164 Gatesville seniors celebrate commencement at McKamie Stadium

McKamie Stadium filled with 164 Gatesville High School seniors Friday night as the Class of 2026 closed one chapter and stepped into the next in front of school leaders, musicians and district officials. Gatesville Independent School District had scheduled the ceremony for 8 p.m. on May 22, and the commencement became as much a community gathering as a school milestone in Coryell County.

The evening put student voices at the center of the program. Valedictorian Abigail Boose told classmates she hopes younger students get involved in something that will further their education, and she said she plans to major in accounting in college. Salutatorian Joshua Appelman described graduation as the end of a chapter and said his future remains open-ended, wherever it leads him next.

The program reflected that same sense of shared ownership. National Honor Society member Madeline Fast gave the welcome, the 1-395th Viper Battalion presented the colors, and the Gatesville High School Varsity Choir sang the National Anthem. Gatesville High School Principal Liz Shoaf delivered the principal’s message and later helped announce graduate certification alongside Gatesville ISD Superintendent Dr. Barrett Pollard.

Pollard and Gatesville School Board President Charles Ament also took part in accepting the graduates, while Gatesville High School Counselor Melanie Kunkel presented the class. Kensley Eary gave the benediction, and the Gatesville High School Band, directed by Jose Sanchez, played the processional music.

Music remained a centerpiece throughout the evening. The Gatesville High School Combined Choir performed “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with soloists Nevin Benning and Lilly Kinsey. Pollard praised the students and staff for a strong ceremony, said the weather was the best in years, and singled out the choir and soloists as spectacular. He also said this was a class the school would miss.

For Gatesville, the ceremony marked more than a formal sendoff. It showed how the school still uses commencement at McKamie Stadium as a civic event, one that brings together academic achievement, military tradition, music and the people who helped shape 164 graduates before they move on to college, work and whatever comes next.