Members of Weatherly High School’s Class of 2023 heard words of reflection from their class president and a challenge for the future from a guest speaker on Friday.

In total, 43 students received diplomas at the graduation ceremony.

The theme of the Class of 2023 graduation was to learn from life’s obstacles and setbacks and keep moving forward. The biggest obstacle this class had was COVID-19 and transitioning from distance learning to returning to the classroom.

Class president and valedictorian Michael Berger likened his academic journey to running a race.

“During a race, you will experience many different setbacks such as hills, the course getting narrower, or losing your footing on the loose terrain. These setbacks are just like the different setbacks that we experience in our lives,” Berger said.

Berger said their senior year was a reward for all the hard work they put in.

“This last year reminded me a lot of the final stretch of a race,” he said, “I always believed that the final stretch was the most exciting part. During the final stretch, you would have parents, friends, family, and members of the community cheering and screaming to keep pushing you through to the end. The feeling of the support from everyone is like no other and is a feeling I will never forget.”

Berger said that learning from the life experience will make the class members better and stronger individuals.

“We need to learn from the bad and remember the good,” he said. “In this time we have created great memories and bonds with people that should never be forgotten. Now is the time that we begin to prepare ourselves for our next race in life.”

Class vice president and salutatorian Abigail Paisley said her biggest challenge was “transitioning from the online year back to what some might call normal. Senior year was my only normal year of high school, and probably my favorite.”

She told her classmates to be proud of themselves because “today is so special for all of us in a sense of accomplishment, excitement, gratitude. Everyone worked so hard and put in the effort to get to this spot today, despite all the challenges we faced.”

She even quoted the 1986 comedy movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in which the movie’s main character, Ferris Bueller, played by Matthew Broderick, says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”?

“I have confidence that we are all going to achieve our goals in the future and overcome those hard obstacles, no matter the path we choose,” Paisley said. “We have been given the pieces and now it is up to us to put them together.”

The guest speaker was Ronald Novack, a 1982 graduate of Weatherly High School, who had a 33-year career in the U.S. Army.

“I challenge you that whatever you decide to pursue in life as you walk out these doors today, I want you to be good at it. Being good at it is not easy, it takes hard work, discipline, and focus.”

Novack then shared pieces of advice that he said kept him grounded during his life.

“Make a plan, execute that plan, and be flexible,” he said. “Once you make your plan, execute it violently. But regardless of how good you think your plan is, it is only good until your plan meets friction or contact. Then you must have the mental adeptness and flexibility to adjust your plan as your environment and conditions change.”

Rebekah McFadden sang the Star Spangled Banner, and the Weatherly High School Chorus sang several selections during the program. Members of the Weatherly High School Band accompanied the procession and recession.

Members of the Weatherly High School Class of 1973 were honored at the graduation.