In the course of their life journeys, all members of the North Atlanta Class of 2025 will see many iconic buildings. But few will match the 11-story building that launched them at their young adult beginnings. The towering building, their educational home for four formative years, was the suitable backdrop for Visions of the Future, North Atlanta’s baccalaureate event, which was held on Friday, May 16.
The annual ceremony is a pageantry-filled event that takes place on the North Atlanta campus. Graduation candidates kicked off their action-packed graduation week in their black and white gowns and Visions offered a meaningful change to say goodbye to the campus setting they called their high school home. “After attending this ceremony for so many years, it’s kind of shocking when you’re the one who is here in graduation gowns, and you’re the one who is actually graduating,” said senior Taylor So. “It meant so much for us to be here, at the place where we all kind of grew up in so many ways. This is always our school. We love it and it will be so hard to leave it.”
Visions this year featured an inspiring address from North Atlanta alumnus Yakini Horn, a member of the Class of 2000, and a professional and accomplished motion picture and TV actress. The North Atlanta Combined Orchestra under the direction of Stephen Lawrence-Carroll, played an arrangement called “Visions of the Sky.” Members of the North Atlanta Bel Canto Singers, under the direction of choral director Tredarius Terry, sang “Lean On Me.” Atlanta Public Schools Board Vice Chair Jennifer McDonald also offered an address. McDonald, whose son Luke McDonald, was a member of the graduation class, spoke for many of her fellow Warrior parents in offering widely felt sentiment. “We’re at that transitional and difficult stage as parents where we’re wanting to hold on to you a little bit longer while, at the same time, we’re letting you go, so you can go out into the world and lead the incredible lives we know you will have.”
After concluding remarks from Principal Angela Mitchell, Visions attendees filed out of the gymnasium before proud parents, friends and gathered teachers. Those attending said it was a rich experience to have the “pre-graduation” event. “The graduation ceremony at Tech was a big deal and I’ll never forget that, but it just felt so great to be on that patio one last time for Visions and to have our building as the backdrop as our goodbye to North Atlanta,” said senior Ryan Rucker. “I’ll always be so incredibly proud to be a graduate of this great school.”
After the Visions ceremony, the school’s PTSA sponsored a reception on the Hillside patio. Those gathered for the reception streamed across the wide expanse for cake, pastries and refreshments. Photos were taken, hugs were exchanged, and beaming parents reflected on the nearing end of high school journeys for their children. Towering above it all, there was the backdrop of an 11-story building that provides so many views to those within it. From views outside to the world, the Class of 2025 now leaves to make its big impact on that world.
North Atlanta High School’s Class of 2025, with 607 members, was the school’s largest graduating class ever.
All article photography by Jack Stenger, Warrior Wire faculty adviser.
