One-hundred and twenty-one students received their diplomas during the 69th annual commencement ceremony at the Jim Thorpe High School Stadium.

Graduation was held for the first time on a Saturday morning, postponed from Friday night because of smoke conditions that affected the entire northeastern part of the country, plus rain showers.

Six of the students, in addition to receiving diplomas, also received Lehigh Carbon Community College associate degree diplomas.

Kaitlin Diaz, Class of 2023 Jim Thorpe salutatorian, reminded the class that success is in working toward their goals, even if it means stepping back on occasion.

“One lesson I learned was never underestimate the power of desire and drive,” Diaz said. “Maybe some of you have had similar experiences where people told you it was impossible to achieve your goal. Or perhaps you knew someone was waiting for you to fail. Both of these situations have happened to me. But instead of giving up, I worked to prove those who doubted me wrong.

“As the saying goes, ‘Fall seven times, get back up eight.’ So I ask that the next time someone tells you that you’re not good enough or that your goal is impossible, remind yourself that you are good enough and that it’s only impossible because no one has done it. Yet.”

James Taddei, class valedictorian, told the graduates that fear and confidence can be used together to achieve their goals.

“I have found this combination of fear and confidence to be a key to success,” Taddei said. “Cautiousness and self-assurance are often thought of as opposites, but they don’t have to be. The role confidence plays in helping us to achieve our goals is obvious; it acts as a catalyst helping propel us toward our achieving goals. It helps us persevere through trials and tribulations, embrace new experiences, and do better than we otherwise could. In the moment, we are pushed to work better and faster, not held back by anything. At the same time, in the words of Mark Twain, ‘Too much of anything is bad.’ Self-assurance, if left unchecked, leads to conceitedness, complacency, and arrogance.”

Taddei also spoke of boxer Mike Tyson, who in an interview mentioned how nervous he was before a fight. Once he got in the ring, he was unstoppable. He was known as Iron Mike Tyson, but even he was nervous before a match.

“Thus, as we navigate through the complexities of life, a delicate balance must be struck between confidence and anxiety, the nervousness before the fight, and the divine feeling in the ring,” Taddei said. “Fear forces caution and forethought, it helps us more realistically consider the future. This nervousness helps us to create the best outcome we can. All the while confidence drives us forward toward success and is crucial when we face the future that fear causes us to consider. We have to embrace both sides of the spectrum to find success.”

Lawrence “Chip” Baldassano, class president, shared his thoughts.

“Throughout our time together, we have formed a small, strong, and persevering class,” he said. “We have faced challenges head-on. Misfortune is an opportunity for growth. It is through setbacks and obstacles that we discover our own strength and resiliency.”

“The path to success is rarely easy, but with determination and perseverance, we overcame any hurdles that were sent our way. The knowledge we have gained extends far beyond textbooks and exams. We have learned the importance of working together, the value of diversity, and the power of supporting each other. Carry these lessons and these memories with you as you navigate this world.

“Our class will go on to serve in our Armed Forces, join the workforce, get numerous degrees in areas of higher education. Yet our bond as classmates will forever keep us as family. My final words to you as your class president are simple. Once an Olympian, always an Olympian.”

Thomas W. Lesisko, high school principal, spoke of the Class of 2023 and how the pandemic started during their freshman year and ended during their senior year.

“To sum this up,” Lesisko said, “you sort of got a rotten deal through high school. Sorry! The pandemic did have an impact during your time in high school. But, now you’re over that.”

Lesisko related the story of Plato’s allegory of the cave.

“In Plato’s cave, the people were chained and they could not see reality, only shadows of puppets created from a fire. When one person finally breaks away to walk out of the cave, he sees sunlight. At first it hurts his eyes; but, his eyes adjust, and he sees a new world before him. He sees truth, he sees reality, he sees the future. During the pandemic, you were chained in your personal caves. Not sure what was real or not. Interruption, waiting, and confusion were the norms. You found ways to break the chains to discover how to survive and move forward. Like Plato’s protagonist, you found knowledge, and the way to live through and beyond the pandemic. That shut down the world; but, you kept going. You have emerged from the darkness of the pandemic with a new way of seeing the world; very different from anything in the past.”

Robert Pressley, district superintendent, told students that the diplomas they were about to receive was a great accomplishment that one could take away from them.

“Believe in yourself,” Presley said. “Having a positive belief in yourself and your own abilities is the key to overcoming any of your fears. Undoubtedly, you will encounter many barriers in your life’s journey. But, let them be external barriers, not internal. For you will never know what you are truly capable of unless you have belief in yourself.”

Gabrielle Davis led all in singing the national anthem and the school alma mater, with Jeana DePuy playing organ. During the program, class president Baldassano presented the mantle to Class of 2024 President Noah Rosahac.