VHS Celebrates Graduates’ Accomplishments

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Vidalia High School (VHS) celebrated the academic achievements of the Class of 2026 during a Senior Honors Night ceremony on Monday, May 18. The ceremony began with the presentation of numerous scholarships to the graduates to help fund their continuation of education. Valedictorian Sadie Berry took home the most scholarships, as she received 11 of these awards, including the American Red Cross HOSA Scholarship, Dickerson Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Larry Smith Scholarship, Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship, OneTribe Vidalia Athletics Scholarship, Pop Pop’s Photos Scholarship, William Mitchell Memorial Scholarship, VHS Beta Club Scholarship, B.A. Lancaster Scholarship, and the Meadows Medical Youth Advisory Board Scholarship.

Emily Coleman and Kingston Ryals tied for the second-most scholarships received, as each graduate was presented 7 scholarships. Coleman took home the American Business Women’s Association Bessie McLeod Scholarship, Carolyn T. Bond Memorial Scholarship, Kiwanis Club Family Scholarship, Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship, Lisa Adams Memorial Scholarship, Sarah N.

Lane Memorial Scholarship, and Walter & Hannah Morris and Mary Ann King Memorial Scholarship. Ryals accepted the Carl Parrish Memorial Student Government Association Scholarship, Dickerson Memorial Scholarship, J.R. Trippe Scholarship, Rosa Marie Asberry Memorial Scholarship, REACH Scholarship, a Georgia 4-H Scholarship, and the Gates Scholarship from Harvard University.

Other scholarships awarded were: • D.J. Wallace – Adrian Martin “Ambitious” Scholarship, OneTribe Vidalia Athletics Scholarship, Pop Pop’s Photos Scholarship, Sarah N. Lane Memorial Scholarship • Emily Kicklighter – Allyson Morgan Fullam Memorial Scholarship, Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship, National Wild Turkey Federation Scholarship • Eli Cleghorn – Amer ican Red Cross HOSA Scholarship, Larry’s Giant Subs Good Citizenship Scholarship, Rotary Presidential Scholarship, Sam Harris Galloway Memorial Scholarship, VHS Beta Club Scholarship • Justus Gabbard – Scholarship Honoring the Baseball Dads of the Class of 1995, Dr. Christy Powell Memorial Scholarship, Dartmouth College General Scholarship • Kalli Jo Roberson – Charles “Chunk” Reid Scholarship, R.E. Ledford Scholarship, Pop Pop’s Photos Scholarship, Walter & Hannah Morris and Mary Ann King Memorial Scholarship • Caleb Beck – Charles

“Chunk” Reid Scholarship • Hillaree Hankerson – Darrien Devonte’ Green Memorial Scholarship, Rosa Marie Asberry Memorial Scholarship, Omega Psi Phi Scholarship • Rori Johnson – Christine Harris Memorial Scholarship, REACH Scholarship • Remington Spell – Donna Collins Work-Based Learning Scholarship • Rayley Brantley – Donna Collins Work-Based Learning Scholarship • Kaitlyn Hunt – Doug Wilkes Memorial Scholarship, Ray Fuller Memorial Scholarship • Kelcie Howard – Dr. W.H. Bedingfield Scholarship, Jamie Lula Leah Sharpe Memorial Scholarship, Ray Fuller Memorial Scholarship, Sarah N. Lane Memorial Scholarship • Kayden Brantley – Friends of Mayor Ronnie Dixon Memorial Scholarship • Samantha Hall – Richard Brown Memorial Scholarship, Matt Oxley Family Georgia Tech Scholarship, Dorothy L.

Warthen Scholarship, Mary Beth Tapley Memorial Scholarship, Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship • MaGhew Peters – Goodman-Edwards Love Foundation Scholarship, Smitty Snell Memorial Scholarship, VHS Beta Club Scholarship • Maggie Mitchell – Cliff Poe Scholarship • Nicholas MaGhews – Jamie Lula Leah Sharpe Memorial Scholarship, Stephen A. Brown Scholarship • Cash Driggers – Mary K. Woodruff Scholarship • Helen Blount – May or Ronnie Dixon Memorial Scholarship, Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship, Sarah N. Lane Memorial Scholarship, VHS Beta Club Scholarship, Wayne D. Blount Memorial Scholarship • Laylah Brantley – Pop Pop’s Photos Scholarship • Hadleigh Lariscey – Vidalia Lions Club Scholarship, Southern Sisters of Worth Scholarship • Ava Neesmith – Sam Polk Memorial Scholarship • Gregory Huston – Sarah N. Lane Memorial Scholarship, Georgia 4-H Scholarship • Anastyn BleweG – Wayne D. Blount Memorial Scholarship • Katie Gonzalez – REACH Scholarship • Ansleigh Chambers – REACH Scholarship • Sanaya Lewis – REACH Scholarship During the ceremony, several students were also recognized for their enlistment in the United States Military. These students were Justice Cook – U.S. Army National Guard; Jordyn Goings – U.S. Air Force; Torey Jackson – U.S. Air Force; Devin Morrison – U.S. Army National Guard; Steven Strickland – U.S. Army; Tevin Wilson – U.S. Army; and Jaydyn Young – U.S. Army. Sadie Berry was named the Class’s Valedictorian, while Samantha Hall was the Class’s Salutatorian.

Honor Graduates with Distinction were Caleb Beck, Sadie Berry, Anastyn Blewett, Helen Blount, Deidra Boston, Kayden Brantley, Laylah Brantley, Rayley Brantley, Nathan Britton, Larsen Carter, Ansleigh Chambers, Eli Cleghorn, Emily Coleman, Taylor Cox, Richard Delgado, Cash Driggers, Savannah Edwards, Aiden Ellis, Adam Foster, Justus Gabbard, Katie Gonzalez, Ayden Goss, Aaliyah Green, Grace Greene, Samantha Hall, Hillaree Hankerson, Ethan Hart, Erica Harvey, Gabriella Hester, Kaitlyn Hunt, Gregory Huston, Cullen Jackson, Rori Johnson, Amy Kelley, Emily Kicklighter, Addison Lamb, Nathan Landon, Hadleigh Lariscey, Sanaya Lewis, Reagan Long, Kayden Love, Maggie Mitchell, Kiyell Mivins, Austin Mosley, Alexander Muzafarov, Cayden Nance, Ava Neesmith, Neal Olover, Om Patel, Veer Patel, Matthew Peters, Seth Powell, Maleiya Ricks, Kalli Jo Roberson, Kingston Ryals, Rileigh Scott, Remington Spell, Kayla Stephens, Trace Tippett, Lake Wright, and Jesse Wynn.

Honor Graduates were Adahir Barrios-Mendez, Marley Ferguson, Bailey Fulford, Marely Hernandez-Martinez, Torey Jackson, Maxwell Jordan, Ian Matteo-Arrayo, Keshonna McLeod, Lee Minor, Sarah Kate Sharpe, Jolene Stephens, Steven Strickland, and Elijah Thompkins.

The Vidalia High School Class of 2026 Indians turned their tassels in a unique circumstance this year, as the weather caused the traditional Graduation Ceremony to be moved to Saturday morning, May 23, and the Baseball State Championship games forced the senior baseball players to graduate in a separate ceremony on Sunday afternoon, May 24.