COLEMAN – The Coleman High School Class of 2022 will graduate at 8 p.m. Friday, May 27 at the Hufford Field, home of the Bluecats football team. Atop the class of graduates are valedictorian Carlie Tibbetts and salutatorian Denver Hunter.

Tibbetts is the daughter of Jeff and Darla Tibbetts and plans to intend Tarleton State University. Hunter is the son of Duwayne and Adel Hunter and will continue his education at Texas A&M.

Tibbetts said of earning the valedictorian distinction, “Being named valedictorian is a great accomplishment and I hope to continue to represent our school in an honorable way. This is something that I have worked towards for many years. My older sister inspired me as she was the valedictorian of her graduating class in 2007, and I am proud to follow in her footsteps.”

Tibbetts took part in numerous activities during his time in high school.

“I have participated in athletics all four years of high school, including volleyball, basketball, track and field, golf, and cheerleading,” Tibbetts said. “I have also been involved in numerous extracurricular activities, some of which include Student Council, National Honor Society, Make a Difference Organization, Coleman County Junior Chamber, Academic UIL, and FCA.”

Further reflecting on her time in high school, Tibbetts said, “Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, and my coaches played a big part in shaping me into the person that I am today.

Asked how attending Coleman High School has helped prepare her for college, Tibbetts said, “I have always felt great support through the whole staff at Coleman High School. It is a safe learning environment where discipline is expected, respect is earned, and teachers provide an environment where students are understood. I can’t imagine going to school anywhere other than Coleman High School.”

At Tarleton, Tibbetts plans to pursue a degree in Kinesiology.

A decade down the road, Tibbetts hopes to, “have a family of my own and establish my roots in a small, close-knit community.”

Tibbetts also expressed a heartfelt thank you to those who have supported her.

“I want to give a huge thank you to my parents, Jeff and Darla Tibbetts, as well as my family and friends for always supporting me in everything that I do,” Tibbetts said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”

In regard to being named salutatorian of the Class of 2022, Hunter said, “It is definitely something that I am proud of and honored to be. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is something I expected, but I’m not really surprised either. I know I’ve put in a lot of effort to get where I am now, and I am grateful to receive the honor of being the salutatorian of my class.

“However, this isn’t something that everyone is going to remember forever, so it holds almost little to no significant value to me. In a couple of years, nobody is going to remember who the salutatorian of the class of 2022 at Coleman High School was. I would rather be remembered for something greater than a title, per se. I want to be remembered as a good student, a great classmate, and an even better son and brother.”

During his time in high school, Hunter took part in Academic UIL, FFA, student council, National Honors Society, Junior Chamber, Texas Midwest Community Network Program, football, baseball, powerlifting, track, and the basketball youth group at Sacred Heart Catholic, and church altar server.

In regard to how attending Coleman High School helped him prepare for college, Hunter said, “I have been enrolled in dual credit courses from Cisco College since junior year, so I feel like I have a sense of what college is going to be like and what my professors will expect from me. Likewise, the staff here at Coleman High School holds some of the best teachers around. I am incredibly blessed to have been taught and mentored by the wonderful teachers here. They all know firsthand what college is like, so they know what is going to be expected of us when we get there. That being said, they expect us to display our college readiness anytime we are doing classwork. Our teachers set high standards for us, which pushes us to always give it our all.”

Hunter further elaborated on some on his most fond memories of high school.

“My favorite teachers during my time at Coleman High School have to be Mr. Norman, Mrs. Mason, and Mr. Alshie,” Hunter said. “Shoutout to Mr. Norman for being one of the best Calculus teachers and Mr. Alshie for the daily fist bumps and Dallas Mavericks conversations in the halls.”

At Texas A&M, Hunter has been accepted into the College of Engineering.

“I plan on majoring in and earning a degree in Electrical Engineering,” Hunter said. “I also intend to join a men’s organization at Texas A&M.”

Ten years into the future, Hunter hopes to be, “Starting a family and working as an electrical engineer at a major industrial or manufacturing company such as Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, 3M, or Micron Technology.”

Hunter also shared his gratitude for the family and friends that have supported him in his journey.

“I would like to thank both my parents for always being there for me and pushing me to do my best in everything I do,” Hunter said. “They taught me what it truly means to persevere when the going gets tough. I couldn’t ask for better role models in my life. I love y’all both.”