After a seven-day stretch of rain, Mt. Ararat High School Principal Craig King said Sunday it was not lost on anyone the sun had come out for 181 seniors who lined the bleachers to his right, waiting to get their diplomas.

“I think that we’re living a metaphor, and that the sun is going to shine on these young people and they’re going to do a lot of wonderful things in their future,” King said.

Sunday, they hugged one another, shook hands with King and school board Chairwoman Joanne Rogers, received their diplomas and, as is the tradition, threw their blue caps up into the air.

But first, they heard some words of reflection and advise from their classmates.

Valedictorian Adeline Schneider told them, “So many of people’s actions are dictated by what is ‘acceptable,’ and what is expected of them.

“Living by other people’s expectations is clearly an unfulfilling way to do things,” she said. “This isn’t a call to arms, or a plea to rid yourself of the shackles of institution. Sometimes what you want lines up perfectly with what’s expected of you, and that’s wonderful. But where those two things don’t line up, sometimes separating yourself from those expectations is the best thing you can do.”

There’s no one path to happiness, Schneider said, and told the class of 2013, “it is what it is, and you are who you are. We can all be happy, whatever road we take, or happen to find ourselves on. That’s enough.”

“Let’s go do it.”

As the students got ready to take a trip to North Conway, N.H., Hannah Moutal said the reality of having graduated will sink in when the students don’t see each other anymore.

That’s the scary part for her, she said.

Friends Trent Charnock and Sam Ashouwak agreed, and it is the worst part of reaching this benchmark, Ashouwak said, because, “I’m just going to miss my friends.” He and Charnock will be attending different colleges, but Charnock said they will have plenty of face time staying in touch on Facebook.

Graduation was a happy experience, Charnock said. “There are so many emotions,” and the ceremony seemed to take place very quickly. A graduate now, he said, “The first day of college is when it’s really going to hit.”

dmoore@timesrecord.com