BA Cougars celebrate Class of 2025 graduates

Published 3:19 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2025

By Hunter Cloud

BROOKHAVEN — The John R. Gray Gymnasium at Brookhaven Academy was packed for the graduation of the Class of 2025 Friday. In total, 42 students walked across the stage to receive their high school diplomas with 32 of those students being honors or special honors graduates. 

Ava Calcote led the processional as graduates marched one by one down the basketball court to their seats. Calcote took her own seat behind a keyboard and played the music for the procession. 

Salutatorian Nathan Poole then took to the stage and welcomed everyone to Brookhaven Academy’s graduation. He said everyone was gathered there to mark the end of one chapter and the start of a new one. 

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“I walked in as a new kid in eighth grade. Now we are on the threshold of the future,” Poole said. “Each of you have educated, inspired, challenged and shaped us into the individuals we are today. We are thankful for the time you invested in us. The lessons you taught us will resonate beyond these walls. You were always there to remind us of our potential. To my fellow graduates, we have shared this journey together.”

Poole urged his classmates to keep Christ the central focus of their lives as they embark on a new chapter in life. He added the road ahead will have challenges but encouraged students to embrace every opportunity. 

“We may not have all of the answers but we have the knowledge and skills to find them,” Poole said. “I look forward to seeing the impact we will have on the world.”

Students then took to the stage in pairs sharing words paired with a bible verse. Those words were joy, endurance, dedication, determination, responsibility, diligence, generosity, dependability, love, loyalty, availability, humility, forgiveness, patience and courage. 

Memorial scholarships were then presented to various students. Isabell Barton was awarded the Hannah Hart Smith Scholarship; Kaleb Bullock was awarded the Pat Mullins Memorial Scholarship; and Chloe Nelson was awarded the Jansen Edward Wright Memorial Scholarship. Ava and Will Calcote were awarded the Russ Michael Mangold Memorial Scholarship. Ann Elise Duncan was awarded the Alan R. Smith Memorial Scholarship. 

Kaleb Bullock was additionally awarded the Jeffrey Bryant Johnson Memorial Scholarship. Austin Tanksley was awarded the John R. Gray Memorial Scholarship. 

Valedictorian Maddie Bullock took the stage to close the celebration. She told the class as she stood before them she was filled with many emotions. 

“Gratitude, excitement and sadness. It is surreal. I have been blessed with an amazing class,” Bullock said. “I want to thank some of the more important people in our lives. Our parents, thank you for loving us through the good times and bad times. Thank you for being our first teachers and loudest cheerleaders. We take your love and follow the guidance and wisdom you have instilled in us. We wouldn’t be standing here in front of you today without you.”

She further thanked the Brookhaven Academy teachers and staff for their role in shaping the Class of 2025. Bullock added that Cougar Blue has a special meaning to her as a senior. 

“Cougar blue is a symbol of what we have learned and who we have become,” Bullock said. “BA has prepared us to allow God to guide each step of our lives and reflect his light everywhere we go. We are far more than classmates. We are encouragers and have picked each other up through the highs and the lows. We have created our own little family. My prayer is that we allow God to guide each step and never forget our true work lies in him alone. I’m excited to see how the Lord uses us.”

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