PBHS Class of 2019 joins elite group, those changing the world every day

Graduation days are full of emotion and surprises, but one senior received both during the Poplar Bluff R-1 Class of 2019 graduation ceremony Thursday evening.

Drew Metz walked across the stage to receive his diploma and missed a certain someone standing to the side.

Before officially presenting the Class of 2019, Metz was called back to the front of the room where his sister, Alyson Metz, appeared in her navy uniform and bringing him to tears.

Drew Metz was surprised when his sister, PBHS graduate Alyson Metz, came unannounced to his graduation.Photo provided

“He’s going to cry,” Metz’s mother, Sheri Bond, said before the ceremony. “Alyson is sometimes emotional, but she said she’s going to try and not cry.”

The family of Metz has been working to get his sister home from Gulf Port, Mississippi, where she is stationed, without him knowing.

Bond is a substitute teacher with the district and helped sneak her daughter into town without much of the family knowing.

“I didn’t know she was getting in as early as she did and she surprised me at school,” she said.

Alyson said she opened the door to the high school classroom her mother was in this morning to a red face and red eyes.

Drew has a strong work ethic and has been spending most of his time at his job before leaving for lineman school in Georgia in September.

In an effort to get him to take a couple days off work to spend time with his sister and family, they also enlisted the help of his girlfriend and her father, who is Drew’s boss.

“It has been a big family lie,” Bond said laughing. “If you’re going to get lied to, this is the best kind.”

The last time Alyson was home was November and she will be deployed to Spain in August.

“My brother means a lot to me,” she said.

With both her children now official graduates of Poplar Bluff High School, Bond said it will be “very weird” going back to work without her son or his friends.

“I didn’t think I would be as emotional as I am,” she said. “I didn’t think I would cry, but I will.”

The family of Cordell Floyd sat together, from Alabama to Texas, in matching “Congratulations” shirts at the Black River Coliseum as another surprise for a graduate.

“He’s Mr. Drama so he’s going to love it,” mother Brenna Pryor said.

The family said they wanted their graduate to know “they were here” and that is just what they did as he entered the room to a thunderous roar of applause and yells from the section.

Cordell smiled and waved to his family in their matching shirts.

With the brink of adulthood staring Floyd in the face, Pryor said she had been trying to speak to her son more as an adult and less like a child.

“He has been more serious this half of the year and getting stuff done,” she said.

With a long history of family in the military, Floyd plans to enter the Air Force upon graduation.

His father, Jaden Floyd, is in the Army and said he is very proud of his son and believes the Air Force will be a good fit for him based on his personality.

“The decision came because of the benefits the military offers after and he will not be starting off in debt,” he said. “I’m proud of him.”

Being an “Army guy” and dad, Jaden said he will not cry, but will internally, and give his son a shoulder bump upon his accomplishment.

Carlton McDonald-Jordan was recognized as the Class of 2019 salutatorian.

He thanked those who he said played an essential role in his success in and out of the classroom including God, his peers, teacher Mitch Davis and his mother and grandmother.

While McDonald-Jordan said it might come as a surprise to see a young African American man recognized as one of the brightest and most intellectual in his class, he was standing before the crowd on behalf of all students, no matter their background.

“We all have what it takes to be successful in this world,” he said.

He challenged his peers to be exactly who they wanted to be and not let others be the author of their story.

“This is the first step of many down a road of endless opportunities,” he said.

Valedictorian Sophie Rowland offers words of encouragement during her speech.DAR/Paul Davis

Sophia Rowland was named the valedictorian of the Class of 2019.

She referenced milestone lessons she and her peers learned along the way during their 13 years of school.

In kindergarten, students learned to tie their shoes and by grade school they had learned not to pick their noses.

In middle school, the students gained lifelong friendships and bonds while junior high brought the first realities of life.

“In high school, we learned what we do matters, our actions have consequences and we have to accept responsibility,” she said.

Rowland said graduation day was to celebrate all the opportunities the class has and the people who helped get them there.

She also added graduation day was a day to celebrate the past, but the new graduates must also keep their eyes focused on the future.

“We have always been told we are the future, but what does that mean?” she asked.

For Jillian Page, it means running for president in 2040 and for Kyle Richards it means moving to Nashville and writing a hit album, she said.

“Take the experiences learned here at Poplar Bluff, both good and bad, build and grow from them and whether you come back to Poplar Bluff or not, go make a difference,” she said.

According to PBHS Principal Mike Owen, the 321 seniors earned over $2,090,860 in scholarships, A+ and other grants.

Students were called from Destiny Ackerman, to, as his graduation cap read “Last but not least” Skyler Zitnak, and the last name Assistant Principal Sheldon Tyler will read after 21 years.

Lauren McDonough was voted as the most inspirational classmate and three students from the Class of 2019 who passed away were recognized with yellow roses on the empty seats. The roses were presented to the families of Scotty Frazier Jr., Camille McCain and Linda Schulz.

Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill told the class as this chapter in their book ends, another is beginning.

“No matter where you go, you will always be a part of our school’s family,” he said. “You are not saying goodbye, but joining an elite group of individuals who are changing the world everyday.”

A student receives her diploma Thursday during the PBHS graduation.DAR/Paul Davis