Congratulations, class of 2016

Tea Area’s first group of students to complete all 13 years as Titans celebrated their final moments as seniors Sunday in a ceremony packed with pomp and circumstance.

Teary eyes and joyous smiles filled the school gymnasium as the walls echoed with melodious music, fond farewells and words of wisdom.

Keynote speaker and band director Mary Beth Sutton gave the class of 2016 one final assignment: to find their purpose in life and live it with passion, persistence and perseverance.

“I hope you will hear my voice in your ear telling each and every one you that I believe in you,” Sutton said.

Salutatorian Dana LeVan echoed that message.

“I strongly believe each of us has the potential to succeed. We must take a risk and take a chance to work for what we want. You are kind, you are smart and you are important,” said LeVan, who plans to study music education at Harding University in the fall.

Valedictorian Rebecca Burrows talked about memories, from wearing shiny, new backpacks and mismatched clothes in kindergarten and enduring cold winters in stick built classrooms in sixth grade to transitioning to teenagers and suffering through their final year with a severe case of senioritis.

“We are the first class of full-bloooded Titans,” Burrows said.

She quoted Dr. Seuss and John 16:33 and reminded her classmates it was time to continue on their continues.

“Congratulations, class of 2016. We survived high school,” she concluded.

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