The members of the Liberty County High School class of 2025 were congratulated for overcoming and challenged to take on the future at their graduation ceremony Friday night.
Of the 255 graduates on Kirk Warner Field at Donell Woods Stadium, 156 are HOPE scholars, class salutatorian Geovanii Pacheco pointed out, 48 were dual-enrolled in college and 31 also have achieved a technical college certification. Eighty-three class members took part in work-based learning and collectively, the now graduated seniors earned more than $5.4 million in scholarships.
Pacheco reflected on the past year he and his fellow seniors encountered to end their high school careers. It was interrupted by a tropical storm, then a hurricane — which knocked the power out at Pacheco’s home for four days — and then lastly by a blizzard of all things.
“If I had to give a word to describe our class, it would be overcomers,” he said. “We stood tall and today, we finish strong. We can each say not even the darkest of storms can hold the class of 2025 down.”
Pacheco said he didn’t have much direction or ambition as a middle schooler. Then he picked up Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers.” The book, he said, changed his perspective.
“This book taught me how I hold the future and the power of success within me,” he said. “I was inspired to do my very best in high school and how I can make an impact far greater than myself.
“We are all outliers and the world needs us to reach our greatest potential.”
Pacheco also expressed his gratitude for his mother, Heather Pacheco.
“You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders as if it only weighs one pound,” he said. “Your dedication, sacrifice and commitment to my success have not gone unnoticed. I promise that none of it will be in vain.”
Pacheco had final words of advice and encouragement for his fellow seniors.
“No matter how far we go, Liberty County High School will always be home and we will always be Panthers,” he said. “Follow your dreams relentlessly and never stop believing.”
Valedictorian William Buckley said their graduation day “will be remembered for not only as the day to celebrate the end of one chapter but the beginning of another, filled with joy reflection and the promise of what’s to come.”
Buckley said it was an honor to represent the class and he was reminded of the journey that brought them to the field in caps and gowns.
“Along the way, we found ourselves in situations and predicaments we never imagined we’d be in. I was put into positions I never thought I would be in,” he said. “Leadership is about the integrity in your heart. Each of us have fought our own battles. And yet against every challenge, we rose.”
Buckley extended his thanks to the teachers, “who saw potential in us, even on those days we doubted ourselves, thank you for dedication, patience and your belief in our dreams. You taught us how to think, to question and to grow,” he said. He also gave thanks for the families and their unconditional support.
“You have encouraged us when we felt overwhelmed and celebrated every milestone, whether big or small,” he said. “You are why we are here today and we could not have done it without you.”
He added the senior classmates themselves should be thanked for their friendship over the years.
“Thanks for being the people we leaned on, laughed with and learned from,” he said. “Together we have created a bond that last far beyond this place.”
Buckley also cited the late boxer and civil rights icon Muhammad Ali, who once said, “Impossible is nothing.” He told his classmates that they too overcame hardships and kept going.
“Each obstacle we faced taught us something about our strength, our resilience and our determination,” he said. “We also learned success isn’t a solo journey. It’s built on the connections we make and the people who support us along the way.”
His football and track and field teammates, his fellow JROTC cadets and his fellow members in the National Honor Society helped imbue him with different qualities, Buckley acknowledged.
“My teammates show me grit isn’t a solitary trait. You need a pack to push you further, faster, higher,” he said. “My fellow JROTC cadets and National Honor Society members taught me service and stewardship are invitations to make our world better. True leadership is lifting others when they are down. We have learned growth is stepping out of our comfort zones. We have taken risks and discovered new parts of ourselves in the process.”
Buckley told his fellow graduates the world they are about to enter is vast and unpredictable.
“But if there is one thing I know about this class, it’s that we are ready,” he said. “We are a generation of creators, thinkers and doers. We’ve grown up in a time of rapid change and we’ve learned to adapt, to innovate and to find solutions. I challenge you to be architects of hope. Commit to making a difference. Not someday, but now.
“Whatever path we choose remember that success isn’t defined by titles or wealth,” Buckley added. “True success lies in the impact we have, the lives we touch and the legacy we leave behind. When the journey gets tough, and it will, remember this moment. Remember the challenges you’ve already overcome, the strength you’ve already shown and the potential that still lies within you. You have proven time and time again you are capable of greatness.
“Let’s step into the future with confidence, heads held high, hearts wide open and fists unafraid to knock on every door of opportunity,” Buckley said. “Step into tomorrow, with fearless hearts.”