The best is yet to come.

Those were the words shared with the 171 graduates of the Tamaqua Area High School Class of 2016 during commencement exercises held Wednesday at the Tamaqua Area High School Sports Stadium.Class President Allison Amodea said there are many feelings associated with graduation."The purpose of this ceremony is to simultaneously fathom our past and celebrate the freedom that our futures hold; hence, the title of this ceremony 'commencement,' " Amodea said. "We have new choices and opportunities before us, and we decide how we perceive them and absorb them."Joshua A. Gordon, president of the Class of 2017, accepted the gavel from Amodea.Superintendent Carol Makuta shared with the graduates that she has been in a school setting for over a half century.Reflecting upon what tenets she could impart to them from her experiences, Makuta said she narrowed it down to six basic principles which she calls, "Everything I Needed to Know in Life I Learned in School."Makuta said those basic principles are to fall in love with the process and the results will follow; do your work; once you're prepared, throw your preparation out; you are capable of more than you think; listen; and take action."At the end of your days, you will be judged by your gallop, not by your stumble," Makuta said.Ivonne (Maldonado) Charbonneau, a captain in the United States Air Force, served as the guest speaker.A 2003 graduate of Tamaqua, Charbonneau works in the Launch Enterprise of the Space and Missile System Center in Los Angeles and told the students, "You're just a few moments away from what we, in the military, call a "shake, take, salute.""Any time we receive a certificate, coin or some sort of memorabilia in the military, we shake our commander's hand, take the object they're offering and render a salute," Charbonneau said. "Tonight, you'll shake Mrs. Makuta's hand, take your diploma, but instead of a salute, you'll flash a great big smile and throw your cap in the air."High school Principal Stephen P. Toth told graduates to be a self-determined person; that opportunity doesn't knock often, so seize it; that inspiration comes in many forms; to remember their roots; and that what he's learned about advice is sometimes it registers too late.He then quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, "The only person you can become is the person you decide to be."He said that of the 171 graduates, 43 plan to go directly on to a four-year college or university; 98 plan to go to associate degree programs, business or trade schools; 10 plan to enter the profession of education; nine plan to enter a branch of the service; and 21 have made commitments for employment.Class valedictorian Catherine Minehan gave the farewell address and shared with her fellow graduates several pieces of guidance she's been given during her four years in high school.Minehan noted that Admiral H. McRaven once said, "Always make your bed," and told students to find a best friend; slow down; ask for help; keep an open mind; follow their own path; and to fail, as failure only makes success sweeter than it already is; and to never lose their sense of humor.Minehan told her fellow classmates to "stay on the top of the world, and never look down."Graduates then performed the class song to the tune of "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons.