PHOTO: Lowndes High School’s top ten graduates of the class of 2026 accept their hand-painted bowling pins with their class rank painted on them from Principal Krista Pearson.

LOWNDES — Lowndes High School recognized its Top 10 Honor Graduates during the annual Academic Signing Day ceremony.

Release:

VALDOSTA, GA – In a graduating class of 738 students, earning a place in the Top 10 is an incredible accomplishment. Lowndes High School recently celebrated its Top 10 Honor Graduates during the school’s annual Academic Signing Day, recognizing students for both their academic achievements and the colleges and programs they will attend after graduation.

Valedictorian Aarin Dave will attend Duke University, while Salutatorian Runi Patel will continue her education at Mercer University.

The remaining honor graduates include #3 Mason Slaughter, University of Georgia; #4 Noah Scott, Washington and Lee University; #5 Jakob Walker, University of Georgia; #6 Eli Johnson, University of Georgia; #7 Caroline Hiers, University of Georgia; #8 Ellee Thomas, Impact 360 Institute; #9 Avery Adkins, Georgia Institute of Technology; and #10 Hubert Wang, Georgia Institute of Technology.

As part of a longstanding Lowndes High School tradition, each student in the Top 10 receives a hand-painted bowling pin featuring their honor graduate ranking. This year’s bowling pins were painted by Lowndes High School art student Stefany Ceja-Contreras, adding a personal and creative touch to the recognition.

Lowndes County Schools congratulates these outstanding students on this remarkable achievement and wishes them continued success as they begin the next chapter of their academic journeys.