The class of 2023 at the Jones County High School participated in the annual grad walk, where they visited each school in Jones County, took a stroll down familiar halls and became role models for younger students for the day.
Kimberly Pittman, counselor at the Jones County High School, said the grad walk means a lot to the upcoming graduates being able to see their past teachers and take a walk down memory lane. She said it’s a bittersweet time for them to put on their cap and gown for the grad walk.
“They go in and out of all nine schools. The students graduating really like doing this grad walk, and even the students who didn’t go to any of the other schools enjoy tagging along,” she said. “The younger students at the elementary and middle schools really get into it, too.”
Bethany Tapee, a future graduate, said the grad walk was a great experience for her. She said she attended the Jones County Pre-K, Gray Elementary School and Gray Station Middle School. She said visiting the schools brought back a lot of memories for her.
“We started in the auditorium at the high school, and all the seniors who graduated were there. We started the grad walk here at the high school, then we went to all the other schools, where everyone congratulated us. It was special, and it was precious seeing all the younger kids holding signs up for us. It was a unique experience that I don’t think other students get in other school districts,” Tapee said.
She said her favorite experience of the grad walk was seeing all the younger students. She said seeing the kindergarteners was cute, because she said they were excited and looked up to the future graduates.
“I don’t think most teachers realize how much of an impact they make on their students, so it was really special to see all of the students who remember their teachers,” the graduate said. “I think a lot of teachers remember each student being unique.”
Travis Shores, another future graduate, said he attended Mattie Wells Elementary School and Clifton Ridge Middle School before coming to the Jones County High School. He said it was special to go back to Mattie Wells and see his kindergarten teacher again, because he said she is retiring this school year.
“It was really fun and special going back to my elementary school and middle school I attended. It was nice to see all the teachers and experience how it was for me about five years ago. It was an emotional moment with some tears from people,” he said.
The graduate said his favorite thing about the grad walk was spending time with his friends and going through the schools with them. He said he remembers watching the grad walk when he was in the eighth grade, and those memories flooded back to him and his friends.
“It was just nice to walk through the schools and remember all of the fun times I had,” Shores said. “It was my fifthgrade teacher’s first time teaching when I was in her class, so my class to her was really special and it made her really happy to see us going off to college and bright futures.”
Tapee said she plans to attend Georgia College this fall, but she isn’t sure what she wants to do. She said she is thinking of majoring in mass communication or English right now.
“It’s a little bittersweet to be graduating, but since I’ll be so close to home I don’t feel as crazy about it. I probably won’t be feeling like it’s truly over until a few weeks from now. Jones County High School provided a good time and it’s been a great school,” she said.
Pittman said a lot of the graduates are going off to college and careers. She said she is proud of the class of 2023. She said she enjoyed seeing how excited they were during the grad walk and going back to their old schools to visit. She said it was a special day.
“This group had to be very resilient. They have been through a lot of change since ninth grade with COVID-19,” the counselor said. “Every year has been different for them, and they didn’t have a normal high school experience. I think with adjusting so much they will move forward easier and change with life going on around them.”
Shores said he will be attending Georgia Southern University this fall and is majoring in psychology. He said he might minor in business, too. He said he’s excited to take the next steps in life.
“I will be two hours from here, but I am happy to be graduating. I’m also sad I’ll be leaving some of my friends behind,” he said. “Reality is hitting now, and I won’t be back here next year. This is the end of my high school life, but I’m excited to start my college journey.”
