North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By James Pease II
On Saturday, May 30, Loris High School named their class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian.
Caitlyn Black, valedictorian, is a born and raised Loris local and both of her parents are Loris High School alumni. Black has been a part of multiple clubs and achieved numerous accolades during her time at Loris High School.
Black is a school athlete and was a member of the Loris Softball and Volleyball team.
She was also named a National Merit Finalist based on her academic record, standardized test scores, essays and school recommendations.
Kaydin Hughes, salutatorian, was born in Wyoming but began her education in Horry County Schools as a kindergartener. Her father is a Loris Alumni.
She served as the 2025-26 chapter treasurer for Loris FFA (Future Farmers of America) and received the Model of Excellence award for FFA at the National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2024, Hughes earned the highest individual score in the state soils competition and was a discussion meet finalist for the Horry County Farm Bureau for two consecutive years. She was also recognized with the senior superlative of Most Dependable.
Hughes is a summa cum laude graduate (meaning her weighted GPA was 4.75 or higher).
Both students have overlapping achievements, including being members of Senior Beta Club, National Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society, National English Honors Society, RHO KAPPA, Science National Honors Society and MU Alpha Feta.
