The Catasauqua High School auditorium was filled with excitement and pride June 4 as family and friends filled the bleachers to cheer on the Class of 2022.

The 154th CHS commencement ceremony began with the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance March” played by the CHS concert band and directed by Robert Arnold.

The opening invocation was given by student-elected speaker Donoven Keys. He reflected on the blessings he and his peers share, such as a safe school environment in which to learn as well as families and teachers to help them succeed. He also expressed his thanks for his fellow classmates.

Salutatorian Madison Harth shared her thoughts on the past.

“Most of us have grown up in the school district,” she said, expanding with thoughts about their time at Sheckler Elementary School and Catasauqua Middle School.

Elementary school was filled with “fun activities with learning sprinkled in,” and CMS was all about wanting to be more grown up and enjoying new responsibilities and their rewards, she said.

“High school was an important time of growth in our lives,” Harth added, noting how they will continue exploring their own personalities and growing.

Grant Heimbecker was chosen to speak about the present. He noted how they were all warned about the typical high school challenges, such as Shakespeare, geometry, etc.

“There was no mention of infectious diseases,” he said, adding how important it was they all worked together to get through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We stand here today the victors of the past four years,” Heimbecker said.

As is tradition, the class that graduated 50 years earlier - in this case, the Class of 1972 - attended the ceremony and wished the current class well. Eric Gerencser, of the Class of 1972, named each of the 30 members of his class who were present.

“This is the first day of the rest of your lives,” Gerencser told the Class of 2022.

CHS Principal Adam Schnug took time to thank the school board members, teachers, administration and staff members in the district who helped get the Class of 2022 to this point.

In sharing his thoughts with the graduating class, he said he was searching for an inspirational phrase or fitting final lesson when the song “2 Legit 2 Quit” by MC Hammer came on.

This song resonated with him and made him realize this class doesn’t need any inspiration or final lessons. They endured more changes than most during their high school days, including changing to block scheduling, the pandemic and the fight to return to “normal.”

Despite all these changes, the Class of 2022 has the largest number of honors graduates Schnug has seen in his six years at CHS.

“No matter what you do after today, be the Rough Rider you are today,” Schnug said, noting they have served as an inspiration for their courage and determination.

“The question is not ‘are you ready for the real world?’ but ‘is the real world ready for the Class of 2022 from CHS?’” Schnug said.

He then took a moment to honor the valedictorian, Hannah Kurczeski, for having the highest grade-point average in the class, and the salutatorian, Harth, for the second-highest GPA. Kurczeski plans to attend Yale University in the fall, and Harth will attend Villanova University.

Schnug also named all the students who earned a perfect record of 16 honor rolls during their high school career. There were 17 students with this honor.

Avery Daku, class treasurer, then presented the class gift. She reported the Class of 2022 will finance a CHS student art gallery along one of the hallways in the school.

Angele Diamacoune spoke to her classmates about the future. She said they were all told high school “would be over before you know it,” and she now realizes how true those words are.

She noted they all entered high school together and, despite going to the same school, they all had their own individual experiences and high school journeys.

She used a train metaphor to describe how they are all at the same station - CHS - but preparing to step onto different platforms moving forward, including college, trade school, apprenticeships, straight into the workforce and more.

The farewell speech was given by Kurczeski. She asked them all to cherish this moment as it may be the last time they are all together.

She reflected back to her younger self at Sheckler Elementary, looking up to the high school students who came to read to the younger students.

“We are the big kids our younger selves looked up to,” she said.

She urged her classmates to live their lives as a person their younger selves would be proud of.

“This is not the end, so I will not say goodbye,” Kurczeski said. “But I will welcome you to the next step of your lives.”

Catasauqua Area School District Superintendent Robert Spengler commented on how happy he was to be there to share the accomplishments of these students with their families and friends.

“You’ve served as a stellar inspiration to your younger peers,” Sheckler said.

He told them all to go out in the world, learn new things and bring those lessons back to share with the Catasauqua community.

Class Secretary Haylie Breigh Toth read the names of her classmates for the presentation of the diplomas. Spengler and school board President Duane Deitrich handed out the diplomas.

The Class of 2022 has 122 graduates.

To celebrate the end of their time at CHS, Kurczeski sang the alma mater, accompanied by the CHS concert band.

Penelope Brodman gave the final benediction.

“The future is open at our feet,” she told her classmates.

In true CHS tradition, the commencement ceremony ended with the Grand Catty Line. The graduates formed a border around the gymnasium and took their final act as a class - the tossing of the caps - led by class President Lucy Brubaker.