Class of 2019 graduates with 205 students

Class of 2019 graduate Abigail Tyson moved to the Bellefonte Area School District in her sophomore year. She said she may not have known it then, but looking back to a couple years ago, it was one of the best moves she could have made.

“It’s just been such an honor being able to come to Bellefonte and to excel in their academics and to be able to take the opportunities the school offers,” she said. “Some of my best experiences here are (with) the teachers. Some teachers make a gigantic impact and they can do it in a student's life just by accepting them into class...it just changed my course in life completely. I'm so proud and so happy and so happy for all my friends and it feels great to be here.”

Tyson, who will attend Lock Haven University's Global Honors Program to study secondary education with a focus in social studies, graduated June 7 with a class of 205 students – the 135^th graduating class in Bellefonte.

The graduation and commencement ceremony, held in the gymnasium of Bellefonte Area High School, kicked off with music by the school’s band, followed by a series of speeches from class President Max Kroell, Superintendent Michelle Saylor, high school Principal Mike Fedisson, valedictorian Halle Mitchell and salutatorian Lizzie Giacobe. This year’s featured speaker was longtime coach and teacher John Wetzler.

Mitchell and Giacobe led the class in academic averages of 102.044 and 100.6655 percents, respectively.

And if you ask many of the recent graduates their thoughts, graduation comes with a mix of emotions, but one many said they’re ready for.

“I have a lot of mixed emotions,” Brandon Snook said. “I’m happy I finally graduated high school and going on to college, but I’m definitely going to miss a lot of the memories that I made here and the atmosphere and the teachers who made an impact on the students’ lives every day.”

“I have all emotions,” Maddie Polkinghorn added. “Kind of sad, kind of excited, kind of overwhelmed, but it’s going to be good and I have high hopes.”

Polkinghorn, like Snook, also plans to attend Penn State.