Asheville City Schools All-Class Reunion

Asheville High’s Homecoming Game will be played on Friday, October 17, and all alums are invited to swing by the Alumni Center to walk down memory lane.

Be sure to find the Asheville City Schools Foundation table at the game to grab some alumni merch!

Reunion season is in full swing! We’ve already celebrated with the Classes of 1975, 1985, 2000, and 2005, and now it’s your turn! We’re kicking things off with our inaugural All-Class Reunion on Wednesday, October 15, from 5–7 p.m. at Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave. in Asheville.

No matter where you went to school—Asheville High, SILSA, Lee Edwards, Stephens-Lee, South French Broad, or any ACS elementary or middle school—you’re part of the ACS family, and we want to celebrate with you! Expect music, giveaways, refreshments, and plenty of time to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

It’s time to come home again and celebrate the impact of our schools across generations.

RSVP by Monday, October 13, and contact James C. Carter, AHS Class of 1991, with any questions, at [email protected].

Reunion Recap

We’ve loved seeing Asheville City Schools alumni back home this year! And so have other alumni groups that have met. The Class of 2000 even opened their reunion with tours for alumni from any year. It’s been amazing to watch Cougars of all ages reconnect, reminisce, and make new memories together.

Alumni Spotlight

Since graduating in 2018, Zion Walker has carried the spirit of Asheville High with him into every space he enters. As a community engagement liaison at Peak Academy, he embodies leadership, adaptability, and a commitment to empowering others, taking on multiple roles to meet the needs of students and staff.

Zion credits his success to the relationships he built at Asheville High, the lessons in responsibility and preparation he learned in AVID, and the guidance of teachers who helped him channel his energy and potential. He believes in turning knowledge into action, creating experiences for others to learn, grow, and share their own expertise.

For Zion, being a Cougar means embracing every opportunity to lead, teach, and give back.

Alumni Feature

When recent Asheville High graduate Elijah Cox, Class of 2025, was just 13, he came up with an idea most kids only dream about: a cereal bar where you could stack your bowl high with all the toppings you wanted. With a little creativity, and a lot of support from his mom, that idea became Chill Cereal Bar, a catering service that brings the fun to birthday parties, meetings, and community events.

Elijah will be the first to tell you that his success comes from staying positive, making a plan (and adjusting when he needs to), and making sure he’s having fun with the work. He’s the kind of person who looks for joy every single day, even when things get tough, and it shows in the way he runs his business.

He’s also quick to give credit to his roots: a proud graduate of Asheville City Schools, Elijah says teachers like Ms. Tracey Barrett helped him build the discipline and confidence that carry him forward now. As a brand-new alum, he just started his first semester at UNC Greensboro, all while continuing to run Chill Cereal Bar from a distance.

The business is still growing, too. You may have seen Chill Cereal Bar’s new coloring book popping up around town—a playful extension of Elijah’s creative spirit. His personal mantra is “I can do all things,” and if you’ve met Elijah, you know he means it.

Alumni Website

The ACS Alumni website is in the building stages, and we want your input! Take a moment to visit www.ashevillecityschoolsalumni.com, click around, explore what’s there, and let us know what’s missing. Your feedback will help us create a site that truly serves our alumni community. Share your thoughts and help us make it the best resource possible!

ACSF—Support Our Schools

Make a difference in the lives of future Asheville City Schools Alumni by supporting the Asheville City Schools Foundation. Every contribution helps create opportunities, tackle challenges, and build a brighter future for our Cougar community. Thank you for doing whatever it takes to ensure that all ACS students thrive!