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During a night of celebration, 157 Rusk High School Eagles prepared to leave the nest as they received their diplomas at the Class of 2022 graduation ceremony on Friday.

The topic of the night from valedictorian Trinity Asberry, who lost her mother at a young age, was the “the future” and what that meant to her.

“My task was to discuss our futures which was difficult for me. You see, I believe that our future self is a product of the lessons learned from the experiences of the past. The past is just one of the three components of time, but it is the foundation of the future,” Asberry said. “Time is the past, present and future; to some it’s just four letters that construct the dash between years on a headstone. Refer to time however you please, but remember that it isn’t guaranteed to anyone, this is the first lesson I learned from my past. When I was 8 years old, my mother, one of the kindest and seemingly timeless souls, passed away at thirty three.”

Asberry went on to discuss the meaning of the present.

“The present serves as the premise of what the future may hold. It is the timeframe where we make decisions that determine who we choose to be,” she said. “Like how we’ve recently chosen colleges, careers and different cities for the next chapter of our lives.”

Asberry ended her speech by saying the most important part of the future is remembering where you came from.

“The last message that I want to leave with you all for our futures is to remember your roots and the people that shaped your character,” Asberry said. “Remember all that has been instilled into you by your moms and dads. Never let go of the yes and no ma’am’s, but more importantly never let go of who taught them to you.”

Asberry, who made Rusk High School history by being the first Black valedictorian, will be attending Texas Southern University.

Mason Blalock, who will be attending Baylor University, graduated as salutatorian and Esther Reifel graduated with high honors.

More than $1,093,709 was awarded to Rusk High School seniors in scholarship funds.

Principal Ronny Snow and Board President Jake Ocker both shared congratulations while Superintendent Grey Burton recognized students that have enlisted in the branches of the Armed Forces.