Photos: Berea High graduates had to 'learn really quickly on the fly' after COVID

On Monday, 258 students graduated from Berea High School during a commencement ceremony at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Berea High is one of Greenville County School District's most culturally diverse schools where students like Esperanza Alaniz Perez, 18, take a step toward their dreams as they cross the stage to get their high school diploma.

"As a first generation, it truly means a lot to be able to fulfill something that my parents weren't able to do. My mom, at my age, wanted to be a cosmetologist, and I can officially say that I am licensed," Perez said, "Being able to do her dreams that she wasn't able to do and her actually being involved in it, I know it's a big blessing for her as well as for me."

Mike Noel, in his 14th year as principal of Berea High School, beamed with pride and excitement for the newly graduated students.

"The way that this class started they really had to come back and relearn how to be a student in a building and all the other little things, pep rallies, the different extracurricular things that they didn't get a chance to be a part of, like they normally would have in their ninth-grade year, the whole transition from being an eighth-grader to a ninth grader, going from middle school to high school, it was a lot more difficult on this group. They had to learn really quickly on the fly and they really, really did a good job," Noel said.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Berea High School's class of 2024 graduates 258 students, see photos