Clad in orange, black and white, the 57 graduating seniors of Weatherly Area High School took time to reflect on the accumulated years that lay behind and the unknown future laid out before them.

Friday evening began with Weatherly Area school nurse Rebekah McFadden filling the middle school gymnasium with her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," followed by high school Principal Amanda Zaremba opening the floor to student speakers: class President Elizabeth Hartz; salutatorian Olivia Winheld; and valedictorian Shelby Berger; and guest speaker, Weatherly graduate Mark Murmello.Stories and anecdotes were shared about the tumultuous and fulfilling ride that is high school. Murmello, 1992's class valedictorian, looked onto the faces of the future and allowed nostalgia to color his words.He spoke of his journey from high school, into college and the workforce. He told students to be open to opportunities, both in and outside of formal education, to continue learning throughout their lives."It took only a few short years to realize that my education came from many different venues outside the classroom," he said.The student speakers looked back over the years of education and friendships."One minute you are just learning to spell out your name, and the next you are signing your name on paychecks and college forms," Hartz said."All the laughter, joking around and stepping out of our comfort zone is how we found our place in not only school, but also our lives," she said.Berger acknowledged the shaky start of elementary school up until the stressful day of donning the traditional cap and gown."We all ran free on the blacktop during recess, throughout our awkward middle school years leading up to this day where I am pleased to say the words we have all been waiting to hear," she said. "We finally made it."She compared the high school experience to a roller-coaster ride."It begins like this: we are bright-eyed little middle school kids waiting for our turn in line for the big, bad high school."After what seems like forever we're at the front of the line, the beginning, freshman year. We strap in tight and anticipate the world as we slowly climb the hill filled with fear of the ride that spans before us. We fly right into senior year and are nearing the end of the ride," she said.Winheld found herself wondering how time moved so quickly since the start of ninth grade."I'm not exactly sure where the past four years have gone. It seems as if just yesterday we were freshmen fighting with our locks on the lockers, trying to get them open to make it to class. Now here we are, seniors on graduation night," she said."We are leaving our security blankets behind," she said. "We are all headed in different directions next year, but we are headed toward our dreams."Winheld had concluded her speech with a quote from John Green." 'I go to seek a great perhaps.' Class of 2016, our 'great perhaps' is right in front of us, we must go to see what all it has to offer us," she said.