The 48 students of the Weatherly High School Class of 2015 finished their high school careers Friday night, but remembered someone who should have been there.

Two days before accepting their diplomas, the members of the Class of 2015 honored the memory of Shayla Bird, who should have been making that walk with them.Shayla was 7 when she died as a result of an ATV accident in 2005. Since then, Weatherly graduates have benefited from a memorial scholarship established by her family, and students honored Shayla's memory during their Achievement Ceremony on Wednesday with a balloon launch and recitation of a special poem, read by senior Sammy Hartz.Before commencement exercises Friday, held in the gymnasium, every student in this year's graduating class, the 127th for the school, received a prepaid credit card, funded by Shayla's scholarship fund, according to class advisers Terry Hartz and Diane Polchin.The valedictorian of the class is Michael Matirko, and salutatorian is Jessica Polchin, who is also the class president.Polchin said that as she prepared her speech, she kept thinking of a famous quote from Robert F. Kennedy, "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.""It's OK to feel fear, but graduates must face that to prepare for the next stage of their lives," she said."I realize that the members of the Class of 2015 will be going in different directions, and with that comes fear," she said as she addressed her classmates. "It is important for our class to remember that fear is OK, it is even expected but we need to step into the future with excitement and confidence, rather than fear."Other participants in the graduation ceremonies included guidance counselor Sarah Minnick, who sang the national anthem, Matirko, special guest speaker Maura Grega, the Weatherly High School chorus, Superintendent Thomas McLaughlin and High School Principal Stu Tripler.During the commencement exercises, Catherine Strizak was awarded a $15,000 scholarship check from the Weatherly Area Alumni Association.Superintendent McLaughlin recognized members of the Weatherly High School Class of 1965; it's a Weatherly High School tradition that the graduating class from 50 years prior attend each ceremony.