Brittany Higgins, like many Carbon Career & Technical Institute students, chose to attend the Jim Thorpe school as a way of "finding themselves" in a way they couldn't at their home schools.

Along the way they found each other, joined one of the school's numerous clubs, and formed an unbreakable bond.Thursday night, Higgins and her 84 classmates received their diplomas during the CCTI commencement ceremony held in the Jim Thorpe High School auditorium."Many of us left to come here in hopes of a new fresh start, to meet new people, flee the past, bullying, or the idea of not fitting in, unhappy with where we were," Higgins, a Palmerton resident and CCTI Class of 2016 valedictorian, said."When anyone stops and asks why we attend CCTI, many say it's because we feel comfortable, we can excel, and connect with both our friends and teachers on a more personal level. We pass by our teachers or technical advisers, and they will actually strike up a conversation with us."They know us further than a name or as a student. They know our struggles, our strengths and weaknesses, our journey here."Five Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit life skill students also received diplomas from their home district during the ceremony.CCTI Principal Brent Borzak said while the Class of 2016 was another record-setting group in terms of test scores, attendance and positive behavior, he'll remember them for something else."What stood out to me was the community service and volunteerism," Borzak said. "Whether it was after-school, on the weekends or on a holiday, this group really dedicated their time. That builds great character and we have a lot of high character individuals in this group."Salutatorian Matthew Miller is planning a career in heating, ventilation and air conditioning service. He viewed Thursday's ceremony as simply a launching point."Life gives each of us new opportunities to continue growing and to learn new skills every day," Miller told his classmates."I hope everyone here today can realize that anything is truly possible when we put our minds to it. As we all continue on in our lives, let us take each new problem on with confidence, knowing that we have achieved great things and are equipped with the necessary tools to tackle our futures."Many CCTI students have been attending the school for three or four years.Class of 2016 President Kenny Dotter remembers his first days as if it were yesterday."Some of the upperclassmen looked 25 with beards and rumbling voices," he said. "Intimidating, wasn't it? It was for me. But as we grew year by year we found new hobbies, we found a career pathway that we loved and we learned and nurtured from it."A teacher once told Dotter, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.""It's a long journey from here on out," Dotter said. "A career, house, a wife and kids. There's a lot of planning we encounter. My words to you are be safe, and as Mr. Feeny said from 'Boy Meets World,' 'Do good. Not do well. Do good.'"As the graduates get ready to embark on the next part of their journey, they'll do it in an ever-changing society, Higgins said."At the age of 17, 18, maybe even 19, we have faced depression, isolation, confusion, bullying and more," she said. "No child is safe from it, and it's important for us to remember that all that we have and will continue to face, we have overcome. We are here, surviving through the hardest thing one could do, be human. While many think it's an exaggeration, being a teenager is hard. Thank you, for understanding and helping us through it."