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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Jeries Lutfi, Collin Pate and Phanuelle Manuel were the three Hoover High School valedictorians chosen to speak at their graduation ceremony from among 24 valedictorians at the school. The ceremony was at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Series Lutfi gives his valedictorian address as Hoover High School awards 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 pose for photos together after being awarded their diplomas t UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 enter UAB's Bartow Arena for their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Hogan hands out diplomas at the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 wait for their graduation ceremony to begin at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. From left are Taylor Drakes, Adrienne Dorsey and Shirlina Dong. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Collin Pate gives his valedictorian address as Hoover High School awards 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Hogan hands out diplomas to members of the Class of 2024 at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 prepare to receive their diplomas at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 poses for a photo together after their graduation ceremony at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 poses for photos together after their graduation ceremony at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Ramia Wynn, a member of the Hoover High School Class of 2024, poses for a photo with grandmothers Diana Martin, left, and Sheila Scruggs after her graduation ceremony at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Phanuelle Manuel gives her valedictorian address as Hoover High School awards 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Cassidy Sharpe, president of the Hoover High School Class of 2024, addresses the audience at the graduation for the Buccaneer Class of 2024 at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Hoover High School Class of 2024 members wait for their graduation ceremony to start at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Hoover school board member Amy Tosney shares a hug and photo with her daughter, Lyla Tosney, after Hoover High School's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School awarded 627 diplomas to the Buccaneer Class of 2024 during commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School science teacher Janet Ort hugs a student at Hoover High's commencement at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Members of the Hoover High School Class of 2024 prepare to receive their diplomas at their graduation ceremony at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
The Hoover High School Class of 2024 racked up nearly $44 million in scholarship offers, Principal Jennifer Hogan told the crowd at the school’s graduation ceremony at Bartow Arena Thursday night.
But Hogan and the students who spoke at graduation talked more about the importance of character than about their accomplishments.
More than 54% of the 627 members of the class were offered scholarships, and the seniors ended up accepting $17.6 million of those offers, school officials said.
Also, 148 students in the Class of 2024 — 24% — ended their high school career with a 4.0 GPA or higher. Hoover High’s senior class had four National Merit Finalists, seven African-American Recognition Scholars, three National Hispanic Recognition Scholars and three “National Merit Commended” students.
Hoover’s Class of 2024 was accepted into 231 colleges and universities across the country, and Hogan said seeing those students prepare to embark on their next journeys has filled her with immense joy and confidence in the future.
“I have seen firsthand their dedication and their growth, their resilience, and I’m honored to stand before you tonight and celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued accomplishments,” Hogan said in his first graduation speech as Hoover’s principal. “Rest assured, Hoover High School’s Class of 2024 is prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Hogan hands out diplomas at the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
This year, the school has explored and embraced the character traits of respect, integrity and responsibility, Hogan said.
“We have asked our students to appreciate the opportunities they have been given and to celebrate one another, take ownership of their paths and their future, and to remain steadfast in their efforts to do what is right,” Hogan said.
She quoted Martin Luther King Jr., who said “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education."
“Change is inevitable, but with these character traits in hand, this graduating class will make a positive impact wherever they go from here,” Hogan said.
Cassidy Sharpe, this year’s senior class president, said the world often defines students’ success by their GPA, ACT score, awards or state championships, but she asked her classmates to “think of the connections we have made, the laughs we have had, the quality of our friendships, the lessons we’ve learned and the memories we’ve shared that we can hold onto for the rest of our lives.”
Sharpe thanked all the people who have poured into their lives — parents, teachers and other faculty and staff at Hoover High.
“You’ve been beside us through all of our ups and downs, taught us to grow as individuals and prepared us for the ever-changing world that we are about to step into,” Sharpe said. “Even though we may not always tell you, we truly appreciate all that you have done and continue to do.”
Phanuelle Manuel, one of Hoover’s 24 valedictorians this year, also thanked the dozens of adults who have cheered the students on.
“Personally, I wouldn’t be standing up here today without my parents’ dedication, sacrifices and work ethic, which have encouraged me to work harder and smarter with honesty and integrity in everything that I do,” Manuel said. “They have instilled discipline, core values and more principles in me that have made me who I am today. My parents showed me how to live as Jesus did, and I stand here today blessed and saved.”
Manuel said she is grateful to have been able to go through life alongside some of the “most charismatic, intelligent and talented people that sweet home Alabama has to offer.
“I’m very grateful for the impact you’ve all had on me, giving your best and, in turn, pushing me to work harder and harder. From the scholars to the artists to the athletes of our class, thank you for the special impact you have left on us all. You are all unique individuals who have persisted through life’s difficulties to reach this point,” Manuel said. “No matter what your plans are past graduation, you have a place and purpose in this world. You belong here. Dream big and dare to fail. Never take your first no as an answer and always fight for yourself and for what’s right.”
Photo by Jon Anderson
Jeries Lutfi, Collin Pate and Phanuelle Manuel were the three Hoover High School valedictorians chosen to speak at their graduation ceremony from among 24 valedictorians at the school. The ceremony was at UAB’s Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Photo by Jon Anderson.
She encouraged her classmates, amid the hardships of life, to keep persevering toward their goals.
“Every day may not be good, but find something good in every day,” she said.
To make a difference in life, start with something small, like picking up trash in your neighborhood or paying for a meal for the person behind you in the restaurant drive-through, she said.
“Every tiny act of kindness you make can make a lasting impact,” she said.
Collin Pate, another valedictorian, said he is thankful for his teachers — not just the course materials they taught, but for the lessons they learned that will carry them through the rest of their lives.
“Thank you for creating a safe space for so many of our students to present ideas freely without worrying about criticism or objection,” Pate said.
Each day brings new challenges, but he challenges his classmates to live a life of which they can be proud — a life not defined by limits, but rather a life that inspires change, he said.
“Without exception, the people in this world who have the ability to change things all have the guts to do it fearlessly on their own terms,” Pate said.
He holds the school record for indoor pole vaulting, so some people might find it strange that he’s afraid of heights, he said.
When people ask him if he gets scared jumping as high as he does, he usually says no, but that’s really a lie, he said.
“Every single jump I take, I have to conquer a fear,” Pate said. “The biggest part about being brave is that you have to face a fear every day.”
Jeries Lutfi, the third valedictorian who spoke Thursday night, asked people to remember the connect-the-dots books they had as children.
“We lay dots every single day — the things we do, the things we say and the decisions that we make all contribute to the complex map of dots that define our lives,” Lutfi said.[But] we only know about dots in the past. We have no idea what dots are going to be placed in our future. We cannot connect the dots looking back. We can only connect them looking forward.”
Lutfi said he laughs thinking about what he envisioned his life would be like when he was in kindergarten. “The image of who I am today looks completely different than what I once believed,” he said. “If I had to guess, all of your images would look just a little bit different, too.
“We have absolutely no idea what our picture would look like 10, 5 or event one year from now, but that shouldn’t frighten us one bit,” Lutfi said. “This message is ultimately about trust. We have to trust that our dots will somehow connect in our future. We have to trust in the skills Hoover High School has developed in us.”
Lutfi told his classmates to have the patience not to rush from dot to dot, but to take time to appreciate every piece of the puzzle.
“Do what you can now to place your dots in the right direction and be a positive light, but understand that the path of our dots is not linear nor predictable,” Lutfi said. “Even in periods of trouble when we think there is no escape, we can always trust that somehow a pivotal dot will be placed that will ultimately create the image our ourselves that we are truly meant to be.”
To see the full gallery of photos from the Hoover High Class of 2024 graduation ceremony, click here.
See coverage of the Spain Park High School Class of 2024 graduation ceremony here.
