CARBONDALE - Family members and friends formed a line outside of Carbondale Area High School's auditorium Friday night, anxiously waiting to be ushered inside where 97 students would soon become alumni.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-be graduates prepared themselves for one of the biggest nights of their lives. As soon as gowns were on and caps were secure, students congregated in small circles to chat.

One circle included Gerald Bannon and Joseph Cassaro, both of whom plan to attend Penn State.

"I'll miss my close friends and the small-town feeling," said Joseph. Gerald, who will study biochemistry and molecular biology, looks forward to meeting new people and having new experiences at Penn State.

After the students took their seats on the auditorium stage, salutatorian Brittany Barney, who plans to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, addressed her fellow classmates and the audience. She delivered a comical introduction, joking about her public speaking nerves and picturing the audience naked as a possible tactic. Then, she appealed to the small-town side of her peers.

"It does not matter how far you stray, as long as you know where your home is," she said.

Valedictorian Madison Caudullo, who plans to study English at Arcadia University, captured the audience with artistic imagery. She said that school supplies are like an artist's palate and that students are their very own works of art. "Aspire to inspire," she said.

Before the students received their diplomas, a scholarship was awarded to 12 students. The Ruth Giles Schroeder Scholarship was distributed in increments from $1,000 to $4,000. Principal Joseph W. Farrell proudly announced 85 percent of graduates will attend college or trade school, 8 percent will join the military and 7 percent will join the workforce.

Contact the writer: shazen@timesshamrock.com, @upvalleytt on Twitter

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Carbondale grads look to the future