Nearly 350 seniors turned on their heels in unison, earning thunderous applause from family and friends in the Scranton High School gymnasium.
The sea of crimson- and gold-gowned students gave spectators on all sides a chance to cheer them on before the 2013 graduation ceremony commenced Tuesday.
Senior class President Chloe Strickland opened the evening, saying, "We made it. Finally."
She said that though the seniors entered the halls as freshman "wondering and worrying," they would leave Tuesday evening connected to one another.
"We are a collection of individuals who have formed a community at Scranton High School," she said.
That community will have no script to work from, Kelly Reap noted in her valedictorian address.
"I know we all have different futures ahead of us," she told her classmates, adding a few words of advice. "Nothing in life worth having is easy."
She encouraged her fellow Knights to look ahead, rather than dwell on their yesterdays.
Scranton School District Superintendent William King gave the graduates three pieces of advice: to follow their passions, to treat others like they would like to be treated and to never forget their family and friends.
"I encourage you to lead your life, rather than letting life lead you," he said.
By following those guidelines, he said the seniors would accomplish two things.
"You will continue to make us proud, but more importantly, you will lead a fulfilled life."
Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter
THE CLASS OF 2013
Joseph John Abda IV, Hari Adhikari, Shukran Ahmed, Luiza Ahmetbeg, Angela Altier, Kanishk Dixitkumar Amin, Mohammad Idris Amiri, Richard George Anderson Jr., Haley Archer, Lena Theresa Latasha Arrington, Phillip Ash, Melissa Avila, Angelica Ayala, Ishban Arthur Aziz, Elizabeth Babinski, Haileigh Baer, Arozo Baryalai, Roman Baryalai, Fadima Bashatova, Lalit Basnet, Chandra Bastola, Jesse Lee Baumann, Angelo Bautista, Jhoan Manuel Bautista, Kyle Belles, Brandyn Bembenek, Ashley Bloom, Peter Bonacuse, Paul Boone, Paul Brady, Samantha Brunson, Jonathan Cabassa, Mayrobi A. Canela, Tess Capobianco, Courtney Capwell, Aaron Elvis Casella, Michael Castaldi, Nestor Casteleiro, Michael Caswell, Ty Anthony Cerino, Matthew Charles, Fabiana Coleman, Kayla Gabrielle Condel, Michael R. Condrad, Meghan Conway, Diamond Cooper, Carrisa Coppolino, Court-ney Ann Correll, Alejandra Coyote-catl Santos, Benjamin Crowell, Brandon Crowell, Dylan Crusen, Sarah Currie, Kyle Czarkowski, Lyndsey Czyzyk, Linh Dang, Sherline Datilus, Zachary Brian Davis, Patrick Joseph DeBiase, Sean DeFazio, Noel DeJesus Velez, Michael Delgado, Brandon Depew, David Deshler, Danielle Desouza, Robert Dixon III, Donna Doherty, John Domenick, Michelle Dominguez, Dominic Dooley, Cassandra Doria, Naomi Dowdy Duval, Rudolph Michael Drasler, Caroline Drob, Eric Drob, John Michael Drutherosky, Mark Dunford, Thomas Durkin, Sara Nicole Edwards, Alexander Eiden, Sean Elman, Shauna Nicole Fahad, Tyler Farrell, Bridget A Festa, Madelyn Fisch, Travis Foley, Zachary Francis, DShaan Frazier, Casey Freedman, Kiana Fritz, Matthew Garden, Reynaldo Antonio Germosen Peguero, Albena Gesheva, Shaylynn Renee Gibbs, Lucky R. Gillyard, Joseph Gnall, Todd Michael Golden, Kyle James Gomes, Joseph Gorgol, Matthew Gorton, Madeline Grant, Scott Grassi, Amanda Griffiths, Liliana Guzman, Ignazio Malvin Handoyo, Breanna Harmer, Tiara Harris, Abrar Hassan, Darnell Maria Hazelton, Kaitlyn Heater, Victoria Henning, Christian Herbert, Antonio Hernandez, Fernando Hernandez, Fernando F. Hernandez, Melissa Magaly Hernandez, Lindsey Helen Hessmiller, Gissel Hidalgo, Abby Hines, Paige Hines, Cody Honeycutt,
Tyler Howey, Michael Hummel, Jonathan Hutchinson, Leandra Ingiaimo, Chelsea Jablonski, Charisma Jefferson, Jessica Jefferson, Nigel Jefferson, Sheyeanne Jennings, Christopher Henry Jimenez, Nohely Jiminian, Lindsey Jordan, Alexander Judge, Dalton Kamin, Deborah Kaminski, Stephanie Ann Kaszuba, Alyssa Kauffman, Kaylana Marie Kendricks, April Kerekes, Christopher Kermidas, Kennedy Kern, Ruth Carol Kernan, Rupa Khadka, Loren Killian, Briana King, Nicholas Kira, Elizabeth Kmiec, Ryan Knott, Corey Kobeski, Brianna Kohut, Rachel Kovach, Jennifer Lynn Kreinberg, Brandon Kulick, Robert Kuzma Jr., Katelynn Lake, Martha Laytos, Michael Joseph Lee Jr., Eric Leidel, Melanie Leon, Julia C. Lettieri, Brooklyn Marie Little, Stephen Locker, Ian Loftus, Amanda Lucas, Christopher G. Lucas, Thomas Maier, Puja Majmundar, Kyle Mangan, Alexander J. Manning, Casey Marcks, Amy Markowski, Joseph Matthews, Rachel May, James McAndrew, Eric McCabe, Arthur McCarthy, Ashley McCauley, Ryan Joseph McCullon, Sean McDonough, Gavin McGowan, William McGowan, Matthew McGuigan, William Edward McGuire II, Alyssa McHugh, Kylie McHugh, Michael McLaughlin, James McNally, Robert E. McTague, Karl Angelo T. Medina, Michael Melisky, Nicole Meshko, Abigail Mikolon, Davona Mitchell, Andr'ea Molitoris, Babita Mongar, Alexus Moran, Andrew Moran, Michael Munley, Alyssa Mursch, Margaret Louise Musewicz, John Peter Myers, Brandon Navoczynski, Meghan Nealon, Casey Nestrick, Gary NG, Dalena Mary Nguyen, Samantha Nieves, Lara Notarianni, Haley O'Brien, Sean O'Leary, Saron Nicholas O'Malley, John Wayne Mattew O'Brien, Brittany Ann OHara, Richard Wallace Olechna, Kyle Orr, Bianca Ortiz, Denzel Ortiz, Luis Esteban Otero, Michelle Pakutka, Jonathan Palochko, Michelle Paramo, Jalen Parker, Rikki Pate, Akash Patel, Dhruvalkumar Patel, Harsh Patel, Harsh S. Patel, Himanshi Patel, Hinal G. Patel, Hiren Patel, Janki Patel, Jigar Rajeshbhai Patel, Krupa Patel, Payal Patel, Priya Patel, Jamie Patterson, Zachary Franklin Pearson, Aleah Pelier, Michael Perechinsky, Ronald Petroziello III, Bridget Anne Phillips, Francesse Pierre, Rebecca Pimentel, Vanessa Pointon, Madina Qahar, Rishad Qahar, Karlon Jaquel Quiller, Mathew Quirk, Nicole Rafalko, Shukran Rahim, Amrit Rai, Kency Ramirez, Luis D. Ramos, Ali Razavi, Kelly Reap, Matthew Redetzky, Kayla Reggie, Ashley Reidenbach, George Reif, Halida Ribanovic, Jennifer Rios, Khalil Rivera, Myles Robbins, Yarisel Luz Rodriguez, Elora Romanowski, Carlos Jeremiah Rosario, Mikaela Ann Rowe, Alana Nicole Marie Russell, Paul Rutledge, Kate Savage, Allie Sawicki, Jennifer Sawicki, Robert Sawko, Sierra Scanlon, Thomas James Schimelfenig, Kevin Schubert, Alyssa Schuler, Albert John Scielzo, Anastasia Scott, Carolyn Serowinski, Todd Setzer JR., Justin Severe, Nazifa Shadiyeva, Nurifa Shadiyeva, Dipam Shah, Samarth Shah, Kelia Shelton, Francis J. Shimo, Alexis Shotwell, Carolyne Skellen, Gwendolyn Katoya Smith, Jeffrey Smith, Kareem Smith, Shawn Smith, Matthew Somers, Elizabeth Sompel, Shannon Ann Spano, Emily Spory, Sarah Srebro, David Lawrence Stevens, Matthew Stornable, Marina Strelecki, Chloe Strickland, Mylanie Lynn Strickland, Daniel Martin Stuckart, Gregory Swartz, Scott Syryla, Nathaly Stefany Tamayo, Devrin Telford, Celena Thomas, Chad Thomas, Kelsey Timlin, Jeewan Timsina, Rajon Tiwari, James Togher, Donna Tomachick, Gabriel Torres, Nicole Justine Trapper, Amber Tuffy, Sabrina Vancosky, Sidney Vaughn, Cathleen Voldenberg, Michael Voris, Marlinn Waiters, Abbey Lynn Walsh, Edward Walsh, Robert J. Walsh Jr., Sean Walsh, Alex Bridgette Wasalinko, Jazmine Watson, Breann Webb, Corey White, Denzell Jordan White, Joshua White, Adam Williams, Bianca Lynn Williams, Gina Marie Williams, Jade Williams, Joseph Robert Williams, Molly Williams, Malia Lynn Wolf, Henry Zaleski, Maria Zanghi, Anthony Zellner. Valedictorian Kelly Reap
Parents: John and Kathleen Reap
Clubs/activities: Penn Serve, drama club, National Honor Society, AP Scholar
Plans: Attend Penn State, University Park campus, with a pre-vet major
Salutatorian Elizabeth Kmiec
Parents: Carl and Patricia Kmiec
Clubs/activities: 2013 Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit Scholar of the Year, drama club, speech and debate team, Spanish club, link crew, Knight Rhythms advanced chorus, National Honor Society
Plans: Attend Syracuse University and major in biology.