Pisgah Class of 2025 embodies resiliency
Jun. 4—Resiliency.
It's a word that has defined Haywood County's easternmost town, particularly over the last few years. Between catastrophic floods only three years apart and the closure of the town's mill, folks from Canton have faced it all.
While the whole town has faced those struggles, this year's graduating class from Pisgah High School has been particularly challenged. While struggling to get through high school is difficult enough, having these disasters thrown on top only made it tougher.
Those students celebrated that resilience during commencement ceremonies Friday evening, May 30, at Western Carolina University's Ramsey Center.
"We made it. It might sound like a simple phrase, but after everything we've been through, those three words carry a lot of weight," graduate Carter Francoeur said. "We went through things most schools and classes can never dream of facing."
Even before these seniors reached high school, they were facing the COVID pandemic that had plagued the world. Then their first year of high school was marred by Tropical Storm Fred's floodwaters, which devastated their community.
"We really never knew what normal meant because the first flood was our freshman year. We had to show perseverance and make sure we had our ducks in a row," Francoeur said.
Outside of floods, the graduates missed time at one point when a hacker compromised the school system's network and demanded the district pay a ransom.
"Through a global pandemic, devastating floods and even that random Russian who shut down our school for a week, we learned to adapt, to overcome and to keep moving forward," graduate Mable James said during her commencement speech.
Then, in the group's senior year, it happened again with Helene bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the mountains — causing devastating results and forcing students to miss school days once again.
"It was a little different, especially with missing a month of school because of one flood and two months of school because of another flood," said graduate Samuel Payne.
While students might not have been at school, they were still staying active in the community they hold dear.
"Me and my church did a lot of flood recovery and helping people with their houses," said Payne, who plans to major in fish and wildlife management at Haywood Community College. "I saw a lot of these same guys I'm out here with graduating today out there too. It just shows how much the community means to these guys."
While everyone faced challenges as a community, most faced challenges in their personal lives, as well. Some of those moments turned into humorous memories for the graduates looking back.
"When we did my first chorus concert, I got up there and played guitar and started in the wrong key," Payne said. "My friends all turned and looked at me like, 'What the heck are you doing man?' We ended up playing that whole song in the wrong key. It was a good moment. Nobody knew it but us."
Making it through all of that made reaching graduation that much sweeter for this year's class.
"We've been through more than most other graduating classes and still made it. It felt good," said graduate Eli Turner.
It also proved to the graduates that they can overcome whatever obstacle is in their way.
"To me, graduation meant proof," said graduate Rebecca Terrell. "Proof that I could commit, endure and succeed, even when it was hard. It was a moment to acknowledge how far I'd come, both academically and personally. It meant that the version of myself who started this journey had evolved into someone stronger, wiser and more capable."
Through all of this, the class of 2025 built on an already strong sense of camaraderie, not only among themselves but within their community.
"I am so proud to be a black bear, and I know that Pisgah High School will always be a part of us, no matter where life leads," James said.
For some, that's a feeling of togetherness that has been building since the day they were born.
"It's meant a lot," said Francoeur, a Goodnight Scholarship recipient who plans to major in pre-med biology at N.C. State University. "All my family has been at Pisgah for years and years. I grew up going to all the football and basketball games with my grandfather."
All that hard work in the classroom and away from it has paid off in a big way. As of May 21, the graduating class had racked up nearly $2 million in scholarship money.
While that money is impressive, even more of the students will be going straight into the workforce or into the military — helping the community in ways outside of higher education.
When asked what was next for him, Turner said "probably work."
"I don't have to wake up and go to school every day and can work and make money and be more," Turner said.
Beyond that, the graduates were molded into young adults by the four years of hardships, adaptability and fond memories.
"That resilience became part of who we are," Francoeur said.
Pisgah seniors recognized their most influential teacher during commencement, awarding the honor to W.C. Godfrey, who works in career and technical education. Math teacher Kristy Sorrells was named the school's teacher of the year by her fellow instructors.
About 220 Pisgah graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony.
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