Not the end for these 3,636 seniors receiving their Cumberland County Schools’ diplomas from 17 high schools in commencement ceremonies in these weeks at the Crown Coliseum. This is just their beginning.
“The best is yet to come,” outgoing Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. wants every graduate to know.
Among the class of 2025 graduates is Mustafa Alasri, 17, who turned his tassel Wednesday along with 442 classmates from Jack Britt High School.
“Graduation is a milestone in every young adult’s life,” Alasri said before receiving his diploma from Scott Pope, the retiring Jack Britt principal. “It’s going to be a rush of emotions. I’m going to be thinking about my family, my future, my friends and everybody who has helped me become the young man I am today.”
Alasri said Wednesday’s commencement stage was not about him alone, but a stage to share with his parents – father Kanaf Alasri and mother Samah Alaidaros, both of whom have been there for him for every step of his life.
“They have shown me true love,” Mustafa Alasri said. “They were always there for me, no matter what. They took my burdens as their own. I’m going to be proud that I made them proud.”
And proud parents, they are.
“So proud,” Kanaf Alasri, 44, said. “This is a special moment for us. We’re so happy and so proud of him and wish him a good future. He’s been respectful to us as his parents and to other people. He’s smart and he learns quick. He wants to achieve things. He has worked hard to reach that goal. It’s going to be a special moment. We have waited, as have parents, for this date to see him graduate.”
A mother shares in a husband’s pride.
“I remember the first day when we took him to kindergarten at Cumberland Mills Elementary School,” Samah Alaidaros, 39, said. “Time went so fast. I’m so proud to stand with him on this special day. He is the star of our family. He lights up the family sky. I always hope to see him shining in his educational life in the future. He has worked hard to achieve.”
A student to remember
Mustafa Alasri not only is grateful for his parents, but for schoolteachers who taught him beyond the classroom lessons.
There was Jonathan Rupert at Jack Britt High.
“He was my junior year civics teacher,” Mustafa Alasri said. “I learned from him there always would be moments in your life when you might think life isn’t fair, but he taught me that you always persevere and hold your head high.”
Rupert has a mutual admiration for his student.
“Mustafa was one of my first ever students here at JBHS and then was a peer helper for me this last semester,” Rupert said. “While we discussed a lot of philosophy tied to the American founding during civics, I think I taught him more while he was my peer helper.
“Much of the time, we would discuss life, history, religion and anything that would come up. Mustafa is a bit more mature than other students. He knows more about how the world works and this will help him throughout his life. Our discussions were enlightening for both of us.
“I know he will be successful in life,” Rupert said. “He is just a very genuine, intelligent person. I am glad to hear I had such a positive influence on him. He had one on me, too.”
Mustafa Alasri remembers teachers such as Todd McCabe, who taught him eighth-grade history at John Griffin Middle School and ninth-grade history at Jack Britt High.
“Mr. McCabe taught me that if you let life put you down,” he said, “you will regret what you could have done.”
McCabe has a mutual admiration, too.
“Even after I stopped teaching him, he always stopped by to talk or even bring me my favorite candy,” McCabe said. “He is an amazing young man. I can’t wait to see him walk across the stage. I am immensely proud of Mustafa earning his high school diploma, which serves as a milestone in his transition into adulthood.
“As a Muslim student, Mustafa faced unique challenges throughout high school, from navigating cultural misunderstandings to balancing academic demands with religious obligations such as fasting during Ramadan and daily prayers. Despite these challenges, Mustafa remained resilient, using these challenges as motivation. Through steadfast perseverance, family support and unwavering faith, Mustafa overcame these obstacles and now he will proudly graduate high school.
“As a student in my class, Mustafa was a valuable member of our classroom community,” McCabe said. “By sharing his personal experiences, he helped challenge stereotypes and broadened the learning experience for all students. Through our discussions and his stories, he has taught me to be a more culturally aware teacher, and to embrace the diverse perspectives of all my students. I firmly believe with his strength and determination, he will continue making a meaningful impact as he moves to the next chapter of his life.”
Their eyes on tomorrow
For Mustafa Alasri, his next educational chapter is at Fayetteville Technical Community College in the fall.
“After my two years at FTCC,” he said, “my plan is to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”
He has pitched in on occasion at his father’s convenience store to learn firsthand about business and now is taking a part-time job at the Target retail store on Skibo Road to help his parents pay for his college tuition.
“I want to pay my way to college, because I don’t want to burden my parents,” he said. “They already have done so much for me.”
His eyes are on the business world.
“I want to be an entrepreneur one day,” he said.
For all of those Jack Britt High School seniors, Wednesday evening was their time to reflect on where they have been and where life will take them.
Graduation is more than a milestone, class salutatorian Gabrielle Cecily Humphrey wanted her fellow graduates to know.
“It’s a mindset,” she said, “and it’s yours to create.”
From Carol Cui, the class valedictorian, who is headed to Duke University.
“One day, when you reflect on your high school days, rather than the stress or pressure you experienced, you will think of your favorite counselors who helped you along the way, your teachers who inspired you to pursue your major, and especially your closest friends,” Cui told her fellow graduates.
Mustafa Alasri will be the first to tell you his document of high school achievement has the fingerprints of his parents, teachers and friends all over it, including Earl Bishop, a frequent customer at his father’s store.
“Mr. Earl has taught me that when life knocks you down, stay honest, be confident and go twice as hard in everything you do,” he said. “No matter how hard it gets, the sun will always rise the next morning. Don’t ever lose yourself, because the moment you do, you’ve already lost everything.”
‘You have made us proud’
We hear much about troubled youth in our community. We don’t hear enough about the 442 teenagers from Jack Britt High, who earned $4.5 million in college scholarships from UNC at Chapel Hill, Duke and West Point among them.
And we surely don’t hear enough about teenagers such as Mustafa Alasri.
“You represent everything good about public education,” Marvin Connelly, the retiring 62-year-old superintendent, said about so many of the Class of 2025 graduates throughout the Cumberland County Schools system. “You’ve persevered, grown and risen above challenges with courage and grace. You are dreamers and doers, scholars and leaders, and you have made us proud.
“As I prepare to retire from this incredible journey in public education, know that I will always be cheering you on. No matter where life takes you, I believe in you and in all that lies ahead.
“Congratulations, graduates,” Connelly wants all of you to know. “The best is yet to come.”
Epilogue
And, if I may, a final word.
I’ve watched Mustafa Alasri grow up in these past four years or so. I’ve seen his respect for a father and a mother, and others. I’ve seen a brother’s love and care for his little sisters. I’ve listened to his dreams of everything he hopes to one day become.
If I had a son, I would want him to be just like Mustafa Alasri.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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