PEACH COUNTY, Ga. — It's time to put on the cap and gown and celebrate all of our great graduates!
Hundreds of students walk the halls of Peach County High School every day, each with a different story.
For senior Ja'Dore Hester, her story is just getting good.
"Being here for so long, like four years, like you kind of just adapt," Hester said.
On Friday, Hester graduated near the top 10% of her class.
"I just knew I always had the goal to be an honor grad," Hester said. "That was a goal I had for myself, at the end of senior year, that's what I wanted. So, I just had to work for it even though there were many times I wanted to give up, but I always knew in the end, the result, I'd be proud of myself if I got honor grad."
Hester is known for being a social butterfly and is passionate about serving her community.
Both of Hester's parents were deeply involved in the Peach County School District for over 20 years, so she says they are her main motivation.
"If I fail an assignment, I act like it's the end of the world when it's like not the end of the world but that's just how I am because I want to do the best and like have the highest grades," Hester said. "I just have academic validation for myself, it's just something like personally for me like I like to feel proud about myself on things I do and accomplishments and also make my parents proud."
Hester was selected to be a front office assistant and completed the Peach Community Leadership Program.
"We were learning about community issues that we're facing in Peach County and we're also developing leadership skills obviously to learn in the future, so I feel like that was a cool opportunity."
Hester also completed 2 pathways in health care and picked up some audio-visual classes.
Robert Hill was her audio-visual teacher, and Hester says she is grateful he went above and beyond for her.
"He was always just supportive of me and he would always check on me more than other teachers have or make sure that I'm good," Hester said.
Hill said Hester was in his first inaugural class and set a good example.
"She is a great student and I wish I had a hundred more like her," Hill said. "Seeing her grow from teaching her as a sophomore up until now she's a senior, she was quiet when she first started but now, she's more outgoing."
Hill said CTAE teachers tend to build relationships with their students because they teach them more hands-on skills than academic teachers, so he has seen Hester every day for the past three years.
"In getting to know her, and getting to know her parents, it was just a natural fit from there," Hill said. "It's gonna be hard to see them go but a lot of our kids here at Peach County come back and visit a lot so she's not really going away, I hope she'll pop in every once in a while to check on us."
Ending her senior year with a 3.9 GPA, Hester says she wants to go into sports marketing.
"I really enjoy sports so if I went into sports marketing, it would actually be something I'd really enjoy so I kind of just put the two together so I feel like it would be the best fit," Hester said.
Hester plans to go to Kennesaw State University to receive her Bachelor of Science in Sports Management.
She says she is excited to graduate, but it will be an adjustment to a new environment.
"It's just going to be different," Hester said. "Like in this case, I'm moving to a different city, going to a different school, don't know a bunch of people, so it's just all going to be different and I'll definitely miss my hometown that I've been in like all my life."
Hester says she plans to come home to visit when she can, and her teachers including Mr. Hill have already invited her to speak to future freshmen.
Hester walked across the stage and secured her high school diploma from Peach County High School on Friday, May 24th at 9 a.m.