It was a night to celebrate the end of one chapter, and prepare for the adventures that lie ahead. Thursday, the 2025 Buncombe County Schools Top Scholar Celebration, presented by AdventHealth, honored seniors from across the school system who’ve worked throughout high school to achieve and maintain the highest grade point averages.
“It has been an absolute blessing running with you on your cross-country teams, and enjoying you performing or playing your instrument during a school musical,” BCS Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson shared with the students. “I’ve been on the sidelines, cheering you on as you’ve played a sport. The greatest pride I have, though, is walking into your classrooms, watching you grow as scholars and grow as people, learning from your teachers and using that knowledge to prepare yourself for what comes next.”
This year’s special guest was Maj. Kaleb Blankenship, Speechwriter and Special Advisor to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Major, who graduated from Owen High School in 2005, has had a distinguished career in military leadership at home and abroad, all while continuing his education. In addition to earning a degree in political science at West Point, he achieved a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, a Masters in Operational Studies from the US Army Command and General Staff College, and a Masters of Arts in Military Operations from the School of Advanced Military Studies. He shared an inspirational speech on leadership and character.
“I’ve had the privilege of having key leadership roles in units from as small as 16 people to as large as 48-hundred, and a lot of that time in environments that were less than ideal,” Maj. Blankenship explained to students and families gathered at the event. “In combat, in exhausting heat, in shivering cold, days of rain, days it was really dry, days with no sleep, days with little sleep, and days in very dangerous situations. I’ve had those times when you just want to shut down and give up, but you can’t. You’re the one in charge. You just have to consciously reach down and resolve to keep on going, because the heroes that you lead deserve it.”
A special thanks to the community partners who helped make the evening possible, including Advent Health, the Buncombe County Schools Foundation, Surry Insurance, Publix Super Markets Charities, Biltmore Church, Becky’s Florist, Buncombe County Schools Nutrition, and Ingles of Black Mountain.
Congratulations to all of our 2025 BCS Top Scholars. Click here for more photos.