Indeed, home is where the heart is.

But, above all else, a home is a place that a person can still return to, regardless of how long they’ve been away, members of the Carbon Career and Technical Institute’s Class of 2019 were told.

CCTI Director David Reinbold greeted those in attendance during the school’s 25th annual commencement exercises held Tuesday inside the Jim Thorpe Area High School auditorium.

A total of 93 diplomas were handed out.

Class President Bryce Rivera urged his fellow graduates to make pit stops throughout their lives.

“The road you take will lead you down many different paths, but you will choose what roads you go down, so choose wisely,” Rivera said. “Make the best out of your journey through life and when it all slows down and you reach your final destination, don’t have any regrets, you get only one trip.”

Salutatorian Rachael Dickson focused her speech on the saying “home is where the heart is.”

Dickson said that while a home is a place of love, that’s not the only thing a home contains.

She said a home is a place where someone can go if they need help or support. A home is a place to take pride in and be proud to represent. A home is where one learns and nurtures their curiosity.

“But above all, a home is a place that you can still return to, regardless of how long you’ve been away,” Dickson said. “So home may be where the heart is, but the home that CCTI created for myself and the rest of the seniors you see sitting up here is made up of so much more.”

Valedictorian Skyler Graver told students that when they began their schooling at CCTI, they all did so with a “blank canvas.”

“As you progress through the years, you begin to fill that canvas,” Graver said. “This canvas you create will follow you through life.”

Graver said, “As you continue to add events and actions to your life you are adding more paint to your canvas.

“You may end up with a gorgeous masterpiece, but it could quickly become a murky brown color if you aren’t careful,” she said. “The time is now to make your move and create your beautiful canvas.”

Principal Brent Borzak told the graduates they “face a booming workforce,” and that they have a “labor market advantage.”

Further, he noted that our country’s unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a nearly 50-year low.

“We are in the healthiest economy we’ve seen in many years,” he said. “Take advantage of it, seize it.”

Borzak then presented the diplomas to the graduates.