speak at the graduation ceremony which celebrated “…the incredible journey of our seniors. From their first wobbly steps in kindergarten where they mastered the alphabet and the art of paste-eating to their confident stride across the stage as graduates today, ready to take on the world.” Cantrell also pointed out how athletics, particularly fall athletics, united the county through the hard work and dedication of the student athletes.
Kim Halterman, superintendent of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools (AHPS) was next to speak. Halterman began by noting that the most profound thing she could say was that we [the citizens of Alleghany County] were present to celebrate the first ever graduating class of the Alleghany Cougars. “The fact that we’re all here is profound,” Halterman said. “And we really sincerely as an entire community wanted to say how proud we are of you [graduates]… The thing I want you to most remember today, in addition to our belief in you, is I don’t want you to think the path ahead of you is completely linear. It probably isn’t. The adults here know that life unfolds in an order you can’t completely imagine.”
It was then time for the Concert Choir to perform. For the seniors, the feeling was undoubtedly bittersweet knowing it would likely be the last time they would ever perform together. The song they opted to sing is called, “This Is Me” and comes from the soundtrack of “The Greatest Showman.” The perfectly chosen song includes lyrics such as, “Look out ‘cause here I come and I’m marching on to the beat I drum” and “We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun. We are warriors. Yeah, that’s what we’ve become.”
Next up was a message from the first salutatorian for the Alleghany Cougars: Victoria Marie Critzer. “Growing up, I always heard the term, ‘It takes a village.’ I lived in a house of seven people, sometimes eleven growing up, so I understood the term quite well, but not like I do today at this stage… This day, above all else, is about our accomplishments. It’s the starting line for the rest of our adult lives. Our class has been the pinnacle of success outside and in the classroom, but it would be uncouth of me not to recognize the people that got us here. I can almost certainly say that without the help of faculty, staff, family and friends, most of us would not be in the position we are today…It does, in fact, take a village…” Critzer concluded her speech by thanking her own “village” sitting somewhere in the audience at Casey Field.
Following the salutatorian address, courtesy of Victoria Critzer, the Alleghany High School band performed. The song they chose was called “Song For Terra,” by Yukiko Nishimura.
Finally, just before the presentation of diplomas, the first-ever Alleghany Cougar valedictorian, Riley Olivia Spangler gave her speech. “…So much of ourselves have changed since our playground days. We have had harder tribulations to endure in schoolwork, sports, relationships, and life in general. However, when I look out at all of you that I’ve known for over a decade, I still see those scrappy kids that you used to be… We all have something that connects us: history and our shared title as Alleghany Cougars’ first graduating class. As we move forward in life, whether it is secondary education or work force, the road ahead is windy, steep, and drenched in fog. We will stumble over the words that we say and scrape our knees…” Spangler concluded by referencing Hebrews 11:1, which reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Spangler also noted what that verse means to her. “One, have faith in God. There is a force bigger than us who dedicates His life to that of ours, plotting our lives like the author of a series He has grown attached to writing… Two, have faith in yourself…”
Other speakers included Jacob Wright, Chair of the Alleghany Highlands School Board, who gave a brief speech of encouragement to the seniors; Tracey Spangler, a math teacher at Alleghany High School who introduced this year’s salutatorian; Renee Jones, another math teacher at Alleghany High School who introduced the valedictorian; and Charity Hale, one of the vice principals at Alleghany High School who called out each name of the graduating seniors.
