Parents, other family members and friends filled the Harry M. Ward Auditorium on Saturday morning to celebrate the 65 Mathews High School seniors as they received their diplomas, wishing them well as they began the next step in their life journeys. Even before they set foot in the auditorium, the members of the MHS Class of 2026 were shown some love by the MHS cafeteria staff that prepared them an impressive senior breakfast buffet. The soon-to-be graduates and faculty members marched into the auditorium accompanied by the MHS Symphonic Band, under the direction of Mark Givens, performing the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.” The crowd of well-wishers was welcomed by MHS principal Dr. Andrew Greve and senior class president Shelby Ray. Ray also addressed the spirit of camaraderie she encountered as an eighth grader. “I may not have grown up in Mathews, but on my first day of eighth grade, I walked through the doors of Thomas Hunter Middle School terrified because I didn’t know anyon...