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Kenndra Hunter listens during the Natchez High School commencement ceremony Friday at the Natchez Convention Center. (Nicole Hester, The Natchez)

Natchez High School graduates listen during the commencement ceremony Friday at the Natchez Convention Center. (Nicole Hester, The Natchez)

EJ Woods listen during the commencement ceremony Friday at the Natchez Convention Center. (Nicole Hester, The Natchez)

Greg Byrd sings with fellow graduates during the Natchez High School and Natchez Early College Academy commencement ceremony Friday at the Natchez Convention Center.

A new car for Ty'Dreik Perkins, sits outside covered with balloons during the commencement ceremony for Natchez High School Friday at the Natchez Convention Center. (Nicole Hester, The Natchez)

NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School District Class of 2018 hit on two main themes during Friday night’s graduation: Perseverance and striving for excellence.

Natchez Early College Academy and Natchez High School graduates made up a sea of blue and gold, and those who spoke at the graduation encouraged each and every one of their classmates to be great.

Perseverance got those students to this point, and that desire to strive for greatness must remain no matter what challenges lie ahead, said Terries Smith, one of NECA’s valedictorians alongside Brian Jackson.

Smith left her classmates with three simple steps to achieve success: “One, set goals, no matter how small or big … Two, be consistent … and, last but not least, you don’t have to be perfect,” Smith said to her classmates.

“You’re going to mess up. I can say this from firsthand experience, but like my quote (from musician LL Cool J) says, ‘No matter how many times you lose, you keep trying to win.’

“So as we leave this gathering tonight with diplomas in hand, I would like to say, keep striving to do your best and be your best wherever life takes you.”

Natchez High valedictorian Deepkumar Panchal, who took the stage as his classmates belted out a chorus of, “Deeeep,” offered a similar message for his fellow NHS grads.

“My challenge to each of you and to myself is to do all you can do to reach your full potential,” Panchal said. “If each of the graduating students … is able to do that, just imagine the effect it would have on the world; on Mississippi; on Natchez.”

But while striving for greatness was a core challenge to the graduates, that message went hand in hand with another, which is that students are not alone in their task.

Embodying that notion was the choir’s soulful farewell song, Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.”

And just as the lyrics say, despite the farewell, members of the NECA and NHS Class of 2018 can help each other “carry on.”

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