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Wlaf1450CCHS seniors participate in Ayers Foundation Signing Day
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- Thursday morning was a momentous occasion for Campbell County High School seniors as they celebrated their upcoming graduation with a “CCHS Signing Day” event sponsored by the Ayers Foundation Trust.
“This is a day to celebrate our seniors and whatever their plans are after graduation, whether that be going to community college, university, military, workforce; we’re here to see them to and through whatever their plans are after graduation,” said Ayers Foundation Trust College Access Counselor Vannessa Overton.
The Ayers Foundation Trust was started by Jim Ayers in 1999 to “ensure that students in rural communities had the opportunity to go to college. His mission is to see that everyone has a chance to have a better life.”
Jim Ayers passed away just last month on April 1. His wife Janet is the President of the Ayers Foundation, continuing the legacy of her husband. He was from Parsons, Tennessee, and started the initial program in schools in that area and then over the course of 25 years, the program has expanded to 33 high schools and is “preparing to add more with another expansion soon.” The Ayers Foundation Trust Scholars program supports students across 21 rural counties in the state. This is the second year and second graduating class for the Ayers Foundation Trust in Campbell County.
On Thursday, seniors got called one by one to come up, walk the red carpet and have their picture snapped and sign the Ayers Foundation Trust banner. Seniors also signed the rock out in front of the school.
This year’s graduating Campbell County High School senior class was awarded a total of over $4 million in scholarships and grants.
The CCHS Jazz band performed as people were taking their seats. The Campbell County High School JROTC Color Guard presented the colors at the start of the event and the CCHS choir sang the National Anthem.
Opening remarks were made by Director of Schools Jennifer Fields.
“Today is all about you seniors. This moment represents years of hard work, growth and perseverance, whether you’re heading to college, joining the workforce, enlisting in the military or pursuing a trade or certification, each of you has made a decision about your future and that is something to be incredibly proud of. Senior Signing Day is not just a ceremony, it’s a celebration of commitment, a moment to honor your next steps and recognize every pathway forward has value, purpose and potential. To all the families, teachers and staff who are here today, thank you for your guidance, support and encouragement that you have given these students along the way…Congratulations Class of 2025, this is your moment and we’re very proud of you,” Fields said.
On Thursday, the graduating class heard from their Senior Class President Eden Elkins and Senior Class Vice President Keagan Roberts.
Elkins congratulated her fellow classmates on their achievements and told them they were greater than their hopes, dreams and future aspirations.
She encouraged students to go out and be “change makers.”
“A change maker is someone who actively works to create positive change in their community or the world…It’s our job to make a difference in the world…Our world needs smart, genuine, loving and kind people like yourself to be a light in the darkness of oppression, anxiety and depression, of course, our careers are vital to making this change is someway, but sometimes we over focus so much on ourselves and our own personal goals and achievements that we miss the whole point, we were created to love one another fully, we were created to put others above our self, we were created to make a difference, even if it is small. So, remember that you are valued more than the future that you have decided for yourself and that your true career, whether it be police officer, doctor, a teacher, or soldier or anything else, your true career is to be a change maker,” Elkins said. She also thanked the Ayers Foundation for being change makers in the Campbell County Community before concluding “As always and forever, Go Cougars!”
CCHS Senior Vice president Keagan Roberts also spoke.
“We have learned and grown so much over the past four years together, of course there were times when it was rougher than not, but it all does not matter now, because we did it, we took on each year with courage and willfulness and now we get to bask in the glory of it being over and look to one another as we begin our own personal and unique journeys. I know some of you are sad and worried about what’s ahead, but I think if you were able to do this and survive, you will be able to do anything you put your mind to. So, to the class of 2025, I hope and wish that you keep excelling the way you did here, that you continue your journeys with the same persistence and determination that we’ve had and that with every rough patch you continue to get up and keep pushing on. It really has been amazing to spend these past four years with all of you,” Roberts said.
Eighth Judicial District Judge Zach Walden was the guest speaker for Thursday’s event. He presides over the criminal court, recovery court and veteran treatment court for Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union Counties. Walden was elected in 2022 and is the youngest trial court Judge in the United States and is a 2009 graduate of CCHS.
Walden said he was proud to be a Campbell County High School alumni and proud to call “this community home.”
“This is signing day, it’s not just about recognizing that you all are finishing high school, that celebration is coming soon, and you have earned it, but today is about something else, it is about what comes next. Today you’re signing on, not just to a school, or position in the workforce or military service, but to your future,” Walden said. He told seniors that “there is no one right path”
“Some of you are heading to college, some of you are heading to trade schools, some to jobs, some of you are going into public service, everyone of those paths today is a valuable path, everyone is honorable and can lead to a life that you are proud of … It starts with decisions you will make at your age that will shape what you will become,” Walden said.
He told students they didn’t have to have ‘it all figured out right now” but to “work hard, learn from mistakes” and to surround themselves with others who make good decisions.
He also told students to commit to growth, to never stop learning, ask questions, listen and to remember it’s okay to be wrong, and to “not be afraid of the hard stuff.”
He also encouraged them to remember their roots.
“Remember where you came from, you’re from Campbell County; this place is a lot more special than you realize. For those of you that are getting to go out, do great things and live away from here, you are going to be surprised at how often you interact with someone who has a connection to Campbell County, I have always said it was the center of the universe, anywhere I have ever traveled or have ever been I find people who have a connection to Campbell County Tennessee…Some of the great leaders in our country walked these hallways. You come from a place full of grit, kindness and community, it’s a beautiful place, no matter where you go, carry that with you and when you can, come back and give back, Campbell County will only be better if you make it better,” Walden said.
His final message to students was to “use their time wisely.”
“Today is your day to sign on to what’s next and know this, your story is just beginning and each of us in this room are so proud of you, not just of where you have been, but of all that you are going to accomplish,” Walden said.
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
Below, take a visit through The Grand on Central.
For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/05/2025-6AM)