On Friday night 65 Weatherly Area High School students took their first steps into young adulthood at the 129th annual graduation ceremony.

The night began with the area school's band playing in the Class of 2017.High school Principal Anthony DeSpirito opened the ceremony by thanking the entire staff for their help in organizing and running the administrator's first commencement at the school."We have great pride in our young men and women," he said.DeSpirito introduced the district's new superintendent Teresa Young, who recognized the graduating Class of 1967.The district carries out the tradition of honoring alumni from the school district 50 years senior to the current year's class.Though the night was dedicated to the 2017, students shared the spotlight with the educators of Weatherly.Each speaker highlighted the lessons they had learned, not just regarding academics but also about character."They have prepared us for successful futures regardless of our chosen fields," said Salutatorian Samantha DeSpirito."Whether we are headed for college, trade school, the military or job market we will do so knowing that we have the knowledge and skills that we need to succeed. Our teachers have given us endless advice and have helped to mold us into the people we are today."Valedictorian Morgan Gower echoed the sentiments of DeSpirito, sharing memories of the late Jonathan Kiddish, the district's cross-country and track coach."He approached me one day and said, 'Smiley, running isn't about finishing first. It doesn't matter what place you finish. All that matters is that you do finish and that you pay attention to the little things along the way," she said.Along with Kiddish, Gower highlighted several teachers who impacted her education and closed her speech by encouraging fellow students to continue growing."I challenge you to continue to learn from the little things," she said."Don't let life just pass you by," Gower said.Class President Madison Hartz said, "I will never write a speech or speak a sentence that will sum up my gratitude toward the teachers and peers who have touched my life."She encouraged her fellow graduating class to open their hearts to future experiences and remember."You are just as important as the person sitting next to you. We have all been through a lot and our resilience is really incredible," she said.Commencement speaker Gretchen Leach's message to students was to find their own definition of success while continuing to always strive for happiness on their own terms."Things aren't going to go the way you planned. Some people might call that a failure when it happens, and it will happen. But that's life. Sometimes Plan B turns out to be better than Plan A was anyway," she said."The way you react to a perceived failure and what you learn from it is more important than the failure itself," she said.