The Fayette County School System’s Open Campus High School program conferred diplomas to its first graduates Thursday evening at F.A. Sams Auditorium.

A total of 19 students representing four of Fayette’s five high schools donned their caps and gowns from their home schools and walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.

The Open Campus program was formed this year following the closing of the Fayette County Evening High School and the Voluntary Alternative Program. Qualifying students from all five of the county’s high schools can attend. Students remain enrolled at their perspective schools while completing their courses either online or through individualized instruction.

As a future tradition, commencement exercises for the Open Campus will be held the evening of the final day of classes prior to the December break. Students from the five high schools who are scheduled to graduate in December but were not enrolled full time in Open Campus can also participate in the graduation ceremony.

“We hope more students will be encouraged to complete their coursework each fall semester and participate in the mid-year graduation ceremony,” says Kaye Eubanks, Open Campus counselor.

Students who are 16 years old, living in Fayette and have successfully completed one semester in a Fayette County high school are eligible to attend Open Campus; however, they must be recommended by their high school counselor to obtain acceptance. Students can also attend the program to make up credits with the approval of their principal or counselor.

The following students participated in the first Open Campus commencement exercises:

(Fayette County High) Brenton Lee Briggs, II; Jerrah Ann Broxton; Ayla Hannah Buckner; Jeremiah Clint Cordeiro; Jocelynn Najite’ Jenkins; Tanja Natascha Niebergall; William Alfred Rogers, III; Trenton Andreas Siler; Ashley Thiravong and Steve Randall Thompson, Jr.

(McIntosh High) Andrew Bradley Dance and Kylen Jimmy Amadeus Kemp.

(Sandy Creek High) Michael Scott Bearden; Kayla Nicole Moreland; Zachary James Newsome; Chardon Franklin Rolle and Jared Raymond Ruohonen.

(Whitewater High) Dorian Lee Ivie and Nicholas Ryan Rasmussen.

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