TAMAQUA - The elevator door has closed on floor high school, Jared W. Sharpe, valedictorian of the Tamaqua Area High School Class of 2014, told his fellow classmates as the evening sun set over the high school stadium Friday.
Surrounded by family, friends, district faculty and administration, 147 members of the Class of 2014 became Blue Raider alumni during the school district's 124th annual commencement exercises.
In his farewell speech, Sharpe paid homage to his grandfather, whose post-high school choices were determined by the outbreak of World War II.
As a draftee, his grandfather's pay was small and his life was planned for him, Sharpe said. But the American Dream didn't die with his grandfather's generation, Sharpe said. The sacrifices and leadership of each graduate's parents and grandparents paved the way for the Class of 2014 to choose the path of their future, whether it's college, military service or the workforce.
"As for tonight, I only want to be known as the person who shined the light on everyone else. To the Class of 2014 here at Tamaqua and around the nation, congratulations," Sharpe said.
Tamaqua Area alumna, Janene Holter-Solarczyk, Class of 1989, a senior supervisory agent with the state's attorney general's office, served as guest speaker.
Holter-Solarczyk gave the class two pieces of advice: remember who you are as an individual and remember what you stand for.
District Superintendent Carol Makuta urged the students to "turn to the leader in the mirror" when moving forward in the complex world.
"Tap into your own potential because the world desperately needs you," she said.
Principal Stephen Toth charged the class to continue seeking knowledge.
"Choose to increase your knowledge by learning something new every day, whether it be by taking up a new hobby, enrolling in a college course or reading the newspaper; you will gain knowledge, and knowledge is power," Toth said.