Tift County High graduates 469 in evening ceremony
Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Anya Billington accepts the diploma from Superintendent Natalie Gore.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tift County 2025 valedictorian Brynna Burke.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tift County graduates congratulate one another following Thursday’s ceremony.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Christopher Norris, remembered fondly by STAR Student Bill Nguyen in his speech, shakes hands with TCHS principal Jennifer Johnson.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Graduates examine their diplomas after receiving them at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Gracie Goode shakes hands with Tift County High principal Jennifer Johnson.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette The Class of 2025 at Tift County High enters Brodie Field and to their respective seats on each row.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Nathaly Rivera goes from Superintendent Natalie Gore to Principal Jennifer Johnson.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Many at Tift County’s 2025 high school graduation ceremony honored their graduates with apparel, including these proud parents, on the field at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette STAR Student Phu ‘Bill’ Nguyen gives his graduation speech.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tift County High principal Jennifer Johnson shakes hands with Rachel Johnson.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Rylan Pearman, salutatorian of the Tift County Class of 2025, delivers his speech.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette From right to left — the Class of 2025 becomes official for Tift County High.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Wilber Lopez, member of the Class of 2025, shakes hands with principal Jennifer Johnson.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Graduation is all smiles for Zykerion Knight as he greets TCHS principal Jennifer Johnson. In addition to his many cords, Knight wears insignia for the United States Marine Corps.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tift County's Class of 2025 tosses their caps after graduating on Brodie Field May 22.
TIFTON — Tift County High seniors moved their tassels on the evening of Thursday, May 22, and joined the Class of 2025.
The Brodie Field ceremony honored 469 TCHS graduates. Of that number, 68 were Superior honor graduates and another 97 finished with honors.
Main graduation speeches were given by valedictorian Brynna Burke, salutatorian Rylan Pearman and STAR Student Phu “Bill” Nguyen.
“The time has come that we are no longer high school students, and are becoming Tift County High School alumni,” said Pearman.
Everyone credited their families, teachers and friends for their success through school.
Burke said they “stood on the cusp of new beginnings.”
Senior year had been a year of goodbyes, she said.
“We have said goodbye to Friday nights under Brodie Field lights. We have said goodbye to the last time we put on our Tift County colors to compete as Blue Devils. We have said goodbye to our last homecoming and prom dances. We have said goodbye to our last first day of school and all our photos our mothers hurried to take.
“But as we say goodbye, and end our high school career, we begin our next journey.”
Though they were likely mixed with excitement and fear at what was to come next, Burke encouraged classmates to embrace it all. They will not be on this journey alone.
“We know that no matter what life throws at us or how much change we undergo, we can always return to seek advice from our influential teachers and administrators,” said Burke.
All three main speakers were athletes at TCHS, with a common bond of swimming. Pearman also participated in football and track and field.
No matter good or bad memories, he said, friends were there for him, helping shape who he is.
“The exhilarating feeling of standing in the end zone singing the fight song after a win, and the feeling of walking off the field after a total beatdown,” Pearman said. “I’ll remember the feeling of diving into the pool knowing how many laps I was about to swim, or receiving the baton knowing just how painful 400 meters can be.”
Pearman advised his classmates to “Never forget where you came from and the people who helped you along the way.”
Nguyen joked his honor to speak was because of “luck on one examination.” STAR, an acronym for Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, is for the student with the highest SAT score, who also ranks in the top 10% or top 10 of their class.
Nguyen moved into the Tift County school system as an elementary student. He reflected on his first day at Charles Spencer in 2017.
“I knew nobody, and nobody knew me,” he said. Feeling alone, wondering if he would ever make friends, someone reached out.
Christopher Norris, who also graduated with honors Thursday, “turned around in line and said something I’ll never forget as long as I live,” Nguyen said. “He said, ’So, what was your name again?’
“From that conversation on, most of my favorite memories, dozens of my closest friendships would be created in that single year,” Nguyen said. He said he will always remember the impact of Norris’ words. That will hold the same for others, said Nguyen. Students won’t remember all the details of a class, but the relationship they had with their teachers.
Graduation began with remarks from class president Jaliya Miller, who also spoke after all diplomas were handed out. The GA 51st AFJROTC presented the colors as Josiah Zorn sang the national anthem.
Following the speeches, Tift County High Principal Jennifer Johnson certified that all receiving diplomas were certified to do so. Superintendent Natalie Gore accepted Johnson’s certification.
Chris Martin served as the voice of graduation this year after Mike Chason retired last year after decades in the role. Martin, who is athletic director at Tift County High, gave tribute to Chason before he began announcing names.
This was the second consecutive year Tift held evening graduation. After decades of graduating on Saturday mornings, students opted for an evening ceremony after weather forced changes from a morning event.
