Standing tall with conviction and warmed by the parting words of a former longtime administrator, the 2025 graduates of Liberty HS strode into adulthood at Stabler Arena June 5.

While consistently returning to the school’s core mission – passion and purpose – speakers often quoted actress Octavia Spencer for the evening’s theme: It’s your turn to choose and define what success means to you.

Class Secretary Alonza Piscitello quickly addressed her classmates’ determination. “This day marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. You didn’t just earn a degree, you earned confidence, clarity and resilience. You’ve proven that you can take on challenges, adapt when things don’t go as planned and still continue moving forward. That’s something no good textbook can teach and no final grade can capture. Let’s take a deep breath to fully appreciate what’s in it represents – your hard work, your growth and your success.”

Her voice quivering and her face alight with excitement, faculty-chosen speaker Paula Figueiredo Monteiro relayed what success means to her, starting with her first day as a freshman when, as a recent immigrant, her only English consisted of “good morning.”

“Success is much more complicated than I originally thought. Success is not a straight line, it’s not the opposite of failure. It’s the moment when you fall down seven times and get up the eighth. Knowing that equation, writing that essay and standing up here today in front of thousands of people – that is the meaning of success – the courage to try again.

“Success is never just individual, it’s collaborative. It’s built in the community we create together. It is the result of a shared effort. It is giving and not just getting… being the change you want to see in the world, for our community, giving the passion that we cultivated here at Liberty and continue to let it grow, to give back as doctors, teachers, lawyers, serving others beyond ourselves or making a difference in the small moments, like holding the door for someone or offering a smile in the hallways. Be the best you can be. Fight for something bigger than yourself.”

Class speaker Gamaliel Carrasquilla included his parents and his girlfriend in his thanks for pushing him to be the best version of himself, He will soon attend Bloomsburg University majoring in secondary education, after which he said he’s, “hoping to come back to Liberty one day to experience the other side – easy side,” as a member of the faculty.

“The days were long but the years were fast,” he said. “When I look into the crowd, I see a lot of eager, talented individuals ready to take on the world. During this new chapter in our lives we will be chasing our own definition of success. My advice to you is find what makes you happy and chase it.

Don’t look around at what others are doing and don’t worry about what others criticize about what you do. The best way to find out if you’re successful is not by looking around and comparing yourself to those around you, but by looking at yourself today and comparing to yourself yesterday.”

Those comparisons were stark as former Principal Harrison Bailey III was brought to the mic. After 12 years at Liberty’s helm, Bailey departed mid-year for a superintendent’s position in Wilson Area School District. This night he returned for acknowledgment with a Service to Our Country award from faculty, staff and administrators.

Visibly moved by a thunderous reception, Bailey said, “I wish I could express what it means to lead at Liberty HS. There’s only been a handful of people who have had that honor, and to do that and live that each day is something that I wish everyone could feel. I am so greatly honored and thankful.

I hope that the time that we have spent together has meant something for you. I pray and those two words – passion and purpose – have left an impact on your lives, and I sincerely hope that each of you have found that thing that you love, and more importantly, figured out how you want to use it to impact your world.

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you don’t make a difference, because you do.”

Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva asked that the graduates make a difference through action.

“Thank you for who you are and thank you for who you will become. You come from every corner of our school district and the world – every race, every neighborhood, every walk of life, and you’ve shown what it means to build something stronger together. Your inclusiveness is a lesson to the community and our country.

“You sit together in unity, something which is critically short these days. We live in a time when far too many people feel divided, discouraged or disconnected, but I look at you and I see the exact opposite. I see connection, I see possibility.

“I see a generation not afraid to lead. The world doesn’t need perfect leaders, it needs courageous ones. It needs people who know how to listen, who know how to work together, who know how to lift each other up. In other words, it needs you.

“My generation has had its chance, and it’s showing its limits and failures. So please lead us.”