When it came time to write her graduation speech, Elizabethtown Area High School valedictorian Hannah Kline turned to her peers for help. "I asked you about what you would say to everyone graduating today," she told her fellow graduates at the school's ceremony on June 8, adding that although the Class of 2021 has unique memories of high school, the members share much in common. "I admire the tenacity that each of you have, for this diploma was not given to you on a silver platter. You earned it. And for that, I congratulate you."

Salutatorian Marcial Limas noted the challenges he believes are facing his generation, such as climate change, overpopulation and racism, but he emphasized his faith in his classmates. "What gives me hope is I know all of us are willing and able to be difference makers, and every day is a chance for us to show the world what an E-town graduate can mean to their community," he said.

Senior speaker Ana Santiago emphasized that her experience in the school district taught her much more than memorizing facts. "I may not have the periodic table of elements memorized anymore, know the plot of 'The Odyssey' or why JFK was so important to history, but I do remember a few simple things," she stated. "In high school I learned to be kind. I learned to have patience with others and more importantly, that not everyone is going to like you, and that's OK. The most powerful lesson that I learned, however, is that I, we, are all capable of greatness."

Diplomas were awarded to 304 seniors at the ceremony, held at White Family Dental Stadium on the school's campus. Superintendent Michele Balliet addressed the students, sharing that she grew up alongside them, as she joined the district when the Class of 2021 entered kindergarten. "Through it all, you have learned how to adapt, change, adjust and grow," she said. "All of these skills and experiences are now part of your personal story."

School board president Terry Seiders told the Class of 2021 to "be curious, not judgmental," adding, "Curiosity is what creates. It's what brings life, and it's what changes the world. I urge you when you face adversity, of which you will see much, that you face it with a heart full of curiosity and see only what could be."

In her speech, principal Maura Hobson reminded the graduates that life rarely goes according to plan. "There is no manual on how to succeed at 'adulting,' no one plan that guarantees you success," she said. "All you can do is work toward what makes you happy. Sometimes, that means going off book. Often, that means failing."

Failure, Hobson noted, can be a blessing in disguise. "Failure forces you to see yourself as you really are, rather than as what you think you should be," she remarked. "It forces you to make decisions that you never would have otherwise but might just lead to something extraordinary."