Six cows per person.

That is what graduate Sloane Wolfe said it means to grow up in Elverson when she spoke at Twin Valley High School's graduation ceremony at Santander Arena on the morning of June 6.

"Our town of just 1,330 people, most people hear that and think that they understand rural life," she said. "Fields, livestock, space and quiet, but rural life to me means so much more than that."

Wolfe related her experience of working at a roadside strawberry stand during summers to growth, stating that the strawberries grew from little white flowers to green berries before reaching their final form as the red, juicy strawberry.

"No matter how far they travel, their sweetness carries the memory of life in rural Berks County," she said. "But much like strawberries, we can grow, reach, explore the world, and still belong."

She said that no matter where her and her fellow graduates go, whether it be college, the workforce, local or thousands of miles away, the lessons learned in rural Berks County and Twin Valley will always follow them.

This year's graduating class is an accomplished one. Of the school's 253 graduating students, 116 were either members of National Honor Society or graduated with distinguished honors. Those in the class who are attending a postsecondary institution have earned $19 million in merit aid, along with an additional $120,000 of locally sourced scholarships.

The latter figure is the largest in Twin Valley history.

"That reflects this community's deep commitment to investing in the future of its young people," Twin Valley High School principal William Clements said.

The Class of 2026's senior officers were Josh Cullen, president; Lyndzee Anderson, vice president; Grace Kelly, vice president; Shreeya Patel, secretary; and Kenadie Shreiner, treasurer.

Sarah Lerch, daughter of Gary and Kelly Lerch of Honey Brook, was honored as salutatorian. Madelyn Vandergoes, daughter of Chris and Kristin Vandergoes of Honey Brook, was named valedictorian.

While delivering her remarks, Vandergoes addressed her reputation as a demanding person, for herself, her peers and the world around her. She challenged graduates to prepare for adult life, saying that there will not be a rubric grading them for the rest of their lives.

"Growth rarely happens when someone lowers the bar for you," she said. "It happens when someone believes you are capable of more and refuses to let you settle for less."

It was a doubly special day for the senior members of Twin Valley's boys' and girls' lacrosse teams, both of which competed in and won PIAA Class 2A state quarterfinal playoff games later on Saturday following the ceremony. The boys defeated Scranton Prep 11-9, while the girls took down Gwynedd Mercy 15-4.