Chatham Charter School honors class of 2023 graduates

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Chatham Charter School sponsored activities this week in preparation for its Class of 2023 to graduate. There are 39 students in the graduating class, 13 of whom have been students at the school since they were in kindergarten.

The school held its annual Commencement ceremony on Saturday morning, May 13, in the Julia-Brent Milholen Gymnasium on campus. During the ticketed event, families and friends celebrated the students completing their K-12 education and moving to pursue college degrees or enter the workforce.

On Sunday evening, May 7, the school held a Senior Honor Night during which the high school faculty and administration presented awards and honors to members of the graduating class. State diploma endorsements, honor graduate announcements, scholarships, and other special accomplishments in academics and in extracurricular activities were features of the program. Page Skelton, founder of the Cackalacky Brands, was the guest speaker. He shared his entrepreneurial experience in creating his highly successful family business and challenged the students to confidently work toward achieving their own dreams no matter how illusive they may seem. Dr. Kristi Short, vice president and chief academic officer of Central Carolina Community College, and History Instructor Robert Barnes were on hand to recognize each senior for participating in the N.C. Career and College Promise (CCP) at CCCC through its partnership with Chatham Charter. Thirty-one of this year’s seniors will complete a Pathway, a percentage nearly unheard of across the state. Three students completed two Pathways. All seniors participated in the CCP program. Short noted the strong partnership between the two schools that allows the majority of Chatham Charter upperclassmen to graduate with over 30 transferable college credits.

“It is always thrilling to reach this point in any school year when we can celebrate the accomplishments of our students and reflect on how they have taken advantage of the opportunities our school provides for them to be well prepared for the next phase of their lives,” commented Dr. John Eldridge, Superintendent of Chatham Charter and its replication school in Sanford, Central Carolina Academy.