JOPLIN, Mo. — The “Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School” is celebrating its 22 graduates of 2023 — along with the school’s 30th anniversary.

The school’s Class of 2023 graduated, this afternoon — and many of these students are celebrating outstanding accomplishments.

Many are walking away as National Advanced Placement Scholars and National Merit Scholarship Program finalists.

Three seniors earned a perfect score on their A-C-T exams.

Graduates tell us, many of them have been there since pre-kindergarten — and say the school community feels like one big family.

They also add — their experiences as students at Thomas Jefferson is what led them to their next steps.

“I will be UMKC in the fall in the Honors Program, and I will be studying biology on the pre-dental track,” said Jessica Joseph, 2023 graduate.

“The biggest thing is sort of the size of the class. So, it’s very small, so you get a lot of attention, whether you want it or not from teachers and your peers. // I’m going to Mizzou, I’m going to do a Bachelor of Arts in music with violin,” said Kip Atteberry, 2023 graduate.

“I’m going to Boston University. I’m going to be at Kilachand Honors College, and I’m planning on majoring in neuroscience and philosophy,” said Samantha Seto, 2023 graduate.

To help celebrate the 30-year milestone, school officials invited an alumnus to speak at graduation — who started in 1993.

That’s the same year the school began operations.

On top of 30 years, the average score on the Class of 2023’s A-C-T exam this year — was 30.