The 58th Graduation Exercises for Morristown-Hamblen High School West provided a great sendoff for the Class of 2026.

Senior Class President Lilah Paige Biery welcomed the crowd to the ceremony held at Walters State Community College Great Smoky Mountain Expo Center in White Pine.

“The time is finally here and we’re down to our last few moments of being a West High Trojan,” Biery said. “I know that we all thought at some point this day would never come, but here we are getting ready to go our separate ways.

“My parents were there to wipe the tears that Trigonometry brought. Today may be about us, but don’t forget to give thanks to those who have helped us and to our Lord and savior who continues to work in our lives every day.”

Biery told her fellow graduates that she is praying for “profound success” for class members, for wisdom over future decisions, for the parents and guardians who have help them reach this milestone and that every person would come to know Jesus as their Savior.

“Amen, God Bless and Go Trojans,” Biery ended.

Eli Benjamin Shoun and Daniel Zheng were chosen as speakers by members of the Class of 2026 who were graduating with honors and distinction.

Shoun began by saying that life had not been easy on the Class of 2026 in their four years at West High.

“The only way that we could make it through these seasons of difficulty is to rest in the hands of an almighty God,” Shoun said. “God is in complete control of all that has happened in our time together. No matter the affliction that has happened in your life, God uses everything for His glory. God has the ability to mold you into the person He wants you to be.”

Shoun said that the ultimate satisfaction in this life and the next only comes through Jesus Christ.

“Jesus wants to complete us,” Shoun said. “I promise that the benefits from this decision are greater than we can ever imagine. With this in mind, we can move into the next stage of life with complete confidence. No matter what circumstances you face, know that God has a plan for you; and ultimately for your good.”

Zheng thanked his parents, grandparents and friends for helping him get to graduation day.

“I remember when we first arrived at West High, we got lost in hallways we didn’t fully know,” he said. “Today, we walk the same halls feeling that as if we know them all too well.”

Zheng recalled a story where he was meeting friends on the cafeteria side of the building, only to get lost and end up on the auditorium side.

“Despite all of that, we still survived,” he said. “It’s hard to believe that four years has passed, regardless of how fast the world has passed, our time here is gone. This moment brings to an official end our high school career. For the last time, the Class of 2026 is sitting in a room together.”

Zheng told his class that time is the most valuable asset.

“The only way to waste time is to wait because time never waits for you,” he said.

West Principal Jeffrey Kinsler said that the ceremony marked the end of one journey and the beginning of another; that this class has accomplished much.

“As you step forward into the unknown, I hope you realize that you carry with you the full support of the Trojan Nation,” he said. “So that you may face what lies ahead not with fear and trepidation, but rather with the confidence that you’ve been prepared from your own individual journeys. I sincerely hope you understand that your diplomas are far more than legal documentation of you having completed your requirements of credit hours; or having scored an obligatory number on a standardized test; but, rather, representing our commitment to covenant made four years ago that we can prepare you for your future. Although there are no guarantees, I believe we’ve accomplished this goal.”

Kinsler said that the Class of 2026 has obtained more than $3 million in scholarship funds; 430 industry certifications; and more than 120 work-based learning internships.

Superintendent of Schools Arnold Bunch, Jr. made reference to President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech delivered on April 23, 1910 in Paris, France.

“It is not the critic who counts; nor the man or woman who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the (person) who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that (their) place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory, nor defeat.”

An unofficial total of 321 students graduated from MHHSW.