When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

That was the central message relayed to Palmerton Junior High School students who were honored at the school's annual Academic Awards Banquet held recently at Blue Shamrock Golf Club in Palmerton.Arley Kemmerer, a 2002 graduate of Palmerton Area High School, served as guest speaker for the event.Kemmerer, a professional cyclist who represented the United States in the World Championships, said that after traveling around the world, she opened her family law practice in 2012 in Lehighton.She told the students she ran cross-country and track while she was a student at Palmerton Area High School.Kemmerer told the students that high school is pretty easy, and that they should enjoy their time there, because once they go off to college or whatever other endeavor they pursue, it's going to get pretty difficult."I think the key to being successful is not giving up when it gets difficult," Kemmerer said. "If you can't persevere, or give up, then you are letting yourself down."Afterward, Principal Richard DeSocio and school guidance counselor Kevin Carroll presented the awards to the students.Seventh-grade honorees were Tyler Christman, Grace Costenbader, Abigail Everett, Braden Gower, Mitchell Hourt, Logan Kresge, Erica Messics, Andrew Sabo, Faith Szena and Mikayla Wilkins.Those students attained the Top 10 averages in their respective class.Eighth-grade honorees were Raina Alexander, Matthew Binder, Kaitlynn Bumberger, Lucas Christman, Chase Dailey, Lydia Delich, Rachael Dickson, Mia Fantasia, Chase Faulstick, Madison Finley, Jalen Gornek, Syler Graver, Devyn Hauser, Austin Haydt, Angela Heffley, Shannon Higgins, Ezekiel Himmelwright, Lauren Markley, Benjamin Netznik, Katelyn Rehatchek, Reshan Selvavelautham, Jonathan Shimmel, Danielle Stetler and Cody Waterhouse.Those students earned the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence by averaging at least 90 percent during the first three marking periods, and by scoring advanced in math and reading on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test.The Sen. Yudichak Good Citizenship Award was presented to eighth-graders Mia Fantasia and Matthew Binder.The award goes to students who display the qualities of good citizenship through the display of outstanding character, leadership and scholarship.They also demonstrated a willingness to accept responsibility and meet challenges put forth by the administration and faculty.