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Kaliyah Williams found a perfect ending to her days at Keith High School.

Keith High named Williams the Valedictorian for the Class of 2020. Keith High will hold its graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. on June 19 at J.V. Caldwell Stadium.

“I’m very happy to be named valedictorian, it’s an honor,” Williams said. “It’s a once in a lifetime dream.”

Williams’ mother, Sonyia Williams, said hard work and determination powered her daughter as the top senior. The Williams matriarch works at Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance.

“I’m very proud of her,” Sonyia Williams said. “She worked really hard during her sophomore year. I was looking forward to her being named the valedictorian.”

Williams said the COVID-19 pandemic was the only downside to her senior year. Gov. Kay Ivey ordered the closing of K-12 schools statewide on March 13, forcing students to study online for the next two months.

“It was sad because we are the only senior class at Keith High School not to experience the last day of school,” Williams said.  “We lost out on a lot of memories we could’ve had the last few months.”

Williams, who finishes her senior year with a 4.0 GPA and 19 ACT score, will attend Wallace Community College-Selma in the fall. She plans to major in Nursing and transfers to UAB after two years at WCCS.