Weatherly graduates were told Friday night that the best way to reach their goals is to never give up.

“Every successful person begins with two beliefs; the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so,” Ashley Verna James, salutatorian of the Class of 2021, said is a quote from David Brooks of The New York Times.

“I believe that every single one of us has the potential to be a successful person. We have all set goals in our lives, and today marks the achievement of one of them, graduating from high school, the first step to adulthood and being independent,” James said.

She spoke of the hard work and dedication of the class, through easy times and difficult ones

“Failing to fulfill a goal doesn’t mean that you should give up. It means that you should find an alternate route to attain that goal. Never give up.”

The program Friday night was held in the middle school gymnasium due to the rainy weather. Fifty-five young men and women were in the graduating class.

James related how she had overcome hearing and speech difficulties early in her life, to become the class salutatorian. She took speech therapy at Weatherly from kindergarten through second grade.

“Persevering through times like those is what makes you the person that you are. That is what allows us to be successful.”

Valedictorian Olivia Rachel Hirko spoke of her great-grandfather coming to America in 1912 from Russia, finding work in McAdoo, and earning enough money to bring his wife and two children to America.

“My great-grandfather was not much older than us in this graduating class. Even though it was one hundred and nine years ago, the symmetry between seeking new opportunities and fulfilling dreams is relatable to me at this point in my life,” Hirko said.

“As I reflect and try to imagine their lives at that age, they faced all sorts of decisions, not really knowing how it would work out. Not only did they encounter hardships and challenges, they too experienced a pandemic. Pennsylvania was one of the hardest hit states from the Spanish flu. Overcoming this crisis, like all of us, they survived and thrived.”

Hirko continued, “I think about the moment when my great-grandfather was saying goodbye to his family, and I could only imagine the words that were exchanged. I would like to think that his family blessed him and said ‘Udachi,’ which translates to ‘godspeed.’ It was an end, and it was a beginning. This evening, I wish everyone here health and happiness. And to the graduating class of 2021, godspeed.”

Class President Kelly Elizabeth Royer made reference to the pandemic, how they lost half their junior year and almost the entire senior year.

“If the pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to begin romanticizing our normal lives,” Royer said. “Please, once this pandemic is over, don’t forget to do that.”

Royer concluded her remarks, “We get one chance to make our mark in the world. And, until now, that life wasn’t completely up to us. It was partially determined by our parents, teachers, friends and circumstances that we couldn’t touch because we were too young. But, today marks the day we start making our own story. The pen is in our hands. What are you going to write?”

Teresa Young, superintendent of the school district, paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1971. Due to the pandemic, the alumni were not present at the program.

Sarah Minnick, high school guidance counselor, presented the graduating class to Girard A. Fewins Sr., president of the Weatherly School Board; Young; and high school Principal Anthony DeSpirito. Fewins and Young distributed the diplomas to the graduates.