The Twin Valley High School (TVHS) Class of 2021 celebrated its graduation on June 5 during commencement ceremonies held at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading. The event featured a series of speakers, a review of the class' successes through the years and reflections about what life was like as a high school student during a pandemic.

The valedictorian was Malavika Nair, the daughter of Lakshmi Unnikrishnan and Pradeep Prabhakar of Morgantown, and the salutatorian was Conner Lawler, the son of John and Helene Lawler of Elverson.

Conner opened the graduation ceremony by comparing the senior class's high school journey to the game Dungeons and Dragons. "(In Dungeons and Dragons) there are three main adventures, heroes and a grand finale," Conner said. He compared the adventures to life during a lockdown and cited athletes, musicians and leaders as the student heroes. "Our heroes are also our parents, friends, teachers, custodians, administrators and our (school) staff," he said, adding, "The end of our adventure is the start of another. "

Other speakers included class president Lauren Brown, vice president Ben Williams, secretary Katherine Hafer, treasurer Molly Stevens, superintendent Dr. Patrick Winters, school board president Gary McEwen and class speaker Alex Brown.

Alex talked about attending school virtually. "Who would have thought you could be in class in your underwear, and no one would know?" he asked, adding, "Although the pandemic has affected us negatively, the diploma we hold in our hands today shows that with dedication, passion and perseverance, anything is possible."

TVHS principal William Clements listed the accomplishments of the Class of 2021, including awards and honors won by students in FFA and Technology Students of America, being able to present a school musical and other performances despite the pandemic and the achievements of student artists and student-athletes. "Against remarkable odds, the school Mini-THON collected more than $30,000 to help fight the end to pediatric cancer, which is a school record," Clements said.

Malavika concluded the ceremony by offering her thoughts, which centered on the theme of gratitude. "It is important to thank those who have changed our lives. Our families, whether it is those related to us by blood or those we have chosen, have impacted us greatly," she stated. "I implore all of you to thank whoever you call family."

"While it is a sad thing that our time together is coming to a close, I have no doubt that the friendships we have forged will stick with us for the rest of our lives," she said to her classmates. "We will never forget each other."

Jocelyn Hittle, who will be a senior this fall at TVHS and who writes poetry for the Twin Valley Labyrinth, the TVHS literary magazine, was on hand to observe the ceremony, which took place in a minor league ballpark - a unique venue. "As each student rounded home base - diploma in hand - they officially crossed over into adulthood, into their future adventures and into the rest of their lives," she said.

To view the entire TVHS graduation ceremony, visit http://www.youtube.com and search for "Class of 2021 - Twin Valley High School Graduation."