Written by: Tom Markland and published in The Martinsburg Journal on May 30, 2025, link to the article HERE.
INWOOD – Over their four years in high school, the 410 graduates from Musselman High School’s Class of 2025 have created hundreds, if not thousands, of memories.
For Silas Yates, the best memory from his four years of high school was winning the state jazz band championship. For Kiara Petry, her best memory was going to the state tournament for basketball. They both described their graduating class as funny, unique and different.
“No one is really the same,” Petry said. “Everyone has different personalities, looks — different everything.”
“I’ve laughed a lot,” Yates added.
For Musselman High Principal Alicia Riggleman, her favorite memory was the Class of 2025’s class prank — setting up a slip-and-slide in the front of the school.
“They’ve really taught me how to savor the moment, how to take time to just enjoy each other,” Riggleman said. “Whether it’s a high-five in the hall, an iced coffee or a slip-and-slide, they’ve just really embraced their inner child this year and just enjoyed those moments with our friends.”
The Class of 2025 was the first class to enter the school when Riggleman became principal, so they’ve been able to grow a lot together, she said.
Of the 410 graduates, about half of them will go on to attend some kind of post-secondary school, receiving acceptance letters from several different schools — from Appalachian Bible College to Xavier University of Louisiana. Another 21 graduates have enlisted to join the military.
They’ve accomplished a lot in their time in high school, making Musselman the only Tier 1 high school in Berkeley County as a result of high SAT scores and other test scores and being recognized for a third year in a row as a Platinum Renaissance School of Distinction.
As a class present, the graduates worked alongside Made in the Shade, a local landscaping company, to make sure the school’s exterior always looks its best, fixing up bushes and greenery. They also donated $400 to a scholarship fund with the Musselman Alumni Association in hopes of helping future students reach their goals.
They’ve been through a lot in their time in high school, entering Musselman just a year after the coronavirus pandemic sent them home for the year. Many of the school’s traditions returned just as they started — whether attending their first homecoming or home football game. The school’s mask mandate was lifted just a year after they started school.
“As we go our separate ways, we will always remember our Applemen roots,” said Ada McCoy and Eliana Heacock, who read the class history together. “Once an Appleman, always an Appleman.”