Sumter County High School 2023 Honor Graduates Receive iPads

During the 2023 Baccalaureate program held Thursday, May 25th Dr. Marnie Dutcher, Principal of Sumter County High School presented the Honor Graduates with a gift of an iPad. In her presentation, Principal Dutcher congratulated the 2023 Honor Graduates for their hard work and challenged them to further their educational journey. She thanked Rick Whaley and the Citizens Bank of Americus staff for the donation to make this possible.

When now Associate Superintendent Kimothy Hadley became the principal at the Americus Sumter High School in July 2013 he looked for ways to encourage all students to be successful in school as well as in life. Citizen Bank of Americus presents a very generous gift to the school each year. Mr. Hadley began looking for ways to use the money to encourage students to push just a little harder in high school, so he requested that the Citizens Bank Incentive be used to purchase the Honor Graduates an electronic device for college/post-secondary school. With the increase in honor graduates, the amount of money to purchase iPads has increased.

The tradition was started to honor the accomplishments of the honor graduates. In 2014, thirty-six honor graduates received an iPad mini. Beginning in 2016, the names of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian were engraved on their iPad, now each iPad is engraved with the student’s name and SCHS Honor Grad and class year. This year there were 45 honor graduates. Dr. Dutcher feels that this program has encouraged the students to work harder to achieve Honor Graduate status. Congratulations to the Class of 2023.

SCHS honor graduates, including the class valedictorian and salutatorian, are determined by the student’s cumulative numeric grade average (CNGA) at the conclusion of the third nine-week period in a student’s senior year. The CNGA represents the average of all grades earned in high school, grades 9-12. Honor graduates are students whose CNGA is 90 or higher.

The SCHS class of 2023 valedictorian is Trinity Brown and the SCHS class of 2023 salutatorian is Saige Wakefield. The school’s honor graduates are as follows:

Adasia Kitchens, Jasmine Jackson, Corderius Walton, Kyra Volley, Curtissa Evans, Madison Barthell, Jason Wells, Jr., Jala Hill, Devon Dowdell, Alesia Holmes, Leah Minter, Gracie Davis, Ja'Niya Thomas, Dion Allen, Bryanna Bateman, Jemirra West, Donovan Bettis, Bryson Ross, Jasmine Bateman, Demtrice Hurley, Jr., Dhedeepya Potluri, Shekierra Jones, Za'Riyah Bush, Jasmine Dorsey, Jadyn Collier, Lonnie Battle, Ajarion Foster, Karounga Keita, Crawford Pride, Alaysia Thomas, Chasiddy Gray, Makayla Jackson, Alanna Rodriguez, Kavon Lewis, India Williams, Melchisedec McCluster, Timia Mitchell, Ka'Wuan Hudson, Ja'Kabruan Smith, Ty'Quavious Hurley, Skyler Love, Hannah Lindsey, and Jinyiah Bradley

Pictured with the honor graduates are: Superintendent Walter Knighton, Associate Superintendent Kimothy Hadley, and Principal Marnie Dutcher