A storm delayed the start but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and cheers from the thousands who turned out Saturday night at Liberty County High School’s Donell Woods Stadium/Kirk Warner Field for the class of 2026’s graduation.

The graduation was a “monumental milestone,” senior class vice president Adalyn Norton told her classmates.

“These four years have been extremely tiring and challenging,” she said, “but through the laughs, tears, last-minute assignments and the connections formed we have been able to grow, not only as scholars but as individuals and for this, I am forever grateful.”

Liberty County’s 2026 class was 276 strong, and all told, the graduates earned 172 scholarships — worth more than $478,000 — and 83 technical certificates of credit. Nearly half of the class, 134, were dual enrolled students and they took 451 dual enrollment courses.

“Everyone here has played a meaningful, impactful role in someone’s life, ensuring that these last four years have been nothing short of memorable but most importantly successful,” Norton said.

Class salutatorian Daizey Keller recalled moving from Washington state to Liberty County just before her ninth grade year.

“My freshman self would be in disbelief seeing how much Liberty County High School has shaped who I am today,” she said. “My younger self would have never thought I would be standing here, given the opportunity to speak to all 276 of these strong, resilient, hard-working graduates.”

Keller also offered her gratitude to all those who helped the class get to its graduation night, from the teachers who showed them what a love of learning is and to the staff “who made us feel seen and chosen when we were in a place in our life when no one seemed to care.”

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Keller added. “But despite anyone or anything that tries to hinder our success, we have come out stronger and better prepared for what’s to come when we step away from this field.”

Keller saved her biggest thanks for her parents. She also praised her classmates for what they have one.

“I love each and every one of you and I am so proud of what we have accomplished and I pray our paths will cross again,” she said.

Valedictorian Xaimary Torres Ortiz followed a unique path to Liberty County High. Her family left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged it in 2017. She came to the U.S. with her mother and her mother’s two sisters.

Giving the valedictory to her graduating class was something she could never imagine after coming to the mainland U.S. and likened to the high school years she and her classmates encountered.

“Through our long journey, we have shown resilience and determination every day,” she said.

Torres Ortiz quoted Albert Einstein, who equated life to a riding bicycle. To keep your balance, he said, you must keep moving.

“Eventually we have to move forward on our own, taking off the training wheels,” she said. “We may stumble and fall but what matters is getting back up. we faced many challenges. We faced Hurricane Helene, snow day and new rules. Today we stand confident and determined, ready to celebrate this achievement and ready to take on the real world to pursue our aspirations.”

Torres Ortiz also thanked the school’s JROTC program for shaping her and other students through responsibility, discipline and teamwork. She also credited the school system’s ESOL — English speakers of other languages — program for helping her.

She saved her largest thanks for her mother, a cancer survivor and a single mother of three when she left Puerto Rico.

“Thank you for giving me the best life,” Torres Ortiz said. “You overcame countless challenges with courage and love. You inspire me every day. I dedicate my valedictory honors to you.”

Her classmates showed her what it means to be on a never-ending roller coaster of emotions, class president Jaia Lewis said.

“Each of us has made memories that will last a lifetime,” she said. “So as we walk across the stage, take it all in. Take every second of tonight into consideration. There will be obstacles to overcome but the most important thing is to never give up.”