Congratulations to the Class of 2023

Cheers to the first alumni of Orange Beach City Schools! Below, Dr. Smith shares her well-wishes...

Class of 2023 -

You are the class that is starting our legacy as a city system! The Class of 2023 has been the part of a lot of ‘firsts’ since your Freshman year I have been thinking back over the years and just wanted to take you down memory lane with me for a minute:

This class started with 75 students 53 of the original 75 are graduating tonight, however this class has grown to have 100 graduates! A wonderful combination of old and new that came together to start the Orange Beach City Schools Legacy.

There can only be one ‘first’. You were the first ninth grade class who started in Mako Village - only to have your year cut short due to COVID, but there were a lot of firsts that happened.

We selected our first drum major - from this class- who led our band for four years. We had the first homecoming parade on the water (which was super cool). You had your first houses (yes I know you hated them). Our first pep rally, first sports teams. I remember the very first serve made and point scored for the volleyball team, our very first sporting event as Makos! I remember our first cheerleading squad and first dress up days

Our first EVER state champion in anything came fr Homecoming King and Queen were crowned, also fro there were matching suits and dresses for the court T Program was something special - the WWII Veteran wh a sense of pride.

This group contains leaders in our Performing Art difficult to replace. I remember the first performance Center with risers for seating and a tiny performance come a long way to the Performing Arts Center and And the talent of our students has grown tenfold! All d and your willingness to grow a program and take a risk

We had our first clubs - some of which remain and s The first National Honor Society induction and the firs

Your sophomore year we started varsity play in s team gave us our first state championship - to be fol next year and now a third! The football team went to girls soccer team became our first ever ranked team

Dorian

Emma Lindley Valedictorian

We moved into the beautiful facility we have today to start your sophomore year and made sure the mask covered our noses!

The first honor societies for high school formed along with Isurus Graphics and our school became much more colorful with those designs Peer Helpers expanded to include high school, and we had Makos on Main!

Last year was full of firsts for the very first OB graduating class - but as Juniors you experienced Homecoming, Prom and your first AP Classes, more wonderful theater productions and success at Trumbauer, and some of you were selected to participate in the Junior Leadership Program.

And finally it was senior year! You had many changes as we moved to a City System, and you continued to shine as a class! Not being on campus as much, I can only speak to those things from afar but some highlights in my mind were the Senior breakfast, homecoming tailgate, the ESPN crew and watching you support one another in rigorous classes and typical teen challenges. Then senior awards, Baccalaureate and Senior Picnic. I am so proud of the class of 2023!

I did not name any students because I would certainly leave someone out - but as I typed this so many of you went through my memory I am sure I forgot something, but I tried to hit the highlights

One definition of Legacy is something that is passed on You are passing on core values of GRIT, kindness, determination, and hard work As a class, you have shown us what is important when starting something from the ground up and how to see it through - Congratulations!

When I think of our theme this year “Leave a Lasting Legacy,” I find it so special that this is the group tied to that theme. You, with or without knowing it, have been the foundation for that legacy. What you leave for the future cannot be put into words because right now it is just the beginning. Helen Keller is quoted as saying: The best and Most Beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

The OBMHS Class of 2023 certainly has left a footprint (or fin print?) on the heart and soul of Orange Beach

Thank you for caring, thank you for investing, and THANK YOU FOR BEING A MAKO!

-Dr. Robbie Smith Director of Curriculum and Instruction