Check out a special online magazine celebrating our graduating seniors and a gallery of images from the last few weeks of their high school careers.
More than 11,000 prospective GCPS graduates are completing K–12 journey this week when they cross the stage to accept their diploma in graduation ceremonies for our 22 diploma-granting high schools.
The members of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ largest-ever class have a lot going for them as they head off to college and careers. In the fall, most seniors— 83%— are headed to universities, colleges, and postsecondary schools in Georgia and around the country, with almost 20% of college-bound graduates offered at least one scholarship. As of April 2016, our graduates have been offered more than $152.8 million in academic, athletic, and military scholarships. Academic achievement earned offers of more than $97 million. What’s significant is the number and amount of scholarships that were not yet announced when senior information was compiled in April, including HOPE awards (typically, about a third of graduates), some National Merit Scholars, and the full-ride scholarships awarded to GCPS’ 18 Gates Millennium Scholars and 18 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipients. Student athletes earned more than $48.8 million in athletic scholarships.
Four of the nation’s military service academies— Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy —offered appointments to 17 young leaders, close to $6.7 million in scholarships. Another 439 seniors also will serve their country through military service after graduation. About 900 students will enter the workforce after high school, many armed with credentials and certificates earned through our technical education program and sought after by local employers.
A record number of seniors are graduating with a grade percent average of 90 or better. Among our 3,033 Honor Graduates are each school’s highest-ranking students— the valedictorian (1st in class) and the salutatorian (2nd in class). More than half of Gwinnett seniors took on the challenge and rigor of college-level Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses their last year in high school. In addition, a record-breaking 577 seniors were dual-enrolled, earning both high school and college credit. We’re so proud of these young people who have worked so hard to prepare for the latest chapter in their lives. Good luck, Class of 2016!
