About a year ago, Jim Thorpe Area High School’s Class of 2016 chose a slogan for a T-shirt they created. That slogan was “We’re kind of a big deal.”

Nine months later, as students prepared to receive their diplomas, Principal Thomas Lesisko said the class proved that through their actions in the classroom, on sports fields and in their handling of tragedy.“You have the power to get through anything, and you have certainly proved that. Congratulations to the class of 2016, you are a big deal.”The school gave out 119 diplomas during Friday night’s annual commencement exercises.In speeches to their classmates, the class valedictorian and salutatorian remembered the things that brought the class together, and enthused about the future.Valedictorian Emily Laden managed to draw inspiration from an unlikely source, a person that she said got the “lowest grade in Jim Thorpe history.”She shared the story of Jim Thorpe graduate Seth Miller — who once got a grade of “4 percent” in one of his classes, but eventually worked hard to become a successful attorney.“If the same guy that got the lowest grade in Jim Thorpe history is now a lawyer, the possibilities for the rest of us are endless,” Laden said.It was a lighthearted story with a serious point. Miller couldn’t change that grade, but he did not let it become his downfall.“ ... there is no point in worrying about the past. All that we can do now is remember the good times and learn from our mistakes without letting them define us,” Laden said.Ilse Hassler, the class’s salutatorian and its president, went along with the theme of the class being a big deal. She recalled district and state champions, as well as the class’s all-night party — one of the most expensive in school history.“After completing senior year with this class, I do not believe we could have picked a more appropriate slogan,” she said.School board President Michael Principe said the class contributed to the school’s academic reputation, which surpasses far larger schools.Superintendent Brian Gasper managed to fit lyrics from two dozen pop songs into his remarks.The emotional peak of the ceremony came when the name of graduate Alfred Yzzi III was called. Yzzi, who died May 21, had completed the requirements for graduation. His mother accepted his diploma to a standing ovation from the crowd.Lesisko closed his speech by telling the class that realistically, they will forget many of the facts they learned in high school, whether it’s the quadratic formula, what makes a sonnet, or who fired first at the Battle of Bunker Hill. But he said there will be other aspects of high school that they will remember forever.“Many of these stories that you’ve lived this year will make you who you are, and will help shape your adult life,” he said.