PCHS Bulletin – Paige Harlow
Date Published – May 26, 2026
Parrish Community High School celebrated the Class of 2026 last Wednesday, May 20, honoring a senior class that has spent the year transforming fall’s application stress into spring’s well-earned accomplishments. Families, faculty, and friends filled the stadium to recognize a group of graduates whose hard work, resilience, and ambition have shaped an impressive range of post‑graduation paths.
College and Career Advisor Victoria Hedgepeth said she loves watching the progress of the the seniors. “Seeing all the students hard work payoff is a great end to the year,” she said.
Additionally, Hedgepeth shared some statistics from a senior survey:
Approximately 200 graduates will be heading to four-year universities, representing eight of Florida’s twelve state universities. Another 150 students plan to stay close to home, enrolling at Manatee Technical College or State College of Florida to pursue professional certifications or AA degrees. The remaining graduates will enter the workforce, enlist in the military, or continue exploring their options.
The Class of 2026 also earned an impressive list of accolades. 58 seniors qualified for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, a testament to their academic commitment. At the school’s annual Senior Awards Ceremony, 45 students were honored with local scholarships totaling more than $107,000, generously provided by community partners who continue to invest in Parrish’s young leaders.
One of the evening’s most anticipated recognitions was the announcement of the Head of the Herd Award, an honor selected by PCHS faculty and staff. This award celebrates graduates who exemplify academic excellence, leadership, and service to the community. This year’s recipients, Kaylin Kitchens, Alyssa Little, and Emma Spivey, received enthusiastic applause as their names were read.
Three extremely talented students, Alyssa Little, Maya Uralil, and Avery Scribner, presented their speeches at the ceremony that offered encouragement, honesty, and bittersweetness.
Little’s speech shed light on the uncertainty of the future and the pressure put onto graduating students in general. She used a poem by Mary Oliver entitled “Wild Geese” to help get her message that it is good for life to not be linear and that everyone is a work in progress.
Uralil’s speech explored a heartfelt reflection of the high school experience, quoting High School Musical’s “We’re all in this together” to conclude her speech with a sense of unity that parallels her experience at Parrish.
Scribner’s speech centered on how easily it is to be distracted by your phone and how much you can miss if you don’t get out in the world and explore what life has in store for everyone.
Overall, each speech offered an impactful, strong message to the stadium filled with people of all ages, but most importantly to the class of 2026.
As the ceremony drew to a close, there were some dark clouds threatening to soak the stadium, but this didn’t stop the Bulls. Seniors tossed their caps into the air, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of countless new ones.
The Class of 2026 stood together one final time as Parrish students before passing the graduation milestone. Their achievements, spirit, and determination shed light on the futures of each student.