SCARBOROUGH – Beautifully summing up the message shared by all the speakers at Scarborough High School’s graduation ceremony Sunday evening, the senior choir sang “On My Way,” from the Disney movie “Brother Bear,” just before diplomas were handed out to the nearly 300 graduates.

“Tell everybody I’m on my way. New friends and new places to see with blue skies ahead, yes, I’m on my way and there’s nowhere else that I’d rather be,” the graduates sang. “Tell everybody I’m on my way and I’m loving every step I take. With the sun beating down, yes, I’m on my way and I can’t keep this smile off my face.”

As they marched into the Cumberland County Civic Center Sunday, the graduates could not keep mega-watt smiles off their faces, especially as they recognized family and friends in the audience. Many of the graduates also entered holding hands in honor of the special relationships that have formed during their high school years.

Class president Colby Yerxa opened the ceremony by wishing his fellow graduates good luck and telling them that during the past four years they’ve acquired attributes that will stand them in good stead for the future – patience, honesty and pride.

He also told his classmates that it’s important to be open to all of the experiences life has in store. “A mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work if it’s not open.”

Yerxa ended his speech by quoting Aragorn’s last speech from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, in which he says: “A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day,” which earned him a laugh.

Principal David Creech thanked the students of the class of 2014 for sharing their “talents, voices and experiences” during the past four years and said their contributions would forever be a part of the legacy of Scarborough High School.

“If there is any wisdom I can impart as you begin the next phase of promise and opportunity, it’s that the most important ingredient of true success is building relationships,” he added.

In all, Creech offered the graduates three pieces of advice – to be true to themselves, to make the most of every day and to build relationships both in their work and personal lives.

Salutatorian Mitchell Eaton shared some statistics, including that in their four years of high school the graduates had consumed a quarter of a million chicken nuggets and spent 15,000 hours at their studies.

He also said the support that the graduates have received from family, friends, teachers and more is what has made them successful and helped them to reach graduation day.

“The skills we’ve attained and the growth we’ve experienced are priceless,” Eaton said. “High school has given us more than we can ever repay.”

In his last words to his classmates, Eaton told them to remember the words of Will Rogers, “Even if you’re on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”

Valedictorian Christopher Graef said, “This night represents the reaching of our collective goal and the beginning of our independent lives.”

He said no one option the graduates have chosen for their next step in life is better than any other, but also reminded his classmates that “opportunity does not guarantee success.”

However, Graef added, “Everyone on this stage has demonstrated they have the drive and capability to reach a goal.” He then told his fellow graduates to “go out and live the best lives you can.”

“You all have the tools to achieve and the motivation to use them,” he concluded. “Our new adventure is about to begin.”

Science teacher Nathan Guerin was chosen by the graduates to give the faculty address and he called the honor both exciting and nerve-wracking.

“This is a great day, a great celebration and a great coming of age,” he said. “You’ve all taken different paths but tonight you are united in achievement and glowing with potential.”

Guerin said the best thing the graduates could do in life “is to keep your foot on the accelerator.” He also reminded them that, “success is a way of doing things.”

“Starting today, don’t be afraid to be passionate and to take the opportunity to show the world what you’re made of. Above all else be yourselves, you are all beautiful, energetic young people,” he said.

Morghan Sweatt, left, and Lauren Piper lead their Scarborough High School classmates off the stage and into the real world after Sunday’s commencement ceremony at the Civic Center. Chelsea Perehudoff, who graduated in the top 10 percent of her class at Scarborough High School, had a message for her classmates as theyThe Scarborough High School Senior Chorus performed “On My Way” from “Brother Bear” just before the presentation of diplomas.The class of 2014 selected Scarborough High School science teacher Nathan Guerin to deliver the keynote faculty address.The Scarborough High School class of 2014 begins the long, slow march to the stage. Together to the end, Scarborough softball battery mates Alyssa Williamson, left, and Megan Murrell.Bryanna Hanscom, left, and Megan McKenney share a laugh as they rush backstage after the commencement ceremony.A beach ball takes to the air along with mortar boards as the Scarborough High School class of 2014 is declared “graduated.”