Northwest Cabarrus High School held a commencement ceremony recognizing its Class of 2025 at the school, where graduates turned their tassels and school leaders presented names and remarks.

The ceremony featured remarks from school officials and student speakers emphasizing perseverance, community and continued growth. Principal Thomas reminded graduates to “expect greatness” and urged them to care for themselves and others. Student speaker Ari Pryor encouraged peers to “carry this message with you,” and senior class president Amelia Sanchez told classmates the moment was “the result of every chapter we’ve written together.”

The event matters to the local community because it formally recognizes students who met the requirements for graduation and was presented under the authority of state and county education officials. In the ceremony, an announcer said, “The State of North Carolina and Cabarrus County Board of Education have provided me with the opportunity to confirm the successful completion of all requirements for your high school diploma,” and graduates were instructed to turn their tassels.

Principal Thomas, identified in the program simply as Thomas, delivered a set of brief advisories he called “Thomas’s Top 5,” urging graduates to take risks, practice gratitude, and look after their health. “Life will pay you back for good and sometimes not so good. So be the person who puts good in the world,” Thomas said. Student speaker Ari Pryor told classmates to “plant ambition” and “plant kindness,” framing graduation as the start of a new chapter rather than an end.

Amelia Sanchez, speaking as senior class president, reflected on shared experiences at Northwest Cabarrus and said the class’s legacy would live on through the ways graduates influence others. Other speakers and remarks referenced the school’s traditions, noting Northwest Cabarrus opened in 1966 and has a long history in the community.

An announcer read a roll of graduates’ names aloud during the ceremony; the program included more than 300 names (read during the event). At the close of the ceremony, the principal formally presented the Class of 2025 to the audience: “It is my honor and privilege to present to you Trojan Nation’s Class of 2025.”

The ceremony combined formal recognition of diploma completion with customary commencement remarks. No board actions, votes or policy decisions were taken during the event. Graduates, families and school staff were the primary participants and audience.