BLANKET – The Blanket High School graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, May 23 at the Blanket ISD Gymnasium.

Allie Head, daughter of Derrick Head and Misty Mueller, is the valedictorian while Lexi French, daughter of Jolene French and niece of Angelica French, is the salutatorian.

“It’s a great honor, I’m extremely excited,” Head said of the valedictorian accolade. “Ever since I was a freshman I put everything into school work instead of the sports front, it’s always been my goal to be valedictorian. It definitely helps pave the way for my future especially since I just recently had a child. Being able to go to college is definitely going to help me a lot in the future.”

French said of being named salutatorian, “It’s an honor to represent my class. I feel like this wasn’t easy, it was hard work. I was pretty surprised, but this year I cared more about grades than in other years.”

Head will take classes online through Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a plan to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

“I feel like with business it gives you a wide variety of things you can do,” Head said. “Everyone needs someone with business management whether it’s a bank or event management, or if I wanted to have my own business such as photography. It just really opens a super wide variety of options.”

The next step on French’s journey is UT-San Antonio, where she has plans to delve into Criminology and Criminal Justice.

“I like the city and my mom lives in San Antonio, and with Criminal Justice, I’ve always been a mystery-type person,” French said. “I want to become a detective. I want to figure out why certain things happen and why certain people do it.”

Regarding the difference in attending Blanket, where five people comprise the Class of 2025, and a university, French said, “It’s going to be a big change. It’s a pretty big school and I’m not very social, so I’m going to have to get out of my comfort zone.”

Head said of taking her classes online, “Since it’s mostly online I won’t have to go there very often, so that should be a super easy switch, but when I do have to go there it’ll be a culture shock. Getting to stay in Brownwood makes it easier to raise my child because there’s family around and I believe things will be a lot easier care wise if I get to stay home and take care of my kid instead of having to go to school and manage daycare, etc.”

Regarding fondest memories of attending Blanket, Head said, “One-act play was always my favorite, I have the best memories. And she didn’t teach this year, but Mrs. Wood was the best teacher I ever had.”

French added, “I enjoyed playing basketball in a small school. I enjoyed sports mainly, basketball, cross country cheer, track, tennis, and golf. Coach Pritchard, she was an amazing coach and I look up to her. And Ms. Staggs is a first grade teacher, she was my teacher, and my family knows her, but she’s an amazing person.”

Looking down the road 10 years, French said, “I don’t know if I’ll be a detective by then, so maybe a police officer.”

Head added, “With everything that is happening in Brownwood and with all the things that are changing I was hoping to try and go into event management and start an event management business.”