VASHON HIGH SCHOOL — Vashon High School conferred diplomas and celebrated graduates with speeches, scholarships and community honors during its Class of 2025 commencement ceremony in St. Louis.

College admissions specialist Melissa Brooks told the audience that the senior class had earned more than $2,800,000 in scholarship offers. "This extraordinary achievement reflects the countless hours spent studying, overcoming challenges, and striving to reach their goals," Brooks said.

The announcement was a centerpiece of a program that included a keynote address, awards presentations and recognition of individual student stories. "Now is the time for the next level. It's time to elevate," keynote speaker Carol Daniels told graduates, invoking resilience after she described recent local storm damage and urged students to use their education to go "higher." "Yesterday, 5,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Five people lost their lives," Daniels said as part of an anecdote about weather-related destruction and survival.

The ceremony highlighted academic leaders and special recognitions. Alexis Berry, the class valedictorian and senior class president, told classmates: "Believe in yourself even when it feels like no one else does." Kira Burns, salutatorian and honored as a top scholar, received special recognition after organizers said she had amassed more than $1,000,000 in scholarship offers.

Presentations from community groups followed. Janice Holland, chairperson of the Vashon Unified Alumni Association, presented alumni scholarships and certificate awards to five students. Dr. Christine Crowder, an alum who described the legacy of James "Pops" Ford, said the James M. Ford Memorial Scholarship — in its fourth year — would provide $1,000 awards to one male and one female student athlete; the committee named Paige Riggins and Morris Lawrence Jr. as the 2025 recipients.

Administrators also singled out students who overcame substantial obstacles. In a special recognition, Doctor Belfort said Tykira Marbly began the school year credit-deficient but "with incredible grit, determination, and perseverance, Tykira completed 14 classes in 3 months" and graduated with the class.

Speakers and presenters balanced celebration with practical advice. In her keynote, Daniels offered examples of career and earnings paths for graduates — attributing the figures to broad averages — and urged students to consider trades, college and entrepreneurship. "You have to think big in order to elevate," she said.

The formal conferral concluded the ceremony. A school official declared, "By the authority vested in me by the Saint Louis Public Schools District in the state of Missouri, and on behalf of the faculty and administration, I now confer you the title of high school graduate." Graduates then moved their tassels and processed from the stage.

The program included musical performances, scholarship presentations by alumni groups and multiple student speeches. Organizers and presenters emphasized community support for the graduates and encouraged the class to pursue further education, trades, military service or entrepreneurship.

Officials did not provide an itemized list of every scholarship recipient or a full breakdown of the $2.8 million figure at the ceremony; some scholarship award amounts and sources were announced verbally. The graduation program also included a broad acknowledgement from school leaders that families and staff played central roles in the students' achievements.