LAKE PLACID — Despite gloomy skies and a few sprinkles of rain, the Lake Placid Central School class of 2025 walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. As the last name was called (Aidan John Fay), the sun briefly bathed the graduates in light.

Salutatorian Parker Scanio, in true theater kid fashion, spoke in his speech about the trials of his class’s time in middle and high school using a stage metaphor — school as a dress rehearsal for life. He got the idea from a quote from Nora Ephron, an American writer.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s theatrical — dress rehearsal, hell week,'” he said.

Scanio went on to describe the hectic week before a rehearsal, often dubbed “hell week,” where the performance gets polished, costumes are fitted and things unexpectedly go wrong. He described getting fitted with a microphone as a metaphor for finding one’s voice.

“Hold!” Scanio exclaimed, imitating a director pausing a rehearsal. He recalled the coronavirus pandemic and the way it put everything on hold for his class, who were in eighth grade that year. It was hard and awkward to get back on track after that, but they did.

“Now it’s showtime,” Scanio said, turning to his classmates. “We are now the writer, director, producer and star of the show, so take in the glory.”

Following Scanio, Valedictorian Emma Wylie took her place at the podium. She described numerous times when she witnessed people in her class showing kindness to each other. She defined kindness as having a genuine concern for the good of another person, more than just “being nice.”

Wylie described her first year in Lake Placid, when her family moved to the area from North Carolina. She didn’t have any friends, but before the first day of school, a group of girls her age had already made an effort to reach out.

“They already had a strong group of friends, yet they took the time out of their day to make the new kid feel welcome,” she said. “That kindness changed my life.”

She went on to urge her listeners to follow this example, saying that kindness and nurturing strong relationships can help provide, “shelter through life’s storms.”

“If we neglect our relationships or cut corners, sacrificing loving kindness for ease or personal benefit, not only do those around us suffer, but we ourselves experience loneliness and disconnection,” Wylie said.

The class of 2025 has already done an excellent job giving back, evident in some of the achievements listed by the commencement speaker, Donna Moody. She said this class has logged 3,158 hours of community service, the equivalent of two school years of work.

Moody went on to describe the stories that each graduate would go on to create, each with unique chapters and plot twists.

“Each of you is unique. You are one of one. Your life awaits you,” she said. “Make it your own and write that number-one bestseller. We can’t wait to see how your stories unfold.”