BUFFALO TWP — Ben Drzemiecki wants to spend his life helping others.

The Buffalo 17 year old, who graduated Friday night at the high school sports stadium with 148 other Freeport High School seniors, is studying nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania to achieve that goal.

Ben said he looks forward to working in health care.

“You interact with people on a daily basis,” he said.

Ben already has experience, helping his mother when her lupus flares up.

“I've already taken a role,” he said.

Julia Kline, 17, of Freeport will be attending Westmoreland County Community College, hoping to later transfer to the Penn State New Kensington campus.

She will be studying pathology. In preparation, Julia already has watched autopsies being done.

While she braved those procedures, observing an open heart surgery caused her to suffer a concussion.

“I actually passed out,” Julia said.

Josh Leonard, 17, of Buffalo will be attending the main campus of Penn State at State College to study chemical engineering and participate in Naval ROTC.

Josh said he loves chemistry.

“You have to solve problems,” he said.

Austen Ziacik, 17, of Buffalo also is studying engineering. He will be attending Robert Morris University in Allegheny County.

“I like working with numbers,” Austen said.

Lannah Matuizek, 18, of Buffalo will be pursuing forensic science at West Virginia University.

“It's something different every day,” Lannah said about her field of interest.

Emilee Larimore, 18, of Buffalo will be attending Pace University in New York, studying advertising and marketing.

“I want to write for magazines and websites,” Emilee said.

All of the graduates interviewed said they would miss their friends and teachers now that their high school years are completed.

Austin Uric, 18, of Buffalo, who will be attending the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown to study chemical engineering, said the class of 2017 has a camaraderie.

“We're all close,” Austin said. “There's no cliques.”

Julia said the high school staff support the students.

“You never walk into a classroom saying you hate to be there,” Julia said.

However, there are some things that won't be missed.

“Probably, the no air conditioning,” said Gavin Vashie, 18, of Buffalo, who is attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania to study geology.

Government teacher Mark Wyant said the graduating class was a great group.

“They were engaging, challenging, but fun to learn with,” Wyant said.

Known for his liberal philosophy, Wyant appreciated discussions with his students, a number of whom lean to the political right. He knew his students would be awaiting his arrival after Donald Trump was elected president last year.

“The day after Trump won, I came in all black,” Wyant said.

School counselor Nina Fulton also lauded the graduating class.

“Overall, just a great group of kids,” Fulton said.

Josh was one of the student speakers during the ceremony. He spoke about the closeness of the entire class.

“We're more than a class,” he said. “We're family.”

Josh described the graduates' time in school as a joint effort.

“Another trait of our class is our unwavering support and acceptance of each other,” he said.

Graduate Sabrina Surgil, 18, of Buffalo, was the other student speaker.

Sabrina, who will attend law school after obtaining a degree from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., talked about how the graduates will control their fates.

“The past is gone, the present is fleeting, but the future will always be waiting for you,” Sabrina said. “Go out and find it.”