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King’s Fork High School graduates move their tassels at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

Nansemond River High School graduate Kami Susnis receives her diploma from NRHS Principal Daniel O’Leary at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at NRHS on Wednesday.

Lakeland High School graduates stand with their diplomas at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

Lakeland High School Principal Douglas Wagoner hands a diploma to one of the seven LHS graduates at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

Lakeland High School graduate Brianna Raisor receives her diploma from LHS Principal Douglas Wagoner at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

King’s Fork High School Principal Dr. Ronald Leigh hands a diploma to one of the 16 KFHS graduates at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

King’s Fork High School graduate Alante Baker receives his diploma from KFHS Principal Dr. Ronald Leigh at the Summer School Commencement ceremony held at Nansemond River High School on Wednesday.

With “Pomp and Circumstance” playing in the Nansemond River High School auditorium Wednesday evening, this year’s Suffolk Public Schools summer school graduates walked past more than 100 friends and family to take their seats for the commencement ceremony.

The Summer School graduates for the Class of 2018 featured 27 students from Suffolk’s three high schools — Lakeland, King’s Fork and Nansemond River — plus Smithfield High School. They were met with praise by the people that helped them reach this point, chief among them being staff and parents.

“I want to thank all the family and friends that have supported our graduates, not just tonight but during their entire educational journey,” summer school Principal Tara Worley said in her opening remarks. She added that this loving support is the common thread in each graduate’s unique story up to this point.

The commencement speaker was Dr. LaToya Harrison, the school division’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, who took the students back to their very beginnings in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten.

“As kindergarteners or pre-kindergarten students way back then, you were beaming with pride, lunchbox in hand, ready to conquer the world,” Harrison said. She described the anxious parents who were excited for the bright future of their children.

“Students, here you are, beaming with pride, soon with diplomas in hand, ready to conquer the world. Parents, once again, you may be feeling a little anxious, maybe shed a tear or two. But nonetheless, as you were on that first day of kindergarten, you are excited about the journey ahead for your child.”

She urged the graduates to embrace the uncertainty of their futures and consider each inevitable adversity as an opportunity.

“As the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, you make,” she said before the audience responded with “lemonade.” “That’s right, or as I prefer to say, make a lemonade stand. Turn every adversity into an opportunity to grow, an opportunity to become a better person, and perhaps even an opportunity to make a profit.”

Graduates heard their names called, walked towards their principals on stage and received their diplomas to rousing cheers and the lights and flashes of memories captured on smartphones and cameras.

They moved their tassels and finished their time as high school students in Suffolk with endless possibilities on the horizon.

“Class of 2018, I leave you with these words: believe in yourself. Believe that you can achieve,” Harrison said.

According to the program roster, the King’s Fork High School graduates were Domonick Addison, Alante Baker, Nakiya Barnes, Andrea Eley, Arryan Faulk, De’Zhara Ghee, Alexis Holland, Claudius Herring, Nakiyah Hunt, Anthony Kimpson Jr., Jeremy Kluck, Zahria Moore, Dymond Myrick, Kassim Rawlings, Latrell Vaughan and Daisha Wilson.

The Lakeland High School graduates were Jacob Bagley, Ki’Ontae Diggs, Brianna Raisor, D’Angelo Steward, Dontral Steward, Shanyya Tillery and Dione Wilson Jr.

The Nansemond River High School graduates were Loleita Bermea, DeVon Thurston-Elliott and Kami Susnis.

The Smithfield High School graduate was Clayton Axley.

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