RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — High school graduation ceremonies are happening all across West Virginia this week. One of those is Friday at Ravenswood High School in Jackson County. There, it will be a bittersweet ceremony for principal Jo Hendricks. It will be her last as she retires at the end of June.
“What a blessing to be able to work with young people and have a career where you can impact their life.” she told MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio this week. “I loved teaching and coaching so much and it was just a dream to be able to come back to my Alma mater and be principal and try to do positive things at Ravenswood High School.”
Hendricks’ career stretches back into the 1980’s. As she addresses her final class of seniors, she’s unsure what she’ll say at this point, but wants to make it less about her and more about them.
“That’s a little part of it,” Hendricks explained. “But the big part of it is focusing on them and their night.”
As big as the night is for the students, it’s equally big for administrators and faculty who have been there with them along the way.
“We know the struggles, we’ve been right there with them” she said. “We take a lot of pride in their accomplishments and that we got to be a part of it. Some made the journey a lot easier than others, but it does my heart good to see each one of them achieve this milestone.”