Make good use of your time and spend it with important people.

The message was clear and exceptionally well-delivered from both the Pleasant Valley 2019 class valedictorian and salutatorian to all 338 of their fellow classmates Friday night.

“Time is relative to the things we experience; the people we become friends with, the books we read, the classes we take and the decisions we make,” said salutatorian Aaron Hammond. “All of those things relate to one concept that we have all heard about, and many of us try to live our lives by. Living life to the fullest.”

Hammond will be attending the Georgia Institute of Technology to study aerospace engineering.

“I believe it is impossible to tell anyone how to seize the day, but I do not believe it is impossible to tell anyone how to know if they have seized the day,” he said in his speech. “We filter a lot of things out throughout our day.”

Melanie Reyes, PV’s 2019 valedictorian, received the $100,000 McDonalds/HACER National Scholarship award this year. She will be attending New York University to major in international relations.

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find and love them,” Reyes said in her speech. “My fellow graduates, think about a time when you were with someone important to you. Think about the way they made you feel so special and made you laugh so hard it hurt. In that moment, don’t your problems feel so small? Don’t you feel so happy and that everything is going to be OK and the future is bright? It’s when we are with loved ones that we experience moments like no other; moments that make you feel like you’re really alive. Because love is the best thing we do, so never forget to include it in your life. Always carry with you the friendship and love you learned with the class of 2019 and apply it with the rest of the world. There are billions of people out there, and people waiting for just you to make memories with — to change lives with. Don’t be scared to get out there and show this world what you got.”

Kailin Miller, 2019 class president, said sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone to truly live your best life.

“It doesn’t get much better than all of you,” Miller said. “I wish everyone luck with their future endeavors and I hope everyone achieves their highest goals in life. Never let success go to your head and never let failure get to your heart. Everything might feel like it’s ending so quickly, but it’s only one chapter in the book called life. Remember life isn’t always black and white, and sometimes you have to live in the gray to create new experiences.”

Principal Matthew Triolo, said 202 of the 340 seniors will attend a four-year university and 115 are attending a two-year school. Nine graduates are joining the military and 45 will join the workforce. The PV seniors earned $1,848,647 million in scholarship money.

“Right now you’re eager to go off and start a new journey and that’s good,” Triolo said. “Go! But wherever your path up to tonight has led you to, start building the foundation of the life you want to live. Set goals and accomplish them. Take chances if it’s for something you believe in. Don’t live in the world of can’t, but thrive in the world of can.”.