MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown’s brightest will be showcased this weekend with the commencement ceremonies of three local high schools.
There will be 400 seniors graduating from Morgantown High, 280 from University High and 58 from Clay Battelle High will turn their tassels this weekend to celebrate their accomplishments.
Morgantown High is nearing a century and a half of graduation ceremonies while UHS is in its 92nd year and Clay Battelle its 79th year.
“I think Morgantown High is an institution in this county and we’re just happy to be able to carry on the traditions that have been set before us and really make this special for the students that are graduating this year,” said Paul Mihalko, principal at Morgantown High.
Students graduating have earned awards such as the West Virginia PROMISE scholarship, National Merit scholarship and training certifications.
“There’s a lot of opportunities out there provided by the school system,” said Dave Cottrell, Clay Battelle High School principal. “Our kids are very fortunate to live here in Monongalia County with what we have.”
Mihalko described the students graduating as a group with a diverse set of interests.
“It’s not just academically,” Mihalko said. ‘We’ve got plenty of kids who are using their athletic abilities to go on and get that extra education.”
There is a team of people behind the scenes that play a big role in students’ graduations according to Katrina Cimorelli, assistant principal for Clay Battelle High.
“From everyone [on] our custodial staff, to our secretaries, to our teachers and especially our school counselors, everybody works hard to get all these students out,” Cimorelli said. “And we’re proud of them. There will be tears shed for these students and the accomplishments they made and it’s well worth every moment of all the stress.”
Ceremonies are as follows:
- UHS – Fri., May 18 from 7 pm to 9 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum
- MHS – Sat., May 19 from 10 a.m. to noon at the WVU Coliseum
- Clay Battelle – Sun., May 20 at the Clay Battelle gymnasium.
Officials have reported that graduation traffic may be heavy this weekend around the Coliseum. Alternate routes are suggested.