Tupelo High School honors Class of 2024 in graduation ceremony
TUPELO — Tupelo High School’s Class of 2024 closed out its high school career during a ceremony at the Cadence Bank Arena the evening of Friday, May 17.
The THS Madrigals and Vocal Jazz performed the prelude music for the ceremony that marked the graduation of 425 seniors.
Senior Jaden Xavier Boyd delivered the invocation, and four Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets led the salute to the flag. The Madrigals followed up with the national anthem, then led the audience in the THS alma mater.
Senior Tacadian Lee Mairidith welcomed the crowd, thanking parents, guardians, friends and educators for the support and guidance they’ve offered the Class of 2024.
“To the class of 2024, as this blue and gold chapter comes to an end, let us welcome a new chapter of boundless possibilities, untold stories, and unknowable achievements driven by everlasting Golden Wave spirit,” Mairidith said.
During a presentation of awards and honors, THS principal Melissa Thomas recognized valedictorian Christian Caleb Cockrell and salutatorian Raymond Zhang for their achievements.
Each year, school administrators and teachers select Tupelo High School's student commencement speaker from anonymous pitches submitted by seniors. The Class of 2024 senior speaker was Griffin Quinn Autry.
Autry, who plans to become an astronautical engineer, compared the graduates’ last 13 years of school with building a rocket — a complicated collaboration between many dedicated people to create something excellent.
“Just like building rockets, our journey through high school has been about pushing boundaries, defying gravity, and reaching for the stars,” Autry said.
After years of honing skills, building relationships, and being taught by a bevy of invested educators, “now, here we are at our commencement ceremony, finding ourselves at the launchpad of life,” Autry said. “Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2024. We have liftoff!”
Thomas presented the graduates as worthy of diplomas, and Tupelo Public School District superintendent Rob Picou accepted them with a word of congratulation.
“You have truly expanded the rich tradition of excellence at Tupelo High School,” Picou told the graduates.
The Class of 2024 moved their tassels from the right sides of their caps to the left, marking their status as graduates.
Senior Sadie McCay Richburg delivered the benediction.
Finally, the air was filled with hundreds of blue graduation caps, tossed aloft to end the ceremony.
