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Cape Hatteras Secondary School will hold its 2025 homecoming on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in the William P. Dillon Memorial Gym.

The basketball contest with Mattamuskeet will start at 4 p.m. with the junior varsity boys and follow with the varsity girls at 5:30 and the varsity boys at 7 p.m.

The homecoming ceremony will start at 8:30 p.m.

Some 20 years ago, the following was reported in The Coastland Times from the 2005 commencement ceremony, held June 4, 2025. Graduates are listed at the end of the article.

“They are the Golden Graduates. They are saucy, sunny and serious. And in Buxton Saturday night, the 40 members of the Cape Hatteras Class of 2005 lit up the campus gymnasium celebrating this special time in their lives.

“This year’s Commencement deftly wove together a 50-year education anniversary, memories, formal ceremony, challenges and songs showcasing the distinctive class personality. As forecast, the two-hour celebration was ‘a rousing, non-traditional commencement’ yet steeped in Cape Hatteras tradition.

“The largest crowd in a building on Hatteras Island this year didn’t hold back on the cheers or tears. Parents, grandparents, very small children, schoolmates, returning graduates filled the cavernous space.

“For 50 years, Hatteras Island’s children have graduated to adulthood from this Buxton campus. Introducing the 50th Anniversary theme, Ryan Farrow donned a leather jacket, imitated Jimmy Stewart and reminded the audience that 50 years ago was a time of I Like Ike and I Love Lucy. Rock-around-the-Clock was the top tune. Gasoline cost 35 cents a gallon and mailing a first class letter three cents. Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California as well as Buxton’s Cape Hatteras School. Cape Hatteras graduates in the audience were asked to stand. And they did.

“That first building which so many Hatteras Island students used is now demolished. The flattened ground awaits a new two-story edifice for island education.  ‘Our memories will never be demolished,’ said Farrow.

“Those memories flashed on a huge screen during the senior slide show. First cousins Kaisey Rosell and Jerry Rosell introduced the show. The pictures chronicled a ‘very close and unique class,’ in which 25 of the 40 graduating members started together in Kindergarten and made it to graduation. Slides showed students growing up together, clowning in costumes, participating in a cardboard boat regatta, on Homecoming floats, at a Halloween pep rally and, at the end baby photos moved to snapshots of high school years. Accompanying the pictures was a Beetles tune, ‘A Little Help from My Friends.’

“We’ve all come a long way,” said class Salutatorian Shanley Morgan. “In our hearts, we will always carry memories with us.”

“Formality does form the structure of this non-traditional commencement. The class recognized officials, dispensed gifts and, in a surprise move, presented class sponsor and commencement producer Braxton Hall with honorary membership in the National Honor Society. As is tradition, Hall intoned the names of graduates who stepped on the stage to receive diplomas.

The class was challenged by its top scholar Kristen Evans and in the commencement address delivered by St. Senator Marc Basnight.

“We must learn to give of ourselves,” said Evans, who also challenged her classmates to consider life beyond today. Evans, an accomplished musical performer, sang lines from the class song ‘Time of Your Life’ by Green Day to introduce sections of her address. ‘We must have a plan on how we get there’ and an idea how to spend time. Evans picked up on a line in the class song ‘It’s something unpredictable but in the end is right.’ She said ‘in the end it will be right.’

“Basnight, introduced by nephew Chase Hooper, challenged the graduates to remember the less fortunate and told them to never belittle another human being.

“You are very special to the folks assembled here,” said Basnight. ‘We depend on you’ to enhance the blessings that we now have, to make a stronger island, and to resolve conflicts like replacing the Oregon Inlet Bridge.

“Following Basnight’s charge, four girls gathered around microphones and proclaimed themselves ready to take up his challenge. Rina Bosell, Beth Henson, Jennifer Burrus and Kristen Evans saucily sang from a Broadway musical ‘Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.’ Among the lyrics are ‘Ma, you always taught me what was right and wrong, and now I just wanna give it a try. Mama, I’ve been in the nest for far too long, so please give a push and mama watch me fly.’

“For the sunny side of this class, Ryan Farrow and Beth Henson returned for a duet that encouraged the audience to sing and whistle, ‘Always look on the bright side of life.’ The song from Monty Python was delivered with British accents.

“As is tradition, the commencement celebrates excellence in teaching and honors retiring faculty and staff members. For this year as announced by principal Trip Hobbs, science faculty member Bob Spangler is Cape Hatteras Secondary’s Teacher of the Year.

“A combined 51 years in education mark the careers of teacher Vivian Gray and school finance officer Ann Jordan. Gray, who attended Cape Hatteras and returned to teach, established the school’s advancement and intervention center, where students struggling with academics are assisted. Jordan according to Hobbs ‘tamed six principals’ in addition to him in the ways of school finance.

“Always reserved for the commencement ceremony is awarding of the Citizenship award. Unanimously chosen by a faculty and staff committee for her patriotism and devotion to the school was Heather Dwight.

“Dare Schools superintendent Sue Burgess officially awarded the high school diplomas to the class, tassels were turned and mortarboards flew into the air along with streamers. School officials attending the event included assistant superintendents John Winston and Arty Tillett, school board chair David Oaksmith and Hatteras Island board member Joe Farrow. Dare County commissioner Warren Judge attended.

“While their class song played, the red-robed graduates sought out family members and presented long-stemmed red roses to parents.

“Back in their chairs, the graduates sorted out their mortarboards and settled in for one more song.

“Former classmate Megan Homan returned to Cape Hatteras to team up with Kristen Evans for the final song. For three years, the duo sang the National Anthem at sporting events at Cape Hatteras. This time they teamed up for what Jennifer Burrus called a ‘true tearjerker.’ The duo sang ‘For Good,’ from the musical Wicked.

“For the class, the song’s chorus captures a message from teachers, families and friends: ‘Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.’

“Homan sang to the class these words: ‘It well may be, that we will never meet again, in this lifetime. So let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you.’ She slowly moved her hand to her heart and sang ‘You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart.’

“Members of the Cape Hatteras Class of 2005 placing those handprints on Hatteras Island hearts are Sabrina Marie Ballance, Jeremy Daniel Beckham, Marina Miranda Bosell, Daniel Joseph Bowen, Caleb Dudley Burrus, Jennifer Marlene Burrus, Caitlin Alicia Carmody, Shannon Michelle Clark, Erika Allyse Covey, Heather Autumn Dwight, Kristen Nichole Evans, Gabriel Chadwick Fagley, Stanley Ryan Farrow, Madeleine Dorothy Faulhaber, Anna Marie Gould, Deborah Noel Gray, James Willard Hardin III, William Roderick Harris, Kerensa Fay Helle, Rachel Elizabeth Henson, Chase Powers Hooper, Kerry Craig Hooper Jr., Kristina Ann Hooper, Sarah Margaret Jackson, Allan Michael Kent, Sarah Marie King, Katherine Charlotte Meara, Mary Shanley Morgan, Jonathan Jose Palomares, Jerry Doyle Rosell, Kaisey Marie Rosell, Ashley Nichole Roy, Devon Ashley Schumann, Christan Lanae Smithwick, Neil Lyndon Spiess, Michael Charles Stowe, Zhang Tao, Matthew Thomas Teboe, Ronald William Tokazowski and Daniel Todd Wells.”

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