The official first day of summer is still a few weeks away, but the end of graduation season brought plenty of good news throughout the Miss-Lou last week.

Before we prepare for the week ahead, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights:

-Nearly 200 Natchez High School students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and become graduates. The graduation ceremony was filled with words of inspiration by valedictorian Akia Delandria Johnson, who said the night offered new beginnings for the next chapters in their lives. We congratulate all the graduates and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

-Friends and family of Brody BeQuette, a 4-year-old diagnosed with a cancerous tumor, hosted a lemonade sale to help raise money to pay for a six-week trip BeQuette will take to Florida for radiation treatment. Residents came out in droves to buy lemonade, cookies and “We Love Brody” bracelets. The initiative by those hosting the sale and the response by the community was a great thing to see.

-Ferriday High School valedictorian Cailyn Glenn got to the top spot in his class by maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and a friendly wager with his mom, who encouraged Glenn to earn the title she barely missed during her high school days. The wager and Glenn’s academic drive eventually paid off, and the Ferriday native is heading to Louisiana State University to study kinesiology. We congratulate Glenn on his academic success and wish him the best in Baton Rouge.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast for a majority of the week ahead, but don’t let that stop you from doing great things in your community.