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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

VINCENT – Standing on the football field as the sun dipped down over the horizon on May 20 at Vincent Middle High School, Connor Buchanan turned his tassel, held his diploma and listened with a smile on his face as he and the rest of the VMHS class of 2025 were pronounced as graduates.

Then, walking to form a large circle with his fellow seniors, he counted down from three and led them in tossing their caps, just like the many graduating Yellow Jackets had done for years before them.

While students passed by talking and hugging one another, Buchanan turned and made sure to tell some of his classmates, ‘Don’t you leave yet, I’ve got to take a picture with you.’

Those memories were ones that he was making sure to savor, and for good reason.

Buchanan did not just graduate from high school that night. He also stepped into the preparing for his life ahead, doing something that no Vincent student had ever done before.

In the fall, Buchanan will begin his time as a student of Harvard University, becoming the first Yellow Jacket to head straight to an Ivy League School.

Being from a small town, Buchanan sees the achievement as the culmination of all of his hard work throughout his time at Vincent. However, he is using his next four years and beyond as an opportunity to continue making a difference for people that come from the same background as him.

“I feel like all the hard work that I’ve had and all the challenges I’ve had to kind of overcome are worth it,” Buchanan said. “To be honest, if you asked me that I would be going to Harvard, I would’ve never thought that would be something I would be going through. It’s an incredible honor to be the first from Vincent to be going to Harvard or any Ivy (League school) in general. I really do hope that people look to me to look above their situation and know that they can overcome things, not just because they’re from a small town, whatever their situation may be.”

Over the course of his time at VMHS, Buchanan was involved in just about everything. He was the president of the senior class, while also being involved in art, quiz bowl, the math team, the school’s theater group and was even a member of the Alabama All-State Choir.

This new accolade that Buchanan achieved is just another high point to add to his resume, and now he hopes to continue being involved as he heads off to pursue a higher education.

Preparing to study pre-law at Harvard, Buchanan hopes to one day stay at the prestigious institution for law school and become an attorney for constitutional law, with the goal of paving the way for a career in politics.

The journey will not easy, but Buchanan is no stranger to that. Having had to partake in rigorous work at Vincent, the academic already had to overcome many obstacles just to get to this stage. For him though, doing that just to achieve the goal of attending an Ivy school was definitely motivation.

“I think the main motivator is definitely the hope for a better future,” Buchanan said. “That drive to not only be able to help people and show that people can succeed from a small town. Just the ability to lead and have others look up to you, I think that’s been the main motivator, as well as my parents and my friends of course.”

With the bright future lying ahead, Buchanan has a lot to look forward to. Aside from that though, Vincent holds a special place in his heart, and will forever do so.

Buchanan felt that his support system throughout his time in high school was a big reason why his success was so pronounced. His parents played a big part in always pushing him to do his best while also supporting him in every facet of his last four years, something he is very appreciative of.

“I cannot understate the importance of them,” Buchanan said. “Whether it be driving to my first few practices for theater or always showing up and always being there between work, between my brother’s practices, between all the time management that they’ve had to do, they’ve been a constant support. They don’t question ‘Why,’ they question ‘When? What time?'”

Now, as the move to Boston moves closer towards him, Buchanan hopes that the experience he will get out of Harvard will help to him to achieve his goal of becoming a successful politician. Bigger than though, the Vincent graduate wants to be known as someone who truly helps people for the greater good, even if he is never able to see their faces.

“I hope to achieve a good career where I can help others,” Buchanan said. “I want to go into politics. First, I want to do law of course, but I hope that I can have an impact on people, but also leave a legacy, be one of those people who, when others hear my name, they’re like, ‘Oh, Connor Buchanan. Well he did all this and he may not know it, but he helped me,’ and it may be someone that I’ve never met. Just kind of having that effect and being able to visualize that, that’s kind of what I’m trying to gain from Harvard.”