Allendale County schools thank donors supporting graduating seniors

Allendale County seniors headed into graduation with more than diplomas in view. Allendale County Schools said a wide circle of donors, school groups and civic organizations helped send the Class of 2026 forward with scholarships and gifts that can ease college costs and mark the end of high school with public recognition.

Among the students singled out, Jaiden McKnight received awards from both the Walterboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Xi Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Zy'Nariah Rhodes received a scholarship from the Preston and Vernise Fields Memorial Scholarship. The district also said a special congratulations went to Arianna Priester for receiving the 2025 Presidential Scholarship for Allendale County.

The support did not stop with outside donors. At Allendale-Fairfax High School, seniors who took part in Teacher’s Cadet, National Honor Society, National BETA Club and JROTC were presented gifts on behalf of those organizations. The district said those students had also been recognized through scholarship season as families and friends looked on, turning the run-up to commencement into a communitywide celebration rather than a single ceremony.

That broader pattern was visible at an earlier senior breakfast, where Allendale-Fairfax High School listed scholarships from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Eva Mae Fields LTC (r) Everett R. Jenkins Memorial JROTC, the Presten and Vernise Fields scholarship, Palmetto State Bank and several state college and university scholarships. District leaders said scholarship recipients earned those awards by completing essays or meeting academic requirements, underscoring that the help was tied to work already done in the classroom and in student activities.

The recognition also connected to a growing academic pipeline for some seniors. Allendale County Schools said Jaiden McKnight and Zy'Nariah Rhodes recently earned leadership distinction from USC Salkehatchie by maintaining more than a 3.0 GPA. The district said those students will graduate with an associate’s degree through the dual-enrollment program, giving them a head start on college and career plans as they leave high school.

Allendale County Schools said its Commencement ceremony for graduating seniors was set to begin promptly at 7:00 PM and would be livestreamed on the district’s Facebook and YouTube channels for those unable to attend in person. The district said the room was filled with pride as seniors accepted scholarships from local donors and national organizations, a reminder that in Allendale County, graduation is being carried by churches, sororities, lodges, alumni, schools and other neighbors investing in what comes next.