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Family motivates the top two seniors in the graduating class at Dallas County High School.

Valedictorian Dylon Morgan and Salutatorian Wesley Friday led the Dallas County High School Class of 2022 as they received diplomas Tuesday in the school gymnasium.

Morgan said his parents, Wil and Rashida Morgan, both encouraged him to finish with honors at Dallas County High. Wil Morgan is the head girls coach at Selma High School. Rashida Morgan is Director of Operations at YMCA of Selma-Dallas County. “It’s a big accomplishment my parents hoped would happen someday,” Morgan said. “I’ve  been with this class since Martin Middle School.”

Friday said being named the second-best student in the class is important to his family.  “I’m so proud of myself,” Friday said. “I did for my family. I’ll be the first member of my family to go to college.”

Morgan and Friday will both attend the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Emotions swelled through Rashida Morgan during the graduation ceremony.

“He has made us the proudest parents in the world,” Rashida Morgan said. “He has shown us how to love unconditionally, prepared us for our younger two emotionally and accepted us for who we are inside and out. There are no secrets between us and him because we are a open family and to us everyone in our family has a voice.”

Joining Morgan and Friday in the Top 12 seniors are: Karleigh Allday, Perla Barranca Sanchez, Matthew Carter, Jessica Childress, Joy Cook, Matthew Farmer, Terry King, Ty’Shaye McCary, Steven McCullough, and Seth Robinson,.