Oxford-area high schools announce graduation dates, top graduates, venues

Three Oxford-area commencements now frame the county’s graduation season, with Lafayette High School and Regents School of Oxford both graduating May 16 and Oxford High School following on May 22.

Families headed to the Sandy and John Black Pavilion on the University of Mississippi campus should plan ahead for guest seating, ticket requirements and parking. Ole Miss says Pavilion parking is available in the Pavilion Parking Garage and in lots along Hill Drive, and the university urges carpooling because parking is not allowed along roadways, sidewalks or grassy areas. The campus also bars alcohol, weapons, poles and sticks, hand-held signs, banners and flags, artificial noisemakers, full face coverings and non-service animals at commencement exercises. Ole Miss also maintains a livestream page for commencement ceremonies.

Oxford High School will hold its Class of 2026 commencement at 6 p.m. May 22 at the Pavilion, with Jun Jang named valedictorian and Meredith Walker salutatorian. Jang is a two-time finalist at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where he won a National Security Agency third-place special award in 2024. At Oxford High, he serves as president of the Speech and Debate team and belongs to the 30+ Club and National Honor Society, and he earned AP Scholar with Distinction recognition. He plans to study computer science with a focus on computational linguistics at Stanford or Harvard.

Walker is a three-time Envirothon champion and captain of Oxford High’s Envirothon team. She has also served as student director for the spring production of Twelve Angry Men, vice president of the Art Club, and a member of the 30+ Club and National Honor Society. Her plans include studying soil science and theater design at Oregon State or the University of Mississippi.

Lafayette High School will graduate at 10 a.m. May 16 at the Pavilion, with Gavyn Leary as valedictorian and Isabella Dassance as salutatorian. Regents School of Oxford will hold commencement at 10 a.m. the same day in Correnti Gymnasium, with Presley Satterfield as valedictorian and Hugh Monteith as salutatorian. Regents’ public events calendar also listed senior thesis presentations for May 12 and 13, then graduation May 16, while the school has used different Oxford venues in recent years, including Christ Presbyterian Church for the Class of 2025 and College Hill Presbyterian Church for a smaller 2022 ceremony.

The calendar lands in a year when Lafayette County School District said it earned an A rating for the eighth straight year and reported a significant increase in its graduation rate. The district also said 77% of its Advanced Placement students scored 3 or higher in the 2024-25 school year, adding academic weight to a month that will send hundreds of Oxford-area seniors across the stage.