The 51st commencement ceremony at Panther Valley High School was both celebration and somber remembrance.

As the 75 students celebrated their accomplishments over the past four years in the high school, they also chose to remember one of their own, Autumn Young, who was killed in a car crash earlier this year.The evening began as Principal Joseph Gunnels welcomed everyone. Kayla Reese and Morgan Kadel sang the national anthem.Class President Mace Markovich, provided a welcome address before introducing salutatorian Steven Reehl and valedictorian Brooke Turner to the podium."Graduation. The word is small in characters yet full of meaning," Markovich said. "We are graduating from school, away from a simple life, a usual environment, in a way graduating from childhood. All of the 75 seniors sitting upon this stage are graduating from a routined lifestyle into a new and uncharted phase of life."Reehl said that graduation was the "pinnacle of their lives at the moment.""As we close one chapter, we are rewarded with the beginning of another," he said."We wade into the next with a reasonable sense of insecurity because, for the first time in our short lives, we will be going our separate ways into that great unknown called life. ... We will fall once or twice in our lives, and that is inevitable because it takes a few tries to get accustomed to our new life bicycle. We must get back up, dust off our pride, and keep moving."Turner echoed her classmates' sentiments, channeling Helen Keller as her inspiration."Together, we have already made something of our lives through the adventures we have had," she said. "We are the 51st graduating class of Panther Valley High School. ... Our time here has been full of adventure and change, both good and bad. We have laughed, cried, worked and achieved together."We have also experienced some difficult times," Turner continued, speaking about the loss of Autumn. "Our class, and the Panther Valley family, came together to support each other and heal. As we continue on our adventures, we will always keep Autumn's memory with us."Superintendent Dennis Kergick Sr. then addressed the class, telling them to savor the moment and follow three simple rules, have passion, faith and purpose in life.Following speeches, Gunnels announced additional awards that graduates will be receiving, and Markovich passed the school colors onto 2016 class President Kelsey Van Horn.School Board President Jeff Markovich presented the diplomas before the class officially walked off the stage one last time and out into the world the newest graduating class of Panther Valley.