Commonwealth Connections Academy seniors filled the yellow and orange flower-lined stage at Penn's Peak for their graduation last evening.

The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem, reciting of the pledge of allegiance and a greeting from high school principal, Greg Gettle."This is our third year having a commencement program and this is one of four commencements this year," Gettle told the family members and friends in the audience. "The first year we had 90 students graduating across the state, now we have close to 60 graduating here."He then introduced Katelyn Winters, Lehighton, the first speaker of the evening.Winters told students that it is now time for them to discover their own path as their own person.She began by quoting poet Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.""Dream your impossible dream, reach for the moon and stars," said Winters, who also urged her fellow students to follow their heart.Another student speaker, Christine Bergey of Kingston, Luzerne County, told the audience members that she and her classmates at CCA were bonded by a "special, futuristic school" that they were lucky to have experienced.Bergey then shared a story with the audience. The moral was that even with just the important things in your life, family and friends, your life is still full."Follow your dreams and don't sweat the small stuff," she said.Dr. Dennis Tulli, CEO of CCA, was the next to speak."You are pioneers, like astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, pioneers of the 21st century," he said to the students of their online education.He then encouraged the students to become leaders of change in their hometowns and make a difference in the lives they touch.The students were then presented with their diplomas one-by-one and had a short message read to the audience. In the messages, the students thanked their families and friends and shared their future plans.The ceremony concluded with the traditional recessional, where the CCA seniors walked out of the ceremony as graduates of the class of 2011.A reception followed with food, music and dancing.