Valedictorian Donnielle Jones plans to major in biomedical engineering at North Carolina State and hopes to eventually study abroad in Australia.

Her message to classmates was to continue allowing themselves to grow past the experience at Oak Ridge and move on to achieve something even greater.

“Hard work has gotten us to this point,” Jones said. “We’ve had some good times and some bad times along the way. But overall, it’s been a great ride. I wouldn’t want to have experienced this with any other group of people. We’re all special in our right and have each learned different life lessons throughout our journey. We should take those lessons and keep them in our minds and in our hearts as we go out into the world to put our passions and talents to good use.

“It has been said success is where preparation meets opportunity. And as we leave this place, let us be reminded that we are prepared for the next chapter in our lives. No matter where we take our experiences, we can use them to make an impact, as long as we take a little piece of Oak Ridge with us. I want all of you to be encouraged.” click here for complete story and photo gallery