BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Apalachee High School is set to celebrate its graduating class on Thursday evening featuring a special surprise for students.

School officials say three therapy dogs will be included in the ceremony that begins at 8 p.m.

The therapy dogs have been a part of the fabric of the school since the mass shooting in September of 2024 that left four dead and several others injured.

Apalachee high school officials say they are “so proud of the class of 2025.”

In May of 2025, Derek Tiller and his wife Sarah established the Derek and Sarah Tiller Family Endowed Football Scholarship in memory of their friend and fellow coach Ricky Aspinwall who was one of the shooting victims.