Of the 34 students who graduated from Brookwood on May 15, 20 will attend colleges and universities in Georgia, four are heading for their higher education in Alabama, two each will be in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, one student will go to school in New York and one in Virginia. Of those institutions of higher education 25 are public and nine are private.
Those are just some of the statistics that College Counselor Vic Spigener gathered about the Class of 2010. Perhaps the most impressive number is that beyond Georgia's HOPE Scholarships offered to Brookwood grads, they also were offered $1,820,962 in scholarships from colleges and universities.
Headmaster Mike Notaro shared those and other facts and figures about the graduates at the school's 37th commencement ceremony that took place at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Thomasville Civic Auditorium.
The grads, along with their families and friends also heard from those graduating with the highest GPAs who took part in the program, including Valedictorian Abby Lewis and Salutatorian Emily Claire Worthey.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Jacqueline Varnedoe Morgan, is a member of Brookwood's 1979 graduating class. The associate dean of the Honors College at the University of Alabama, Morgan said, "After 31 years, I still cannot say 'no' to Mrs. Larson," referring to English Teacher Ann Larson's invitation for her to speak at graduation.
Morgan addressed the "illusive concept of happiness," telling the graduates that their sense of well-being involves their personal growth, their connection with others, their contributions to the world around them, and their sense of self worth in developing their various personal gifts.
She urged the class to "try new things, take risks and to invest yourselves in the well-being of others."
The two special awards announced at graduation were the Patricia James Bullock Memorial Service Award that went to Kevin Hudson and the Headmaster's Award, presented to Abby Lewis.
Brookwood's chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Philip Watt, presented each graduate with a Bible.
Valedictorian Abby Lewis won the Headmaster's Award at Brookwood's graduation ceremony on May 15.
Kevin Hudson was presented with the Patricia James Bullock Memorial Service Award at graduation.
The Keynote speaker, Dr. Jacqueline Varnedoe Morgan, is a member of Brookwood's 1979 graduating class.
The Farewell presentation at the May 15 graduation ceremony was delivered by graduating senior MacKenzy Martin and her mother, Brookwood Kindergarten Teacher Jenni Martin.
