Clarke Central High School Class of 2025 alumni Alexandra Emiliano (left) and Madison Hampton-Ellis (right) walk across the E.B. Mell Auditorium stage at 2025 Decision Day on May 2, 2025. CCHS College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas has organized past decision days, in which CCHS seniors celebrate their post-graduate plans, and will also coordinate 2026 Decision Day, taking place on May 1. “I am really looking forward to having the chance to see what the next steps are for all of my peers and celebrating (them),” CCHS senior Mabel Fezekas, who will attend 2026 Decision Day, said. Photo courtesy of Alejo Zayas
CCHS will host its 2026 Decision Day in the E.B. Mell Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 1, where the Class of 2026 will announce their post-graduate plans.
Clarke Central High School seniors who have chosen to participate will celebrate their post-graduation plans at 2026 Decision Day, which will take place in the E.B. Mell Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 1 in front of an audience of CCHS faculty, peers and families.
Upon arrival, participating seniors will be given a card on which to indicate their post-high school plans. During the event, student emcees from the Hispanic organization Promoting education and the Student Government Association will read the cards, prompting seniors to walk across the stage to the sound of the applause of their peers.
“It’s really important to recognize students’ accomplishments (and) hard work,” CCHS College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas, who coordinated the event, said. “A lot of students are really excited to be stepping into that next phase of their life, and (I) want to recognize all the work they put in to get there.”
The Instagram page, @cchscollegebound, that announces Clarke Central High School seniors’ post-graduate plans is shown above. CCHS College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas organized 2026 Decision Day, which will take place on May 1. “( Decision Day is) a really exciting opportunity for (seniors) to tell (the CCHS community) where they’re going,” Zayas said. “May 1 is National Decision Day, the deadline (for) most colleges for students to let them know that they intend to enroll.” Page fair use of CCHS Collegebound
The event will feature a guest speaker, CCHS Class of 2012 alumnus James Ofori, in addition to a raffle that seniors will be entered into upon arrival. Raffle winners will receive items like backpacks and Command Strips aimed to help students as they begin living independently.
“We try to highlight all of our students, whether they’re going to a four-year college, trade school, military or the workforce,” Zayas said. “We want to celebrate everybody and recognize that all paths are valid things to do.”
“We want to celebrate everybody and recognize that all paths are valid things to do.”
— Alejo Zayas,
CCHS College and Career Adviser
Mabel Fezekas, a CCHS senior, will be attending Davidson College in the fall of the 2026-27 school year and looks forward to attending 2026 Decision Day with her friends.
“It’s so important that we get the chance to be recognized for our hard work throughout high school and take a moment to actually celebrate it and celebrate our friends,” Fezekas said.
