The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie The Elkins High School Class of 2026 ends their graduation ceremony with cheers and confetti.

ELKINS — A total of 186 members of Elkins High School’s Class of 2026 graduated during commencement ceremonies on Friday evening.

Held inside the Richard P. Simmons Memorial Gymnasium, this was Elkins High School’s 127th Commencement Ceremony. The event was attended by Interim Randolph County Schools Superintendent Terry George and three of the five Randolph County Board of Education members, Janie Newlon, Sherri Collett and Charles “Ed” Daniels.

Speeches were given by co-valedictorians Andrew Harris and Hayden Simms, and salutatorian Alyssa White.

In her speech, White spoke on what makes life so special, specifically the fact that it is finite, fragile and “full of moments that can never be repeated.”

“We are special not because our lives are easy or guaranteed, but because life itself is an opportunity,” White said. “One that millions before have experienced and millions after us may never quite experience the same. So, we should make it count. To live kindly, courageously and with purpose.”

Harris, in his speech, reflected on what lead the Class of 2026 to this point, including the Covid-19 Pandemic changing their lives during their years in middle school. Harris ended his speech with the beginning of an Irish blessing.

“As we look to the future and go our separate ways, remember this. Help each other,” Harris said. “Don’t be afraid to help someone out or go the extra mile to make someone’s day just a little better, and finally, ‘May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.'”

In his speech, Simms told his fellow graduates that the ceremony was not the end of their story, but instead the beginning of a brand new chapter.

“As I look out at the senior class tonight, I know each of you is preparing for a future filled with opportunities, challenges and unknowns,” Simms said. “The truth is, none of us are ever given guarantees about what comes next. Life rarely hands us a perfect plan… but maybe this is the point. Maybe life is about learning to trust yourself enough to keep moving forward, even when you can’t see the entire road ahead.”

The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie

The Elkins High School 2026 graduating seniors included:

Lilyana Anderson, Summer Arbogast, Lukas Armstrong, Ava Bailey, Barrett Ball, Peyton Barrick, Logan Beam, Anthony Bennett, Brandon Bennett, Lillyana Betler, Evan Biggs, Joshua Bodkins, Braelyn Bonnell, Landon Boyd, Alexander Broschart, Ayriana Broughton, Alana Bryan, Kelly Carter, Braedyn Mikael Chamberlain, Taylor Channell;

Ashton Charles, Gavin Clary, Airiana Clemens, Nicholas Close, Myranda Collett, Grace Collins, Landon Conaway, Jace Conrad, Addison Crawford, Hannah Currence, Riley Delphey, Shane Denning, Gage Dewitt, Shyla Dominguez, Tucker Estes, Aubrie Evans, Preston Eversole, Jude Evick, Hayden Ferguson, Marshall Fox;

Zemirah Franklin, Myra Fraser, Shaneah Fulton, Bryson Gainer, Robert Gainer, Olivia Gardner, Kaden George, Emma Gilbert, Landon Given, Carter Gouer, Sophie Graham, Morgan Griffith, Raighan Hall Carte, Syrinitti Hamby-Currence, Evan Hammonds, Jayden-Michael Harding, Mikayla Harding, Ethan Harner, Andrew Harris, Hannah Hawks;

Kyle Hedrick, Lillian Hedrick, Logan Hedrick, Jaylea Herron, Rachel Himes, Garrett Hollen, Pruitt Howell, Ava Hymes, Ian Iseli-Dumire, Michael Isenhart, Makenna Jack, Jesse Jones, Logan Jones, Brooklyn Johnston, Ryan Jones, Allison Judy, Zoey Judy, Ava Kaposy, Ethan Kelley, Andrew Kittle;

Blayze Lambert, Jayden Lambert, Madelyn Lambert, Taylor Lanham, Novalee Lariviere, Bethany Lawrence, Hayden Lewis, Allison Lindsey, James Linger III, Daniel Lipscomb, Michael Love, Aidan Lowther, Cale Mabry, Braxton Mallow, Chavez Marstiller, Anastasia Martin, Kareagunn Maxwell, Draven Mayo, Baileigh McBride, Aaron McNutt;

Mya Mendelson, Sophia Mendelson, Lucas Mercer-Hanna, Abigail Morgan, Haley Morgan, Katelynn Mullenax, Preston Nixon, Maura O’Neill, Grace Parsons, Mic Payne, Chase Phares, Dempsey Phares, Jasmyne Phillips, Joshua Phillips, Lucas Phillips, Raelynn Phillips, Nicoli Poe, Jayla Reams, Isaac Reel, Brennan Rexrode;

Abigail Rice, Ethan Ridenour, Hailey Riffle, Daeman Riggleman, Gavin Robey, Donavon Rohr, Jeffrey Ross, Joshua Ross, Blake Rowan, Halley Rowan, Mason Rowan, Olivia Roy, Araxi Santos Uriostegui, William Schaefer, Amber Schoonover, Abigail Shaffer, Charlie Shaffer, Jonathan Shank, Isaac Shearer, Lynnlee Shearer;

Audrina Shelton, Jakob Shiflett, Bresae Shorter, Landon Shreve, Madyson Shreve, Lahayla Skidmore, Braxton Simmons, Hayden Simms, Jaymin Simon, Josephine Simpson, Aidan Smart, Koda Smith, Ariel Snodgrass, Izik Sparks, Blayden Spencer, Andrew Sproul, Logan Stewart, Sophia Strother, Dalton Summerfield, Parker Sycafoose;

Benjamin Tenney, Andrew Tesar, Avi Travise, Emma Ujvagi, Thomas Valentine III, Trey Walters, Chloe Wamsley, Alexandra Ward, Alyssa Ware, Breanna Ware, Nevaeh Ware, Cameron Warner, Colin Weese, Kaleigh Weese, Alyssa White, Cole White, Delia White, Isabelle Wilkie, Keaton Williams, Michael Williams, Benjamin Wilson, Gavin Wingfield, Abagail Winkler, Jaden Workman, Jasmin Workman and Madison Zirkle.