Family and friends watched as the 170 plus seniors from the Northwestern Lehigh High School Class of 2017 graduated at the high school's 60th annual commencement ceremony Saturday at Stabler Arena, Bethlehem.

High school Principal Aileen Yadush opened the ceremony by telling the seniors, "Today you begin a new phase in your life, one that extends beyond the walls of Northwestern Lehigh High School."As you move forward, we encourage you to embrace new situations with excitement, to meet new people, to experience new places and to be the creator of your destiny," she said.Senior class President Ryan Overstrom reminisced about high school years in his speech"The Lyrics of Northwestern."He chose the song "The Riddle" by Five for Fighting for their freshman year, "I Can't Stop This Feeling" by Justin Timberlake for their sophomore year, "Home" by Phillip Phillips for their junior year and "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons."All joking aside, senior year had moments we will remember such as the first day we were called seniors, joking with our friends in the senior chairs, Friday Night Lights, Mr. Northwestern and our prom," Overstrom said. "While they were all great memories, they were bittersweet because our days together were coming to an end.""Now, we have finally arrived at graduation, the song "Young Forever" by Jay Z captures a few of the feelings we are experiencing today," he said.Athalie E. Fogal talked about the question "What do you want to be when you grow up" in her speech."For some of us the answer to this question has changed a million times. For others the answer has remained the same: I don't know," Fogal said.She finds it ridiculous that everyone is asked this question at all when they are young because the truth is we will truly never be done growing up, Fogal said."No matter how many times we change our minds, our futures are bright. We have limitless potential to harness," Fogal said in closing.Jobair Hereba in his speech "Do What You Can't" addressed the issue of the seniors tackling the impossible challenges in life."The path to success is not always a straight line. We are bound to encounter problems while we are striving to realize our dreams," Hereba said. "These challenges may beat us down and make us second-guess our plans. While it is OK to feel this way, it is not OK to act on these feeling by giving up."He told his fellow classmates success requires more than just determination, it demands courage and a relentless spirit and keeping your head up and brushing obstacles aside and propelling yourself toward your aspirations."No one should be afraid to chase their dreams, to walk up to the seemingly impossible and conquer it," he said. "Remember the best things in life are on the other side of terror."Northwestern Lehigh School Board President Willard G. Dellicker and SuperintendentMary Anne Wright addressed the seniors briefly during the ceremony.Dellicker told the seniors today is not an end, it is a beginning, and today you are stepping into your future.Wright said for them to take control of their own lives, they have the power to shape their behaviors, attitudes, dreams and ultimately their lives."As you move along the path you create, don't lose sight of the small experiences that make up your everyday lives," she said. "I suggest that you shouldn't get lost in all the planning of your future but also take time to live in the moment."Yadush reminisced about the seniors' lives growing up in New Tripoli and over the years at Northwestern Lehigh High School before closing the graduation ceremony.