It’s a question Mohammed Saad Javed asked his classmates gathered Friday night at Northern Lehigh High School’s Tiger Stadium.

The theme of his address touched on resilience, an important trait to succeed in whichever path one chooses.

“Life is unpredictable. In adversity, we are, in many occasions, destined to fail before we can succeed,” Javed said.

Reflecting on some of history’s greats, such as Walt Disney and Thomas Edison, who both faced early setbacks but persevered, Javed recalled the story of a wounded Army veteran who inspired him to forge past obstacles and make a better life.

Class 2024 President Jordan Allen alluded to unexpected challenges in her own address, recounting their first year of high school which was in front of a computer screen.

“Although we did not have a traditional 8th grade year, I’m sure we made up for it,” Allen said.

She continued, “High school for most of us was more than grades and tests. It’s about discovering our voices, pushing boundaries, and of course, learning how to open our lockers.”

Allen reminded her classmates, “We are standing on the edge of our future.”

She ended her address, quoting Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Northwestern Lehigh High School

Principal Aileen M. Yadush told her seniors, “Remember that your next transition begins today. Today, you start a new phase in your life. One that extends beyond the walls of Northwestern Lehigh High School. As you begin this journey, we hope that you create new memories along the way and pass on what you have learned to those who walk behind you.”

School Board President Todd Hernandez explained to Class of 2024 how “we celebrate Northwestern Lehigh’s 67th annual commencement ceremony. As defined, commencement is not an end. It is the beginning.”

“You are at the threshold of where you will go from here.”

Hernandez continued, “Reflect on the experiences you have had here to get to this point and think of the support you have gotten through the years from your teachers, coaches, families and friends.”

Assistant High School Principal Matthew Givler highlighted the work of 63 seniors who received a total of $51,000 in scholarships. The moneys were gifted from district, LCTI, and local businesses.

Before the diplomas were conferred, Valedictorian Timothy Burnard gave a speech entitled “Our Northwestern Journey.”

Burnard recalled, “When we began our educational journey, way back in elementary school, the world certainly looked much different than it does today. Smartphones were just starting to become popular, and we spent our time playing with Legos, Pokemon cards, fidget spinners and those little rubber band bracelets.”

He spoke of the new friends middle school brought, and the return to elementary school buildings in 7th grade due to a mold issue.

Then the unexpected happened in 8th grade as the world shutdown. Burnard spoke of friendships, classroom memories, lessons learned in and outside the classroom.

He ended saying, “And when we look back in our years in school, I think we’ll find the most important lessons we’ve learned here don’t come from some textbook or 45-minute lecture but from the experiences that we’ve had: the good, the bad and the ugly that have shaped us into the young adults we are now and the people we will become. We’ve learned how to communicate with a diverse range of people to step out of our comfort zone from time to time. We’ve learned that there is no substitute for hard work, and we can accomplish quite a lot if we put our minds to it.”

As the sun set over the hills behind Tiger Stadium, 163 seniors received their high school diplomas, marking an end to one chapter of their lives, and the start of the next one.