While Monday was a day of celebration for the E.E. Smith High School class of 2026, it was bittersweet at the Crown Coliseum.
You could see the pride in a principal’s face as he looked upon the 224 soon-to-be graduates.
“When I sat down to write this speech, my thoughts were filled with your faces,” Larry Parker Jr., the school principal, said. “Not just in caps and gowns, but in classrooms, hallways, practices, performances, competitions, and yes, a few office visits.
“Your class has shown resilience, growth and perseverance.
“You’ve navigated challenges,” Parker said. “You adjusted to expectations. You continued to move forward when things were not easy.”
Parker looked out at the crowd, and to those three seats with the blue and gold gowns in memory of Jai’hyon Elliott, 18, Trevor Merritt, 17, and Nicholas Williams, 17. The three football players were killed in a single-car accident on October 8 along Rosehill Road.
Elliott, Merritt, and Williams were passengers in a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Dymond Nekiya Monroe, who was charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter, willful speed competition, speeding, careless and reckless driving, and an insurance violation. Monroe, according to the Fayetteville Police Department, was racing with another vehicle driven by her sister, Destini Rhinada Genwright, 19. She was charged with willful speed competition, speeding, careless and reckless driving, and an insurance violation.
“I would not be honest today if we didn’t acknowledge that this journey also came with real pain,” Parker said. “This class has experienced loss in a way that no group of students should have to. Along the way, we lost four members of this class …Asia Holliday, Nicholas Williams, Trevor Merritt and Jai’hyon Elliott.”
Holliday, 16, died on May 30, 2024 when she was a passenger in a collision on U.S 301 near Tom Starling Road, according to the Fayetteville Observer. The driver, Donovan Jaheim Rozier, 21 of Fayetteville, faced several charges, including involuntary manslaughter, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, and speeding.
Parker gave further thought to the four students who lost their lives in the collisions.
“They should be here today,” Parker said. “And while their absence is deeply felt, their presence is still with us. In your memories, in your bond and in the spirit of this E.E. Smith family. So, as you celebrate today, you also carry them with you, because everything you’ve experienced—the challenges, the setbacks, the losses—you stand here today stronger than you may realize.”
‘Forever in Our Hearts’
Makilia Renee Evans, the third honor graduate behind salutatorian Rowan Archer Adam Wildman and valedictorian Alexis Jade Sellers, remembered Elliott, Merritt, and Williams.
“As we officially end our high school journey and embark on new beginnings, may we keep the legacy of our three Golden Bulls instilled in our hearts,” said Evans, who is heading to North Carolina A&T, where she will major in architectural engineering. “Whether you knew them or not, let their legacy live on through us all as we remember to always keep going no matter what is before us.
“Let each one of your impactful moments going forward be a display of their dedication on the football field and in the classroom.
“You will forever be in our hearts Nicholas Trevor and Jai’hyon,” Evans said.
Sellers reminded her senior classmates of that tragic evening when they learned about the deaths of their classmates.
“In the middle of our senior year, we faced a loss that changed us,” said Sellers, who will attend Hawaii Pacific University to study computer science and cybersecurity, with plans to become a corporate attorney. “We lost three classmates who were friends, teammates and family.
“Though they aren’t here physically, they are with us in spirit as we walk across the stage. We carry them with us always.
“Trevor Merritt, Nicholas Williams and Jai’hyon Elliott, you are missed, loved and never forgotten,” Sellers said. “Today, we honor you as graduates, too. Congratulations, you made it here with us and we are so proud of you. This moment reminds us of our strength, love and unity, because even in grief, we kept showing up for each other and pushing forward when it wasn’t easy.”
Several members of the Cumberland County Board of Education attended the graduation, including Susan Williams, Jacquelyn Brown, Delores Bell, Greg West, Jackie Warner, Deanna Jones, Mary Hales, and Terra Jordan.
“You could have heard a pin drop,” Williams said. “Mr. Parker and Alexis reminded me of how precious those young lives were. At a time when they should have been sharing their accomplishments with their family and friends, we were reminded of just how quickly life can change. Mr. Parker said it best when he said the students ‘showed resilience’ and ‘navigated challenges when things were not easy.’ My heart goes out to the families, community and school family as they continue to heal.”
Epilogue
Jai’hyon Elliott, Trevor Merritt, Nicholas Williams, and Asia Holliday were a part of the class of 2026 at E.E. Smith High School along 1800 Seabrook Road.
They were teenagers with dreams and promises of their tomorrows they’ll never know.
“They should be here today,” Larry Parker Jr. said.
And they always will be Golden Bulls, and a part of the class of 2026.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
