Approximately 450 Warren County High School seniors walked across the stage Friday evening receiving their diplomas following many years of hard work. Parents, grandparents, family members and friends packed the stands at Nunley Stadium, with visitors spilling over into the grass.
Graduating seniors gathered around the track wearing either red, white or blue gowns before marching in to “Pomp and Circumstance” presented by the WCHS band. Student Mia Johnson sang the national anthem and the high school choir gave a musical presentation.
Valedictorians Bailey Barnes and Bella Smith delivered impressive speeches, encouraging fellow classmates to continue to make their mark on the world.
The class of 2015 proves to be a diverse group, with their future career choices. Many are set to attend college, with several continuing their education at Motlow State Community College. Some are pursuing degrees in finance, education, nursing or entertainment fields, while some are still on “the wait and see what happens list.” Barnes said in his speech, “Look for my name on a ballot near you in the future,” indicating he wants to go into politics.
Matthew Austin made a special trip up to the stands to give his grandmother Patsy Austin a hug.
“He is my only grandchild from an only son,” said Patsy. She and other family members beamed with pride, stating he has been accepted at Lipscomb University, but is on the waiting list for Vanderbilt.
Sliding down the spectrum of vocations, Hunter Bouldin will be pursuing the path to becoming a professional fisherman.
“I really like to fish, and I am pretty good at it,” said Bouldin. “I guess I have a reputation to live up to, and I want to try to fish professionally by entering a lot of tournaments and staying on the water.” To emphasize his love for the sport, he had a string of fishing lures attached to his mortarboard.
Zech Clark’s dream is to become a U.S. Marine, after attending Motlow for two years. When asked why he wants to join the forces he said, “I love my county and want to protect my country and protect our way of life.”
Some girls made a fashion statement with personalized gowns and mortarboards. Several decorated the tops of their hats with the usual glitz, but this year there were more embroidered hats and gowns.
Heather Fults had her initials embroidered on both the front of her hat and on her gown.
“I just wanted to personalize it, and this makes them more of a keepsake,” said Fults. She will be attending either Motlow or Tennessee Tech in hopes of becoming a kindergarten teacher. 
Valedictorian Bella Smith told of her desire to become the third student in her family to hold the highest ranking in the class, saying the pressure was always there to succeed.
She left the group with this statement, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” 
The 2015 Warren County High School class of 2015 has aspirations to impress and succeed.