313 graduate from McDowell High School
'You have demonstrated resilience, determination, kindness, and a commitment to one another'
A senior gets his diploma Friday night.
A graduating senior walks across the stage.
McDowell High School graduated 313 seniors on Friday.
On Friday, the McDowell High School auxiliary gym held a rumble of excitement, laughter and chatter. Seniors swathed in acres of sashes, cords and medallions snapped a final selfie with their besties and favorite teachers; their grins as big as their futures. They adjusted each other's caps, tweaked a tassel or two, straightened a stole — then suddenly, it was time to line up for the very last time as McDowell High School graduated its latest senior class.
At 7 p.m., 313 eager seniors made their way onto the MHS football field, crossed the proverbial stage, shook a slew of hands, and received the paper proof of 13 years of pomp and circumstance.
The journey to the stage was not easy: These students were in sixth grade when COVID-19 hit; they were sophomores when Hurricane Helene slapped their communities.
But it was those very kinds of challenges that shaped and strengthened McDowell's graduating class into the multi-layered young people they are.
According to principal Tracy Widmann, McDowell's college-bound seniors have earned over $800,000 in scholarships. "This accomplishment reflects their hard work and determination," Widmann said.
Graduate Harper Helms, McDowell's 2025-2026 homecoming queen, is one of these students. Helms says graduating is both an accomplishment and a statement to the hard work and perseverance it takes to approach the stage.
"Graduating means accomplishing something I've worked toward for many years," Helms said. "Graduation has always seemed so far away, and now that it's here… (it's) a proud and emotional moment that reflects all of the hard work that got me here."
And for Helms, the challenges and hard work are what have propelled her to Western Carolina University, where she will study health science prerequisites before pursuing a sonography degree and "(building) a career in helping others through healthcare."
Widmann says about 25% of the class of 2026 is headed straight into the workforce, "ready to contribute their talents, their skills, and their work ethic to industries and business that strengthen our community each and every day." Graduates will be pursuing diverse careers, including military service, the health sciences, welding, HVAC professions, teaching and law enforcement. One student even hopes to become a flight nurse in the United States Air Force after college.
Graduate Bryson Holland is a prime example of this commitment to community service. While acknowledging the nerves and excitement of the evening, Holland still says graduation is a "step to the new beginning" for him as he begins a career with the prison system. He hopes to go into law enforcement, a career where he will not only be challenged with something new everyday, but will be able to help create healthy communities in McDowell County. Service and healthy commu nities lie at the heart of these aspirations. But just as important as achievement is connection: with each other and with their teachers. No one exemplifies this more than English teacher Andy Ferguson. McDowell's 2026 graduation might be a first for the class, but it is Ferguson's 19th march to Pomp and Circumstance. Yet this one is particularly special.
"My BRIDGE kids are graduating," Ferguson said, referencing an experimental program in which particular ninth graders were grouped and monitored through to their senior year to ensure academic success and, at last, graduation.
"I've taught 'em English all four years," Ferguson continued. "The whole point is to see them all the way through to graduation. Like this one right here —" Ferguson gestured at a nearby student. "I told him when he was a freshman I was gonna drag him kicking and screaming over the stage if I had to." But as a testament to the power of genuine connection, Ferguson was proud to say the student was going to cross the stage "on his own … or he better."
The student? Bryson Holland. Even for newcomers to the Titan family, like Widmann, the tenacity of the class of 2026 is evident.
"What's impressed me most about the senior class is not just what you've accomplished, but your character," Widmann said to graduates before receiving their diplomas. "You have demonstrated resilience, determination, kindness, and a commitment to one another. You've represented McDowell High School with pride, whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, on the stage, in clubs, or through service to our community. The future is very bright for this class."
And as Widmann concluded in her speech, "Once a Titan, always a Titan."
