Salutatorian James Lanford Scott addresses his classmates during Saturday morning’s graduation at Martin Stadium. “Each and every person in this stadium is part of the Lowndes family,” he said, “and what a family it is!”

VALDOSTA — More than 600 Lowndes High School students crossed the stage at Martin Stadium Saturday morning to receive their diplomas.

Lowndes Principal Krista Pearson said the Class of 2024 consisted of 669 graduates. Of those, 178 were honor graduates with distinction and another 162 were honor graduates.

Four hundred seventy-five were eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.

Twenty-nine were AP Scholars.

The vast majority — 570 of the 669 graduates — were planning to go to college. Collectively they had earned scholarships worth more than $12 million.

Ten had signed up to go into the armed forces.

Through their high school years, the Class of 2024 had amassed 41 regional athletic championships with appearances in the state competitions of every sport — including back-to-back state baseball championships.

Pearson listed multiple awards the school’s band, choir, arts groups and clubs had earned. A few included:

— FBLA had four regional officers, two state officers and five national competitors.

— 24 ROTC cadets had attended flight training, and nine had received scholarships and military appointments.

— The rifle team won the state championship twice.

— The robotics team won the national championship.

— Two mock trial students were admitted to the Georgia Bar.

— The Georgia Bridgemen band received four grand championships.

— The Viking Cantors earned all superior ratings and started the school’s first show choir.

— The Academic Quiz Bowl team won the district championship three times.

Other speakers at the graduation ceremony emphasized the relationships built over the preceding 12 years, especially the four spent at Lowndes High.

“Each and every person in this stadium is part of the Lowndes family,” salutatorian James Scott said, “and what a family it is!”

Valedictorian Michelle McCoy said, “Remember your roots, remember where you came from, and most importantly, remember Lowndes High School!”

Others focused on the future.

“Our lives are not defined by what we do,” class president Emma Jewel Thomas said. She said a better question would be: Who are you becoming?

Thomas said she was told the high school years are the best time of your life, so she was dreading their end. Instead, she said, we should make every year the best year of our lives.

After diplomas were awarded, third honor graduate Luke Maple instructed his classmates to move the tassels from the right side of their caps to the left to symbolize their graduation — and the class immediately threw their caps into the air in jubilation.