Kendall Johnson achieved a distinction Friday no other Mead Hall Episcopal School student has ever accomplished.

Johnson is the first student to graduate who attended the school from 3K to 12th grade since Mead Hall added an upper school after merging with Aiken Preparatory School in 2012.

“I've been going here for 15 years. I grew up in this gym, on this campus, with all of these people,” Johnson said before the commencement ceremony began. “Our amazing teachers are like my moms and dads. I'm definitely going to miss being part of this family. I'm just really excited to have a day all about Mead Hall.”

Johnson, who will attend Anderson University in the fall to major in creative writing and minor in criminal justice, was one of 11 graduates in the class of 2018.

Hagan Goings, who started at Mead Hall in the eighth grade, said he loved the school's small classes.

“You get more help one-on-one with teachers,” he said.

And Goings, who will attend Spartanburg Methodist College in the fall to study theater, agreed with Johnson that Mead Hall is "like a family."

“I'll miss everything about the school," he said. "They welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. There are no words to describe how much this school means to me.”

During the ceremony, Johnson and Jack Merritt received the American Legion Award. Other award winners were as follows:

• Aidan Edwards, Sandy Rogers Community Service Award

• Abby Wiseman, Episcopal Character Award

• Audrey Wiseman, Headmaster's Award

• Faith Kneece, Palmetto Award.

Abby Wiseman also was the class valedictorian.

“We're really proud of our school and the 11 seniors who are graduating,” said Allen Dennis, the chairman of the Mead Hall Board. “They're all going to college and were offered more than $2 million in scholarships for the coming year.”

Dennis said he and the board also proud of Kitty Gordon, who will retire at the end of June after 15 years as the head of school.

“She leaves a great legacy for us,” he said.

Penny Barker will become the new head of school July 1.

“I'm very excited to join the journey with Mead Hall,” Barker said. “It's been an extremely powerful journey to date, and I'm looking forward to continuing that momentum as we seek to reach more families and embrace more children under the ethos of this school, which is its academic excellence and its spiritual and moral integrity. It's a pleasure to be here at this time of year to see the graduation. It's been a blessing to me.”

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