At some point each day, when she is in her office at Companion Animal Hospital of Tamaqua, Dr. Kathryn E. Kropp looks at a plaque inscribed with a poem called “Don’t quit.”

“Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt. And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far,” one of the lines reads.

She got the plaque from an aunt upon her graduation from Tamaqua Area High School 30 years ago, and carried it through undergraduate, veterinary school and the years since.

On Tuesday, she passed along that sentiment to the Tamaqua Area High School Class of 2018.

“Don’t forget where you came from or the people who helped you along the way,” Kropp said. “Stay humble and be kind.”

Kropp was the featured speaker for the class of 163 students who crossed the stage at the school’s stadium to receive their diplomas.

Valedictorian Aaron Wargula called upon the advice of Mark Twain, his parents and Sixers fans in his speech. Wargula plans to attend Syracuse University to major in engineering.

Wargula used a topic close to his heart — Philadelphia sports — to remind his classmates of the importance of never giving up.

If the Eagles can finally win a Super Bowl after 50-plus years of trying, and the Sixers can once again attain relevance, then there’s no reason that this year’s Tamaqua graduates can’t accomplish their goals in the face of adversity, he said.

“Life will take us on unexpected and unforeseen journeys, but we must always remember that everything happens for a reason. In the simplest words that I can think of, trust the process,” Wargula said.

Salutatorian and class President Molly Clemson reflected on the classmates who they lost — McKayla Ann Wall, who died in February, and Cassidy Derr, who died last August.

“Amidst the hardships, there were moments of joy: Football games, pep rallies, prom night and so much more. Remembering all of the memories, this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” she said.

She challenged them to make the best versions of themselves as they set out into the world.

Principal Tom McCabe said the Class of 2018 received $147,991 in scholarships during the school’s recent Academic Achievement night.

Out of the class, 73 plan to go directly to a four-year college, 68 will seek an associate degree or attend trade school, 11 of them plan to be teachers and nine plan to enter the military.

In closing, McCabe told the class to ignore the naysayers and choose to succeed.

“Be a better person tomorrow than you are today. Live your life for you and not someone else, be happy with who you are. This is your life, live it to the fullest,” McCabe said.