The Mountain Heritage High School Class of 2025 is full of courageous, resilient, and compassionate young adults. It has been a true joy to watch each of you grow and learn in so many ways since sixth grade. Parents and family members, I know how proud you must be of your children. Please know that I am honored to witness them receive their diplomas after so many years of dedication and hard work.
This senior class has endured incredible adversity. Your eighth and ninth grade years were disrupted by COVID-19. Your senior year was challenged by a devastating natural disaster. And yet, here you are—ready to celebrate a major milestone in your lives. Why? Because you leaned on each other. You leaned on your families, friends, teachers, and faith to push through to the finish line.
You deserve the highest praise for the hours, days, weeks, and months you devoted to helping others after the storm. Even as you faced heartbreak and personal losses, you stepped up in remarkable ways. You cleared roads, operated heavy equipment to repair driveways and bridges, cooked meals, cared for the injured, unloaded helicopters and delivered supplies to locations that had been thought to be inaccessible. You worked tirelessly around the clock to support our community. Your actions in this time of crisis showcased your strength and compassion. Your commitment has earned deep respect and renewed our faith in your generation. Thank you for your extraordinary work.
As you begin your next journey, I want to offer a bit of advice:
I know how difficult those days after the storm were. I cannot fully imagine what some of you saw, felt, or experienced while helping in rescues and aiding our community. And so my advice may surprise you—especially coming from a school superintendent, because it’s inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a movie now 39 years old, filled with memorable moments, music and iconic quotes. Ferris, a high school senior, caught a bit of spring fever and decided to take a day off.
As time keeps ticking by, I recall something my parents and grandparents used to say: “Time goes faster the older you get.” When you are young, time seems to move slowly. At age 14, 16 seems so far away because you can not wait to drive. As a junior in high school or college, your senior year feels like it will never never arrive. We are always waiting for the next step in life.
But life offers us countless reminders to slow down. A friend recently gave me a copy of the Serenity Prayer:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as a pathway to peace.”
—Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)
After Hurricane Helene, we came together. With no phones, social media, or TV, we were fully present with one another. We worked side by side. We lived one day at a time—and in doing so, we witnessed the best of humanity.
So now, as we give thanks and count our blessings, let’s not wait for another disaster or crisis to remind us to slow down. Let’s not wait to appreciate life and each other. Ferris Bueller really did say it best:
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
You are amazing young people. Thank you for reminding us of what truly matters and for giving us hope, even during life’s hardest moments. Keep making us proud, and know that you are always welcome home. We look forward to seeing the great things you will do in your lives.
Congratulations to you and your families!
Godspeed,
Kathy Amos
Superintendent of Yancey County Schools
