It may have taken nearly two weeks longer to graduate than the rest of the 2012 class at Daniel Boone High School, but the six seniors on the Trailblazer softball team wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Kellie Waycaster, Kayla Smith, Jessie Wheelock, Andrea Rogers, Natalie Sheffey and Jennine Duncan were awarded their high school diplomas Thursday night during the June meeting of the Washington County Board of Education.
While the rest of their class graduated on May 26, the six seniors were with the rest of their team in Murfreesboro playing in the Class AAA state softball championship.
“It’s kind of cool, because they recognized us for going to state. We basically did it for the county and were representing the county and we represented them pretty well, I guess,” Waycaster said.
The ceremony was the first of its kind for current high school students, according to Director Ron Dykes. In the past, the board has held special ceremonies for graduates of the system’s adult education program.
Having their team and family members present at the ceremony proved to make a special time that much more special.
“Having it here was a little more personal. All of our family was here and all of our team- mates were here. It was just for us, so it was whole lot more special, I think,” Waycaster said.
Duncan agreed, saying their four years of hard work – both academically and on the field – paid off.
“It was a pretty amazing experience that we got to have. I feel very special. I think all six of us deserved it, cause we worked hard all four years for this,” she said.
While the team lost to Soddy Daisy during the game, they came out as winners who ended the year on top.
“We worked all four years for this and every year we got better and better and better, so I can definitely say we went out with a bang this year,” Duncan said.
In other business, the board:
Approved a recommendation to join the Tennessee School Systems for Equity, or TSSE, at a cost of $4,500 for annual dues. The TSSE is a lobbying group that works to garner funding for school districts that are receiving “inadequate” state and federal funding, Dykes said.
Approved a recommendation to hire two full-time groundskeepers for the remainder of the year, with the intent to keep them on the 2012-13 payroll if funding is available. The board previously voted to include the positions in the proposed 2012-13 school year at a cost of $70,800. Dykes will present the budget to the County Commission’s Budget Committee next week.