Friday’s celebration began with a somber moment of silence for classmate Adrianna Grace Niven-Whitcraft, who sadly passed away in March 2020.

“I don’t think we ever realized how lucky we were to be able to have a place to go where we could watch each other grow up and be challenged with an array of new scenarios each day that would help shape us into the future,” student Brooklyn Lentz said. “The never ending positive effects of having an optimistic perspective. Moving into the future, I believe that having a positive outlook on life is the only thing that will get you through your seemingly unbearable days.”

Lentz ranked fourth in the class ranking.

Preston Monoski, who ranked third, pressed his fellow graduates to make the most of their lives going forward, and not to dwell on the “glory days” they were leaving behind.

“Although a lot of people say that high school (years) are the golden years of your life, and that this is the best time of your life, I don’t think it has to be that way,” he said. “Most of our lives will be spent outside of high school. Let’s achieve the things we want in life, so we can say, ‘I didn’t peak in high school.'”

Valedictorian Nicolas Cremer, who moved up to graduate a year early, reinforced this point, reminding his fellow graduates that “life is a spectrum,” and to never let anyone or anything “limit your life to a single view.”

In his remarks, principal Jesse Smith reminded the graduates not to take anything for granted, stating “life is not fair. Get used to it.”

He also encouraged the students by adding, “Do not wait for something good to happen to you. Make your own grades.”

The keynote speaker, Allison Genard, South Williamsport class of 2004, and current Senior Associate Attorney at Campbell Durrant, P.C., Pittsburgh evoked Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s commencement speech from her own college graduation by reminding the graduating class that “you’re gonna get knocked down in this life and probably the second you walk out of this stadium there’s nothing you can do about it. But what you can control is how you react. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and you come up with a game plan.”

Genard also offered a bit of general life advice.

“The most important lesson that I want to convey to you today is to be kind. This world can be exhausting, depressing, and straight-up hard, but kindness can negate some of that and make it a little easier to go on another day,” she said.

After receiving their diplomas, the graduates were addressed by the class of 2023 president and the class of 2024 president, each of whom focused on the future at South Williamsport Area High School.

“I am passing the school’s mantle on to you,” Sydney Harris, class of 2023 president, said, addressing the class of 2024. “Along with it, comes the leadership of the school, the responsibilities of the most advanced class in the school, and the dignity of such a position.”

Taelynn Mahosky, president, class of 2024, closed out the ceremony by saying, “I feel strongly about the class of 2024, and therefore am accepting this mantle with an optimism that my classmates will create the same important image as has the class of 2023.”