Unity permeated the gymnasium at Cumberland County High School (CCHS) as family, friends, faculty and staff gathered with the Class of 2018 to celebrate its graduation Friday evening.

Class President Matthew Thompson helped set the tone for the ceremony with his welcome address.

“We went through a lot, and we did it together,” he said. “That’s why tonight’s topic is unity. We are the prime example of that.”

Holly Tillett expressed gratitude to many during her speech as valedictorian of the class.

“First, to the families here tonight, thank you for being our support system and for loving us through all of the good and bad moments,” she said. “From mental support when we were stressed about school or life to the embarrassing photos you shared of us on Facebook, we wouldn’t be who we are without our families and our parents’ support, so thank you all.”

“To the amazing teaching staff here at CUCPS, thank you for pushing us to be the best that we can be and for sharing important lessons with us — and I don’t mean math or history lessons,” she continued, noting that they taught life lessons in how they cared for their students. “I wrote out so many examples of this from my life, but I couldn’t decide which to include. So after graduation, fellow graduates, I encourage all of you to seek out teachers that have really inspired you and made a difference in your life. Tell them how important they have been to you. Teachers, we could have never gotten here without your wisdom and support, so thank you.”

Tillett also extended thanks to CCHS administration and central office staff.

“But especially to Dr. (Amy) Griffin, and Dr. (Chip) Jones, who have literally been supporting us since the beginning,” she said. “As many of you know, Dr. Griffin and Dr. Jones were our Cumberland Elementary School principals. This means they have been with us for all 14 years that we have been at Cumberland.”

She noted that she and her fellow classmates do not owe everything to the adults in their lives.

“We, the Class of 2018, have taught each other a lot too,” she said. “… All of my classmates have taught me the importance of caring for each other and of appreciating our differences.”

She highlighted the opportunities provided by the school system in the area, and the goals that it allowed the Class of 2018 to meet.

“Each of us could tell a different story to support the importance of every program and club offered here,” she said. “The Class of 2018 remembers a champion sports team, one of the top forensics teams in (the) state, class offices, student government, nurses programs, culinary arts programs and much, much more. … Now it is time to take everything we’ve learned from these experiences and translate them into the lives we need after high school.”

To provide inspiration to her hearers, Tillett quoted both the rapper Tupac Shakur and Jedi Master Yoda, from the “Star Wars” film series.

“Whether you choose to find inspiration in Tupac or Yoda, it is most important that you use that information to make a positive impact …” she said.

In her speech as salutatorian, Bobbie Umberger said, “We’ve been waiting for this day to come with open minds and big dreams. Now that we’re here, it’s almost unreal.”

She highlighted how long she and most of her classmates had known each other and the many memories made together.

“I am proud of each and every one of us and congratulations, we did it,” she said.

Umberger cited how it was important to remember that everyone comes from different backgrounds and had to overcome different obstacles.

She thanked the faculty for their support.

“Thank you for putting up with our stubbornness, inquisitive minds and our drive for perfectionism,” she said.

She also expressed gratitude to friends, families, teachers, administration, office staff and everyone else who supported the class throughout its high school journey.

“An important thing to remember before we proceed in life is that this is not the end of something,” she said. “Graduating high school is the beginning of everything. I’ll leave you all with these wise words spoken by Michael Josephson. He said, ‘Take pride in how far come, have faith in how far you can go, but don’t forget to enjoy the journey.’”

SGA President Michael P. Sutton offered reflections on the Class of 2018.

“There are many different types of individuals in our class,” he said. “… Often, diversity can cause populations to split, destroying friendships and forming rivalries. However, in our class, it has had the opposite effect. Our class chooses to respect others’ views, choosing to learn more about them rather than completely shutting them out and ostracizing them. This is what makes us so special. Our unity, as a class, has remained unbroken and untouched throughout our journey to adulthood. Of course, there have been a few rough patches throughout the years, but we’ve always overcome them.”

Division Superintendent Dr. Amy Griffin presented the superintendent’s scholarship to Jacey Burley.

CCHS Principal Dr. Jeffrey Scales acknowledged vast number of students for their achievements, including those who were involved in dual-enrollment programs.

He titled his speech, “Being Unified to Conquer the World.”

“That’s my goal for you, because I see a lot of potential in all of you as you move forward,” he said. “… Aesop’s Fables also put it real simple, but it’s very true: ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’”

He highlighted that this class is Cumberland’s first that opted to wear all blue caps and gowns, rather than blue for boys and white for girls.

“And I’m so proud of y’all for making that decision, because it looks great,” he said.

Then he made acrostic out of the word “unity” to emphasize it.

“I want you to remember what each of these letters mean for you from this day forward,” he said.

He said “U” stands for “understand.”

“You need to understand who you are, what you can offer for this world,” he said.

He said “N” stands for “navigate.”

“Please leave Cumberland County and go see the world,” he said.

He said “I” stands for “initiate.”

“Initiate healthy conversations with people,” he said. “Talk to folks. Put your phone down.”

He said “T” stands for “teach.”

“Everybody in here is a teacher,” he noted. “You don’t think about it, but in … real life, everybody, we all teach somebody something, whether it’s how to live, whether how to love, whether how to smile, whether to make somebody’s day. Teach somebody something every day you live out in this world …”

Lastly, he noted “Y” stands for “yearn.”

“Yearn to learn,” he said. “You’re never too old to learn.”