Elizabeth Gardner and East Wake High School make TODAY show appearance
WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner on Wednesday joined East Wake High School's Class of 2023 for an appearance on the TODAY Show.
The graduating senior class and Gardner were featured on national television at 8 a.m. on TODAY. There were remarks from Principal Stacey Alston and student Bailey Bray, who is graduating at the top of the class with plans to attend North Carolina State University for civil engineering.
"I'm so excited to finally say that I'm graduating," Bray said. "I've worked so hard in all the classes and now it's finally coming to a head with being on the TV today."
Her advice for the incoming senior class?
"Take everything that you can -- join the clubs, ask as many questions. That's what got me through all the hard classes."
The school's appearance was part of TODAY's Graduation Nation segment, which features schools across the country.
East Wake High School's Class of 2023 has 289 graduates and 45 additional seniors that graduated in January.
In August, the school became Wake County's newest magnet high school, focusing on information technology and design.
According to the school, 75% of East Wake High School students participated in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, leading to 579 industry credentials earned by students.
Over 50% of the school's student-athletes were acknowledged as all-academic in the 2022-23 school year, meaning they maintained a 3.0 GPA.
According to the school, a 72% of East Wake students pursue further education at either a four-year college/university or a two-year college.
You can send your high school graduation photos to reportit@wral.com.
