Hargrave Military Academy conferred diplomas upon 88 graduates Saturday during the 97th commencement exercises.
Hargrave's outgoing chief of staff, Lt. Col. John E. Borley delivered the keynote address.
He is leaving Hargrave after nine years to become headmaster of Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg.
Borley spoke of the challenges graduates will face soon after they exited Owen R. Cheatham Chapel Saturday and began their life after Hargrave.
"Gone tomorrow will be the sound of Reveille. Gone tomorrow will be morning formation, the call to chapel on Sunday, the bells to class on Monday, the call to sports, the call to study hall or non-homework study hall and finally the reverent, but so inspiring call to taps," said Borley.
Their life from now own will be absent of those calls. They will be on their own in their choices and responsibilities.
"After today the voice that breaks the silence must come from within," he added. "Not from your TAC, not from your teacher not from your coach, not from your parents. It must come from within. It must come from you."
He told them to look inside their Hargrave toolbox to find help to meet the challenges they will face.
The Hargrave toolbox has taught them how to deal with hardship, adversity and the silence of no more orders. They take with them lessons in character, leadership, dependability, integrity, enthusiasm, citizenship, decisiveness, endurance, loyalty, structure, courage and spiritual foundation, said Borley.
They also have friendships and memories that will become more and more valuable as the years pass.
Borley wished them well and told them not to be afraid to challenge their future with determination and resolution.
Valedictorian
Thomas Hayes Cooper, who achieved the highest academic average in the senior class with a 4.66 grade-point average, was named valedictorian.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Cooper of Gretna, he has been a student at Hargrave for five years.
Cooper has been on the Dean's List twice and the President's List 26 times.
A cadet officer, he is a member of the National Beta Club, the Spanish National Honor Society and has received the Scholastic Medal each year since the eighth grade for the highest GPA in his class.
While at Hargrave, he was a member of the cross country and varsity baseball teams. He will attend Virginia Tech in the fall.
Salutatorian
Named 2006 salutatorian was Jonathan Arden Marsigli, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Edwardo Marsigli of Rocky Mount, N.C.
He achieved the rank of sergeant and served as a platoon commander in Delta Company. He was a member of the Spanish Club, Beta Club and played varsity soccer.
Jonathan will attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to major in pre-law.
Outstanding senior
Cadet Cody Cameron was named "Outstanding Senior" and delivered the cadet speech at graduation.
"Hargrave has brought up the men and women we have become," he said. "I learned to stop achieving goals for approval and learned to achieve them for myself. I will always remember the choice. The choice of waking up and being a part of something great."
He is the son of Gary Cameron of Cheyenne, Wy.
Cameron is in the top 5 percent of his class, has been on the Dean's List or President's list each grading period and is a member of the National Honor Society.
"He possesses outstanding leadership qualities, holding the position of company commander," said Lynn Baker in announcing the award.
"His leadership style has a calm and patient presentation and he does not hesitate to get the job done," she added.
Cameron led Hargrave's Alpha Company during his entire senior year, which is no small feat in a military boarding school environment.
Cameron is an Eagle Scout, played varsity basketball, was varsity soccer captain and selected all conference.
Citizenship Medal
Rachael Lee Jeffcoat was presented the senior "Citizenship Medal."
The Citizenship Medal recipient is determined through interviews of each member of the 2006 senior class and selected by a vote of the school's faculty and staff.
Jeffcoat was determined to be the most deserving senior who displays the characteristics of citizenship.
Rachael was a speaker Thursday night at baccalaureate and told the senior class that each one of them will be faced with different paths as their life unfolds.
"It was not easy," she said. "There were many times that I wanted to give up.
"I told them to understand that each of us are different and we will have to go on the path that life leads us and make decisions based on what is best for us," she said. "We should make sure they are good decisions."
Jeffcoat learned during her time at Hargrave and became one of the Corps highest ranking cadets. She was the Corps of Cadets' battalion adjutant.
"Don't be a follower. Be the leader that Hargrave made you," she said. "Remember to always aim high and never give up your dreams."
While at Hargrave, Jeffcoat was Honor Council chairman and was a member of the varsity volleyball and cross country teams.
She plans to attend Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss.
Rachael is the daughter of Maj. and Mrs. Michael Jeffcoat of Chatham. Maj. Jeffcoat has served as Hargrave's commandant for the past three years.
Lankford Fellowship
The Lankford Fellowship was presented to Jim Tung, science teacher and chairman of the science department.
He will use the Lankford Fellowship to visit and survey college science departments this summer to discover the competencies they seek of incoming students trained in high school science laboratories and technical departments.
He plans to incorporate these suggestions and needs to upgrade the Hargrave science department.
Local graduates
Local graduates were Stephen Boyd, Britton Burkett (honor graduate), Dean Clay, Thomas Cooper (honor graduate), Maria Franchella (honor graduate), Rachel Jeffcoat, Tiffany Martin (honor graduate), Dustin Motley, William Owen, Joshua Price, Matthew Reynolds, Kimberly Setliff (honor graduate), Roxanne Stowe and Julie Wilson.
The graduating class included six Naval Academy post graduates and 100 percent of the class has been accepted by a college or university.
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