This is the 12th entry in the Class of 2023 series.
Salutatorian Blakely Hopkins took the words out of the mouth of Principal Ronnieus Thompson, and Thompson reiterated the point: "What a great day to be a Zebra!"
Pine Bluff High School graduated a class of 147 Friday night at the city's Convention Center arena. The class was led by valedictorian Erika Washington, Hopkins and 19 honor graduates, and it also featured members of Pine Bluff's boys basketball team, whose 5A state championship was a big highlight of the seniors' school year.
Like the basketball Zebras' path to a title, the educational process wasn't easy, Hopkins said, but it was worth it.
"I never thought I'd be in this position, but it's because of the declaration my parents spoke over me," she said.
She read another declaration from Psalms 46:5: "God is within her; she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."
Pine Bluff's graduation was the first in five years with school board members on the stage. A limited-authority board was established to lead the state-run Pine Bluff School District in January.
The district will see another change July 1 when sister campus Dollarway High School merges with PBHS. Dollarway held its final graduation Thursday evening at the Convention Center auditorium.
On Friday Thompson offered the seniors three keys to future success: Fortitude, or courage gained in adversity, as she defined; fight, willingness to defend and engage in battle in order to reach a goal; and faith, believing something will happen even when one doesn't see it.
Washington may as well have relied on these elements to reach the summit of her class.
"Though some of you teachers gave us a hard time, you truly meant well," Washington said.
The reality of high school also wasn't anything Washington thought it would be when she first stepped on the PBHS campus.
"Many of us went in thinking it would be like a TV show," she said. "It was nothing like middle school, and it was nothing like 'Euphoria'."