St. Marys High School proudly celebrated the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2026 during our annual Senior Awards and Scholarship Day.
The day began with an inspiring opening address from Mr. Hunter Smitley, who shared words of encouragement and challenged our seniors to reflect on their journey and embrace the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
We are thrilled to announce that the Class of 2026 has been awarded an extraordinary $2,818,684 in scholarships to support their educational and career goals following graduation.
Throughout the morning, seniors were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, service, technical accomplishments, and postsecondary plans. This remarkable total is a testament to the hard work, determination, and perseverance of our students, as well as the steadfast support of their families, teachers, counselors, and the entire St. Marys community.
A very special thank you goes to the many scholarship presenters, selection committees, memorial scholarship funds, local businesses, civic organizations, colleges, and community partners who dedicated their time and resources to honoring our students. Your generosity is making a lasting impact on the lives of our graduates.
We would like to extend special recognition to the Pleasants County Community Foundation, whose incredible generosity resulted in the awarding of numerous scholarships to our seniors. Their continued investment in the young people of Pleasants County is helping open doors and create life-changing opportunities for so many of our students.
The afternoon program featured meaningful and heartfelt remarks from Mr. Drew Crawford and Mr. Jay D. Smith, who encouraged students to move forward with confidence, gratitude, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
To the Class of 2026: You have accomplished something truly extraordinary. Your dedication and resilience have brought you to this moment, and your futures are filled with unlimited possibilities. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you.
Congratulations, Class of 2026! Your Blue Devil family is cheering you on every step of the way. 💜🎓
Scholarship
Recipient
Amount
Flesher Award
McKenna Broce
Sidney Kisner
Avie Sprouse
Madeline Steele
Solvay Senior Science Award
Sidney Kisner
500
Most Valuable Elks Scholarship State
Sidney Kisner
1000
The Elks Legacy Scholarship National
Sidney Kisner
6000
1701 SM Elks Dolph Cosper Local Scholarship
Brylee McGrady
1000
1701 SM Elks Bob Gessner Local Scholarship
Eli Cox
1000
Layla Snively
1000
Sidney Kisner
1000
Kenneth David Wagner Scholarship
Layla Snively
1000
SMHS Class of 1957 Scholarship
Brylee McGrady
1000
Clinton Utt
1000
Judy and Mike Webb Scholarship
Alexandra Wilson
1000
Layla Snively
1000
Nathan Bradley Heller Music & Medical Sciences Scholarship
Dessie Fickiesen
2000
Katie Heller Scholarship for Public Service and Advocacy
Kendall McGee
1000
Delno Higgins Scholarship
Autumn Mossor
1250
Shane DeWeese
500
AMVETS Scholarship
Shane DeWeese
1000
Clinton Utt
1000
Andrew Barksdale "Time to See the World" Scholarship
Sidney Kisner
1000
Tice Family Scholarship
Casey Burkhammer
1000
Ludford Technical Education Scholarship
Shane DeWeese
2000
Kaige Winland
2000
Jim & Barbara Reckard Memorial Scholarship
Autumn Mossor
2000
Jones Memorial SMHS Band Scholarship
Madeline Steele
1000
McKenna Broce
1000
Bradfield Scholarship for the Performing Arts
Madeline Steele
1000
Alpha Ankrom Scholarship
Dessie Fickiesen
1000
SMHS Class of 1956 Scholarship
Avie Sprouse
1000
Ruth and Claire Pickens Memorial Scholarship
Layla Snively
2000
Elizabeth A. "Libby" Doty Memorial Scholarship
Sidney Kisner
1000
Col. Josepha A. Writght Scholarship
McKenna Broce
1000
Gaynell and Robert Adkins Teaching Scholarship
Madeline Steele
1000
SMHS Memorial Alumni Scholarship
Alexandra Wilson
1000
Taylor Brode
1000
Chase Correll Scholarship
Eli Wilson
1000
St. Marys Professional Womens Scholarship
Layla Snively
1000
St. Marys Presbyterian Church Legacy Scholarship
Alyssa Winland
1000
Pleasants County Educational Trust
Alexandra Wilson
4000
Dessie Fickiesen
4000
Sidney Kisner
4000
Layla Snively
4000
Autumn Mossor
4000
Kendall McGee
4000
McKenna Broce
4000
Madeline Steele
4000
Serenity Thompon
4000
Casey Burkhammer
4000
Bernard and Louise Wherry Memorial
Autumn Mossor
1000
📣‼️ The SMHS Regional Baseball Game is rescheduled for TUES. May 26 at 6 PM at Mylan Park in Morgantown vs. Trinity.
📣‼️ The SMHS Regional Baseball Game is CANCELLED for tonight. It is rescheduled for TUES. May 26, 2026 at 6 PM at Mylan Park in Morgantown vs. Trinity.
(We originally posted that it would be Mon., but Mylan Park will not be open due to the holiday.)
As you finalize your plans after graduation, please remember to request your official high school transcripts through Parchment.
➡️ Go to: https://www.parchment.com/
Using Parchment is the best and most efficient way to ensure your transcripts are sent correctly and promptly to colleges, universities, trade schools, scholarship organizations, or employers.
Please do not wait until the last minute to complete this important step. Be sure to carefully enter the correct school or organization information when making your request.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please email Mrs. Rinard, lrinard@k12.wv.us We are happy to help!
Congratulations again, Seniors! We are proud of all you have accomplished and excited to see where your future takes you. 💜💛
St. Marys High School is proud to recognize the outstanding students who have earned the highest academic honors in the Class of 2026.
🌟 Valedictorians
* McKenna Rae Broce
* Sidney Ann Kisner
* Avie River Sprouse
* Madeline Brooke Steele
🌟 Salutatorian
* Alyssa Faith Dawson
These exceptional students have demonstrated remarkable dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to academic excellence throughout their high school careers. Their achievements reflect countless hours of hard work, intellectual curiosity, and a determination to reach their fullest potential.
As Valedictorians and Salutatorian, they represent the very best of the Class of 2026 and serve as inspiring examples of what can be accomplished through focus, resilience, and a passion for learning.
We congratulate McKenna, Sidney, Avie, Madeline, and Alyssa on this extraordinary accomplishment. Your teachers, families, classmates, and the entire Pleasants County Schools community are incredibly proud of you.
We look forward to hearing your reflections and words of inspiration as you address your classmates during the 122nd Commencement Ceremony.
💜💛 Congratulations to these outstanding scholars and leaders of the Class of 2026! 💜💛
at 6 p.m. Each sport will recognize team accomplishments, individual awards and recognize participants and those earning varsity letters in each sport. The Athletic Boosters will have light refreshments beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony will begin in the auditorium at 6 p.m. Again, coaches should have notified their teams, we just wanted a friendly reminder. Come celebrate your student/athletes' accomplishments. See you tonight!
This is a reminder that Senior Walk Through will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
All seniors are required to report to the SMHS Commons between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. dressed in your cap and gown.
The Class of 2026 will depart St. Marys High School at approximately 8:30 a.m. to visit:
* St. Marys High School
* St. Marys Elementary School
* Belmont Elementary School
* Pleasants County Middle School
This special tradition gives our seniors the opportunity to inspire younger students as they walk the halls of the schools where their educational journey began.
Following the walk through, we will return to St. Marys High School for graduation practice.
🎓 Attendance is mandatory for all seniors.
🎓 Students must be present and dressed in their cap and gown to participate.
This is a meaningful milestone as we celebrate your accomplishments and the legacy you leave behind in Pleasants County Schools.
We look forward to honoring the incredible journey of the St. Marys High School Class of 2026! 💜💛 #SMHSClassOf2026 #SeniorWalkThrough #BlueDevilPride #OnceABlueDevilAlwaysABlueDevil
At the end of homeroom, please report to the gym for line up.
Lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. and then the afternoon session will begin around 1:15 p.m. You will be permitted to go to lunch with a parent or guardian, but must return back by 1 p.m. The afternoon session will have MOVTI recognition, gifts for seniors and the senior slide show. All sessions will conclude by 3:30 p.m.
This is your very important and busy day! See you in the morning!
Tuesday, May 12 🇺🇸 Schools are CLOSED for the Primary Election Day. A normal schedule will resume on Wed. May 13.
Questions? Please contact Tanner Bleakley levbleakley@mhsystem.org
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