CLEARWATER — Roughly 300 Clearwater High seniors received their diplomas May 22 after the group of jubilant graduates walked the BayCare Sound stage on a warm but comfortable Friday morning in Clearwater.
The Class of 2026, led by class president Juliana Myers, received loud applause from the boisterous crowd as Pinellas County Schools officials read their names. Clearwater leaders, including Mayor Bruce Rector, greeted the smiling students with hugs and handshakes.
During her speech to her class, Myers said the group persevered through a lot of adversity during their time as Tornadoes, including the construction of a new Clearwater High campus on Gulf to Bay Boulevard.
“Freshman year our school was basically an active construction site,” Myers said, “where our main task was getting to school on time.”
She said that over the last four years, “our lives have changed a lot. We have grown into amazing young adults,” adding, “high school is all about making memories, even if some are a little ridiculous!”
After the speeches were finished, the list of the accomplishments was read, and the last of the group received their diplomas, the former students were announced as official Clearwater High graduates, and a sea of red caps were flung up and then rained down under the BayCare Sound roof.