By Maggie Blackwell
mblackwell@salisburypost.com
The Rowan-Salisbury School System’s senior class will be donning caps and gowns to receive diplomas this week
The system’s high schools hold commencement exercises on Thursday and Friday for 1,360 graduating seniors.
Here are the plans for each high school:
Carson
Graduation for Jesse Carson High School is in the school gym on Thursday at 2 p.m.; 225 seniors will graduate.
Student speakers include Courtney Cress, student body president, Casey Wellmon, senior class president, and Andrew Hebert and Alex Basinger, both academic speakers.
Junior marshals are Erin Basinger, Linda Castillo-Murillo, Robert Gianfrancesco, Zach Grkman, Ethan Horne, Amber Ingraham, Tom Keoboupha, Courtney McGrady, Donald McIntyre III, Anna Maphis, Joseph Marquez, Sarah Morgan, Edward Pietryk III, Shanna Stewart, Julie Tonnesen, Whitney Troutman, Taylor Whitley.
East Rowan
East Rowan High School’s 274 graduates will receive diplomas on Thursday at 8 p.m. in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College.
The keynote speaker will be Phil Kirk. Additional speakers include co-valedictorians Haley Ellen Barrier and Emily Lauren Graczyk; co-student body presidents Jaimie Hill Mullen and Briana Faith McLeod; and Brooke Nicole Stoner, senior class president.
Junior marshals are Charlotte Avery Brown, Katie Rose Cassady, Ricky Alan Cleveland III, Thomas Patrick Collins Jr., Christopher James Sho Demitraszek, Caleb Douglas Hill, Brittany Ann Honeycutt, Jennifer Leigh Hughes, Joshua Kongmany, Ross Jay Oden, Cristin Andrea Ritchie, Erin Elizabeth Schnuit, Jesse Dale Wheeler.
Henderson
Henderson Independent High School has four seniors graduating at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the auditorium on the grounds of the Henderson Independent campus.
North Rowan
North Rowan High School will have commencement Friday at 4 p.m. in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College. There are 141 seniors who will receive their diplomas.
Junior marshals are: Taylor Johnston, chief marshall; Lauren Brown, Caitlin Crawford, Marissa Herchler, Meredith Moore, Jeet Patel, Jon Robertson, Miller Sokolowski, Lauren Snider, Jasmine Turner, William Webb.
Speakers will include: Laura Holland, valedictorian; Alexandrea Worthy, valedictorian, and Julie Kriska, salutatorian.
Salisbury High School
Salisbury High School holds its graduation on Friday at 8 p.m. in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College. There are 202 graduating seniors.
Students will be addressed by Haily Weddington, senior class president; Suncica Dragas, valedictorian; and Laurel Loeblein, valedictorian.
Michelle Nguyen, class salutatorian, will welcome guests, and Kirstin Meyerhoeffer, senior class vice president, will introduce participants.
Junior marshals include: Madeline Ralston, Austin Flynn, William Yip, Parker Johnson, William Mowery, Sarah Shirley, Quinn Scarvey, Luke Mowery, Braxton Whitaker, Wesley McNeely, Laura Hinkle, Hannah Lebowitz, Catherine Parks, Virginia Weant, Lindsay Thompson, Erin Moore, Alexandria Yarborough and Molly Robinson.
Symone Knox, senior class treasurer, will give closing remarks.
South Rowan
South Rowan High School plans commencement on Friday at noon in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College. The school has 225 graduating seniors.
Junior marshals are: David Archie, Courtney Barbee (chief), Megan Bean, Stacey Gagnier, Hillary Jaap, Lindsay King, Madeline Lawyer, Seth Moore, Kayla Morrow, Skylar Stamey, Amber Waldroup, Mark Wooten.
Commencement speakers are Addison Corriher, Lindsay Frye and Seth Walker.
West Rowan High
West Rowan High School holds its commencement exercises at Catawba College on Friday at 8 a.m. Academic speakers are Brantley Horton and Drew Fortune.
Principal Jamie Durant will present awards, assisted by Leigh Anne Wetmore, the school’s teacher of the year.
Diplomas will be presented by Durant, school superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom; Nelson Cowden, assistant principal; Richard Hansen, assistant principal; Grayson Hampton, assistant principal; and school board member Kay Wright Norman.
Senior class officers include Grace Gbunblee, president, Kacy Miller, vice president, Megan Pennell, treasurer, Brantley Horton, reporter, and Patricia Smith, secretary.
Junior marshals are Desere Cross, Luke Miller, Lindsey Dionne, Jess Myers, Thomas Hester, Xiomara Villatoro, Kaitlyn Knepp, Garrett White, Thomas Langford, Ashley Wietbrock, Nicole Lucente and Sara Willis.
A.L. Brown
Kannapolis’ A.L. Brown seniors will graduate Friday at the Kannapolis Performing Arts Center.