Graduates are hopeful about future

At South Aiken High School's commencement Friday, Telisa Owens didn't actually hear her name called out.

But then, Owens has never heard sounds of any kind. Not only has she been deaf since birth, she has Asperger's syndrome and must contend with a disease that affects her muscles.

Yet none of this has stopped Owens from graduating magna cum laude. During the ceremony at USC Aiken's Convocation Center, Jan Altman and Cathy Stegall alternated as her interpreters. Another interpreter, Marlene Lewis, has known Owens for the past decade and is delighted with her success.

"It's very rewarding to see a student I've known since she was 8 or 9 become more outgoing and friendly," Lewis said.

Owens is the daughter of Angela and William Owens. Her mother said Telisa has been determined to earn her diploma since the age of three. She responded well to tutoring from her mom and all the interpreters who have helped her over the years.

And how did Owens manage to become an honor graduate?

"Just lucky, I guess," she said with a smile. "But I've worked very hard."

The second day of Aiken County graduations wrapped up with Aiken High, South Aiken High and North Augusta High having ceremonies back to back at the Convocation Center Friday. Wagener-Salley High School continued to stage its commencements at the school gym.

Speakers at Aiken High's graduation were valedictorian Emily Young, salutatorian Katie Gray, student body president Keely Reichel and Justin Shealy, who gave the commencement address after winning a competition.

What the AHS students have in common, said Shealy, is that they're headed in a new and exciting direction. He urged them to approach opportunities "with wisdom and boldness" and to be leaders in their community who can make a difference.

Just as she was finishing her final weeks at Aiken High, Brittany Beady collided with another player during a rainy powderpuff football game. She proved surprisingly adept with a wheelchair Friday.

"My ankle broke in three places and needed four screws during surgery," Beady said. "But I'm going to let it get me down."

Speaking at South Aiken were valedictorian Ann Kucharski and salutatorian Mark Taylor. Kucharski credited the examples of her older brothers as motivation to succeed.

"We've made it through four years at South Aiken," she told her classmates. "Each of us finding our own unique talents and remarkable gifts as we made friends and made memories."

In a time when pundits tend to exhort a sense of fatalism toward the world, Taylor asked the Class of 2009 to respond with hope.

At Wagener-Salley, Brittany Hutto served as valedictorian, just as her mother did in high school. She'll miss her friends, especially those with Army JROTC and the band.

"The past four years of our lives has been a journey filled with events that forever changed us," Hutto said. "Looking back I realize for every negative there was a positive... the pain of life comes with the joy of growing. I encourage you to reach for your dreams. You can be anything you want to be."

Many Wagener-Salley students plan to put their skills to work immediately. Several young women earned cosmetology certificates and plan to work in salons to earn money while attending Aiken Technical College and USCA this fall.

Completing the evening's activities at USCA's mammoth facility was North Augusta High School's graduation ceremony, which had Tori Seigler as valedictorian and Morgan Fletcher as salutatorian.

The program's unusual elements included a big moment for the family of Rosie Berry, who has held a variety of roles in local schools over the past couple of decades and is currently assistant superintendent of public schools in Aiken County Area Two. Her daughter, Adeana Marie Berry, was among this year's crop of Yellow Jacket seniors - and honor graduates - and the mother of the house shifted roles for a moment, during the ceremony, to offer a hug as Adeana stepped forward for her moment in the spotlight.

Among other honor graduates taking the walk Friday evening was Leah Tuten, president of the senior class. Her class, she said, has been the subject of a variety of new educational ideas over the past 12 years, so having graduation in the USCA Convocation Center seemed to be a continuation of that trend.

She said the USCA site was a hit - not nearly as hot and stuffy as the gym at the high school. It was also nice, she said, for graduates to have 10-11 tickets to offer, instead of the traditional number of six, which can be a tough situation for large families.

Contributing to this article were reporters Rachel Johnson and Bill Bengston.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.