Commencement ceremonies can’t help but bring out feelings of finality and transition. For graduates of any school, these events are moments to celebrate not only how far they have come but to ponder where they’re going. For Cody White, Davie High Senior and the student-selected War Eagle Speaker for graduation, this brought to mind one clear image: a bear sitting in the woods.
“It has been observed in the wild,” White said, “that bears like to sit and admire their environment in the same way people admire things like sunsets or their favorite paintings.”
These words set the tone for White’s address to his fellow graduates, words that were part of a broader reflection on his educational experience and the moments that made it all worth it — moments he paused to reflect on, just as he mentions bears (his favorite animal) do.
From the teachers who helped the class of 2026 graduates make it through their toughest moments in high school to the clubs, classes, and even the smallest interactions that allowed the graduates to simply be themselves, White tells his graduating class that these moments have given him something great to look back and reflect on, and invites his peers to do the same.
White’s speech was the final of the four student speakers at Davie High’s 2026 Commencement, which took place the morning of June 6 inside War Eagle Stadium. Student Body President Bailey Aderhold gave a welcoming address to her peers and graduates, extending a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has made high school such a special experience and has helped each student succeed in their time at DCHS. Per tradition, her address was followed by an invocation delivered by Senior Class President Grady Phillips, who led the senior class in a prayer that empowered them to be sent off into the world. Referencing Jesus’s commissioning of the Twelve Apostles to be sent on their own missions, he encouraged graduates to use their hard-earned knowledge and wisdom to always do good in the world.
The Class of 2026 is already striving to use their knowledge and experience to help them succeed at the next level, with 15% of graduates seeking employment, 82% enrolling in higher education, and 3% enlisting after graduation. DCHS’s robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) program has helped this year’s class earn 516 CTE credentials, and 19 students will become collegiate student-athletes. These War Eagles have truly taken advantage of the wonderful opportunities DCHS provides and will continue to make DCHS proud.
The ceremony was also marked by moments of reflection on what it means to be not just a graduate, but a member of the broader Davie County community. Academic Speaker Jackson Barrett gave an address highlighting how high school has shaped and informed his identity through the lessons he’s learned and the community he’s found. One of the most unique things about being a War Eagle, Barrett says, is the fact that most don’t identify themselves as being from Advance or Cooleemee or Mocksville — rather, most say they are from Davie County. This strong sense of identity and community among DCHS graduates is what makes Davie County such a special place to be from and attend school in.
The final speaker, former English teacher and 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year Donna Dunn, provided the graduates with a hopeful message — one inspired by her love of teaching and her getting to know the graduating class throughout their years at DCHS. She shared with the graduates just how special Davie County is, and how the knowledge they have gained, along with the relationships they have made and every small moment that got them there, will continue to serve them well in their lives and shape their futures. Dunn urged the graduates to continue to learn, to ask questions, to grow, and to remember who they are and who they have become throughout their time as students.
DCHS’s class of 2026 truly comes from a special place. As Barrett said in his address, “When something happens to one of us, we come together. I think this high school has something to do with that sense of identity. While we start at different elementary schools, we all become War Eagles.”
From the first days of freshman year to the long yet bittersweet final days of senior year, this year’s graduating class has had such special opportunities to form relationships with both their peers and teachers. During the graduation ceremony, teachers and staff lined the path as the graduates walked into the stadium and sat in a row to the side so students could come up and hug, fist bump, or say thank you to their teachers one final time as they received their diplomas.
The Weekly Talon extends congratulations to the class of 2026. As this year’s speakers have said and as you have likely experienced in your time at DCHS, Davie County is a special place to call home — and that home will always be there for you.
