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The ACCS Class of 2023 (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

ACCS Valedictorian Elizabeth Kate Parsons makes her way to her seat, followed by Claire Maranne Williams, salutatorian. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Salutatorian Claire Maranne Williams. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat0

ACCS Valedictorian Elizabeth Kate Parsons. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

Genetter January-Walker holds the diploma presented to her late daughter, Kristen, at the ACCS graduation Friday night. Kristen's father, James Walker, follows her. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

ACCS Headmaster David King hands a diploma to a graduate as Christina Daugherty, ACCS high school vice principal, looks on. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Faculty, family, and friends packed the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Friday night as they bid farewell to 38 Adams County Christian School seniors.

The Class of 2023 is the 53rd to graduate from the private Christian school.

The closeness of the group, many of whom have been in school together since pre-kindergarten days, was palpable during the event.

In welcoming all, Doug Broome, senior pastor at First Baptist, discussed the historically close relationship between Adams County Christian School and ACCS. He addressed the graduates and said, “Your parents made a huge financial investment in your life by sending you to ACCS. It is our prayer that this financial investment will pay dividends for the rest of your life. I want to remind everyone here that Adams County Christian School is, indeed, a Christian school.”

The keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony was Les Triplett, director of development for the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools. He urged graduates to be themselves, not follow the crowd or change who they are, and to continue to follow Christ.

Claire Maranne Williams was salutatorian for the Class of 2023. She plans to attend Copiah-Lincoln Community College, then the University of Southern Mississippi to study nursing. She plans to become a nurse practitioner.

Elizabeth Kate Parsons was valedictorian for the ACCS Class of 2023. She will attend LSU in the fall and plans to become a dentist and oral surgeon.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening was the presentation of a diploma posthumously for Kristen Walker, who attended ACCS through the seventh grade and was an honors student. She died of an illness at age 13 in 2018 at Blair E. Batson’s Children’s Hospital in Jackson.

Her parents, James Walker, and Genetter January-Walker, accepted her diploma on her behalf.

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