Harpeth High School celebrates 110 graduates from Class of 2026

Harpeth High School recognized the graduates in its Class of 2026 on the evening of Thursday, May 21, with this year’s commencement ceremony moved indoors to the school gymnasium because of rainy weather.

Despite the change in venue, the ceremony carried on with emotion, celebration and plenty of school spirit as family members packed the gym to honor the graduates’ accomplishments.

The 110 members of the Class of 2026 leave Harpeth with an extensive list of academic, athletic and extracurricular achievements. Collectively, seniors earned 411 hours of college credit through dual enrollment classes and an additional 63 college credit hours through AP and dual credit coursework.

Forty students earned industry certifications, five student-athletes signed to play collegiate sports and four seniors advanced to TSSAA state competitions during their high school careers. Two graduates will enlist in the armed forces.

Nine seniors earned a place on Harpeth’s ACT Wall of Fame by scoring a 30 or higher on the ACT, while the graduating class secured nearly $1 million in scholarships.

Principal Lee Rector praised the class and Harpeth staff during the ceremony, calling it one of the school’s strongest years in recent memory.

Rector also recognized longtime educator Detra Emery, who is retiring after more than 30 years in education with Cheatham County Schools.

The ceremony featured musical performances from seniors Devin Adams and Eric Haas. Adams performed Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This.”

Haas, Tennessee’s top-ranked jazz band guitarist, also performed before heading to Belmont University in the fall on multiple music scholarships.

This year’s graduating class also continued Harpeth’s honors distinction tradition.

Twenty-five seniors completed more than 40 hours of community service, contributing a total of 3,159 service hours across the senior class.

Seventeen students graduated cum laude with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.49; 12 students graduated magna cum laude with GPAs between 3.5 and 3.79; and 27 students earned summa cum laude distinction with GPAs between 3.8 and 4.0.

Additionally, 34 students graduated with Tennessee State Distinction honors, awarded to students who achieved academic benchmarks such as college credit completion, industry certifications, AP exam success or ACT scores of 31 or higher.

Senior Jacob Rigby received the Harpeth Way Award, an honor presented annually to a student who demonstrates leadership, kindness, character and service to others.

“Jacob was selected for the Harpeth Way Award because he exemplifies the Harpeth Way by his work ethic, respectful manner, gentle soul, cheerful personality and his ability to connect with peers and adults alike,” Rector said.

Summa cum laude graduate and senior class president Hadley Davis was selected by her classmates to deliver the student address.

During her speech, Davis reflected on the memories and friendships built throughout the class’s four years together.

“We may not all end up in the same places, but we will always share where we started,” Davis said. “Tomorrow, life will move fast — new colleges, new careers, new faces and new responsibilities — but somewhere in our busy lives, this school will still live within us.”

Davis will attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she plans to pursue a career as a sports psychologist after earning nearly $100,000 in scholarship funding through the Hagan Scholarship.

Following the presentation of diplomas, the Class of 2026 officially graduated and exited the gymnasium to Scotty McCreery’s “Five More Minutes,” marking the close of their high school chapter and the beginning of the next.

All photos by Kristyn Wilson