Family and friends watched as 181 seniors graduated high school at Northwestern Lehigh High School’s 66th annual commencement ceremony on June 2 at Tiger Stadium.

Northwestern Lehigh High School Principal Aileen M. Yadush opened the ceremony by addressing the soon-to-be graduates and their families.

“Today, you start a new phase in your life, one that extends beyond the walls of Northwestern Lehigh High School,” she said.

Class President Elijah Johri in his speech to his fellow graduates, spoke about his time being a student in the Northwestern Lehigh School District.

“Now I want you all to take a good look at your neighbor. Look at every single neighbor you have. Think about the times that you’ve shared with this person. They could be a friend, acquaintance or maybe somebody yet to make it an exciting experience with. Now think about the good deeds that they have done. That’s the beautiful thing in my eyes about Northwestern,” he said. “It’s a place where we didn’t just pass each other by, we actually had the drive to make a change in ourselves and look at the world differently, as somewhere we can all respect each other, and somewhere that we can grow into the people we’re meant to be.”

Samuel Mauro gave the first student address titled “Rise.” He said the Class of 2023 has learned how to fight through adversity and through all of it they have used their struggles as steppingstones to ascend to levels they never thought possible and have risen like the phoenix from the ashes and succeeded beyond any doubt.

“Our years in high school have shaped us into young adults acting as the foundation of our characters. Through all of this, we have learned to laugh, to cry, to persevere, and to celebrate. We have grown into ourselves, and we have our past to thank,” he stated. “However, it is crucial that we do not live in the past, but simply learn from it. As time goes on, we will realize how fast life truly goes by. It’s important to live in the moment.

Student Maci Fisher said, “Today, I stand before each of you with one simple request. Please never stop believing.”

She gave the class instructions.

“Believe that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Believe in your ability to achieve greatness. Better yet, redefine greatness, as the world knows it. Be bold. Try new things. Believe in always broadening your horizons. Believe in the power of honest mistakes. Always learn from them. Meet new people. Value their differences. Believe the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Be compassionate. Treat others with respect. Believe that kindness matters. Be authentic. Never apologize for being different. Believe that being different gives the world color. Respect your elders. Believe in their wisdom. Always defend the weak. Believe in and live by the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Always speak the truth. Believe in the power of the truth.”

She had asked classmates to sign a card for classmate Wyatt Newhard who died in 2018 after an 11-year battle with neuroblastoma. The card was attached to a balloon that was released in his memory.

“Now, none of us truly know where this balloon will end once I let it go, but I stand before you to tell you that I believe this balloon is headed straight up to Wyatt. I believe it’s headed to where the earth ends, and the heavens begin. Wyatt, so loved this class. He believed in all of us, and we surely believed in him. So, as I release our balloon, please remember Wyatt, but also remember and appreciate anyone in your life who has believed in you,” Fisher said.

Haydn S. King presented the third student address.

“Each individual’s journey to get to this point today was unique. “We lost half of our high school years together due to a global pandemic. We also lost one of our most incredible classmates in Wyatt Newhard.”

King said Wyatt’s positivity and perseverance in the face of the challenges he was dealt, is something that will forever live on in the hearts and minds of his entire graduating class.

“It’s in his spirit that we were able to make it through the tough times together as one. If there’s one thing high school has taught me, it’s to not take anything for granted. Every day being with the people we love, doing the things we love is a day well spent,” King said. “We don’t all have to be global sensations to be a star in our story. However, there is only one of each of us in our story and in our own individual stories we are the main character. But our relationship with the outside world and the other figures in that story is how the plot is written.”

After Angelina M. Klein and Carson C. Mesics recognized the Honor Society members and Emily D. Bell recognized the Science National Honor Society members, Northwestern Assistant Principal Matthew Givler recognized the 58 senior award recipients who were recently honored by the school district and Lehigh Career and Technical Institute.

He said this year over $58,000 in awards were given for excellence in extracurricular activities and athletics as well as for traditional and technical academic success.