Ever since Delaware Valley High School held its first outside graduation three years ago, the motto has been come as you are. The warm setting sun shone brightly on the seniors who donned everything from formal attire to sneakers and jeans underneath their white and black satin robes. Most were anxious for the ceremony to begin. "It's finally over," said Andrew Flayer, a power forward on the schoo
l's basketball team who's off to Stroudsburg University in the fall. The idea of graduation was more than just walking down an aisle. It was a celebration of 13 years of hard work for 18-year-old Sarah Meacham. "It's the first thing you've accomplished," she said. "It's better than prom, it's about that piece of paper that summarizes years of school." The graduates took their seats in the middle of the school's grassy field. Behind them stood a towering mountain ridge, decorated by each graduating class since 1976. In white lettering, the numbers "01" were boldly etched in a corner. It has been an unspoken tradition at the school for some of the graduates to climb up to the mountain and design it for all to see, said Tauni Ruvolis, an alumni and now a special education teacher. When Ryan terMeulen, the salutatorian, made his speech he didn't mention that mountain. Instead, he encouraged his classmates to take a risk that would always yield the best reward. "Make money your second priority, find a career you'll put your heart into," he said.
