ELIZABETHTOWN — East Bladen High School seniors celebrated their successes Friday afternoon at the school with an afternoon of games and activities.
“I’m going to Johnson and Wales,” Lazerick Beatty said while he played the corn hole game with his friends.
Johnson and Wales is in Charlotte.
Alexandria McLean, who also was enjoying the game, said she was staying a little closer by continuing her education at Bladen Community College.
“I am going to BCC then finishing up at Fayetteville State University,” McLean said.
Some were going on into the military, and others into the work force. Students’ names were read aloud to the crowd.
“We have had the college advising corps at East and West Bladen for four years now,” said Alexis Ruth Frady. She is the college advisor for East Bladen through the N.C. State College Advising Corps.
“I am the second advisor here and this is the second year I have been in the position,” she said. “This is also the second year that I have hosted decision day like this.”
Participants were able to enjoy food, music, games, visiting with Miss NC Queens, puppies and hang out with their friends.
This is also known as College Signing Day as started by Michelle Obama.
“I am excited because I am the first in my family to go to college and even graduate,” said Olivia Hollingsworth. “So I am excited to go and make my parents and everyone proud and do something that no one in my family has done.”
She is going to be attending Western Carolina.
“I’m looking forward to making new friends,” Hollingsworth said. “And getting out there and experiencing life more than what it is in a small town.”
Demeary Britt said she will be at Robeson Community College and transferring into Greensboro.
“I’m going into the radiology technician program,” Britt said.
She said after that she is going to get her bachelor’s degree in sonography, also more commonly known as ultrasound.
“I am really looking forward to it because for the last 15 years of my life I have wanted to do education,” Britt said. “This is a huge switch for me to go into something I was terrified of. Nobody in my family has ever done it. No one has ever graduated from college.
“It’s just a big step in my life that I am looking forward to. I’m looking forward to learning. Researching into the radiology part of medicine it is amazing to me all the technology, the bones and the people. You are there to help people and point out different things and look at children, hearts, and stuff like that.”
Seniors gathered to celebrate their futures and threw their school colors in the air with powdered paint.
Alexandra McLamb and Lazerick Beatty played a few rounds of corn hole outside in the shade.
Olivia Hollingsworth (left) will be attending Western Carolina and she is the first in her family to graduate and go to college.
The group gathered at the barn in the back of the school.