JEFFERSON TWP — The 2019 commencement at Knoch Knights Stadium was a hot time on Friday night, not only for the family members assembled in the bleachers, but for senior Nicholas Pawlowski.

Pawlowski chugged a half bottle of Tabasco sauce in a painful effort to prove that his and his classmates' actions would have consequences as their futures unfold.

The top three academians spoke about the past, present and future, with the coughing Pawlowski assigned the future segment.

“I regret having done that,” Nicholas said as his 186 classmates and hundreds in the bleachers hooted with laughter.

But he got his point across.

“Almost everything that happens in the future is the result of your actions now,” Nicholas said.

Nicole Ambrose said the past can be summed up in one word: nostalgia.

She counseled her classmates to treasure the memories they made as children in the South Butler School District and as teenagers in the middle and high schools.

“Hold onto those memories and think back on the fun of being alive and growing,” Ambrose said.

She said as adults, her classmates should strive to be childlike by being open-minded and adventurous.

“Never let that feeling go,” she said.

Emma West said by grasping the present instead of ruminating on the past or reaching for goals in the future, her classmates will find only progress and new beginnings.

“Whatever you decide to do this moment can dictate your happiness,” West said.

Prior to the ceremonies, the soon-to-be graduates assembled in the gymnasium. All seemed aware that the gathering marked the final time the friends and neighbors would be in one place together.

“I cried a lot today,” said Kylie Feldbauer of Penn Township, who will enroll at Slippery Rock University in the fall to become a physician assistant. “I am going to miss all my teachers because they were really nice to me. It's hard to leave.”

Feldbauer named Knoch High German teacher Julia Karns as an educator who had an impact on her during her high school years.

“She was always very kind to me and very helpful,” Feldbauer said. “She made learning fun.”

Autumn Trempus of Winfield Township will enter the nursing program at Butler County Community College in the fall.

“I'm super excited to start a new chapter in my life and I'm also anxious,” Trempus said.

She named Spanish teacher Patricia Dills as her favorite teacher during her 13 years at South Butler.

“She just really instilled a passion for and love of learning in me,” Trempus said.

She is glad she was able to spend her public school years in the district.

“I definitely think I've received an above-and-beyond education,” Trempus said. “The teachers are more like family than anything.”

Andrew McIntosh of Penn Township moved into the district in sixth grade. He was ready to get the show on the road on Friday night.

“It's a relief, but it's a weird feeling because we have to leave all of our friends behind,” McIntosh said.

He named chemistry teacher John Gavel as a teacher he will never forget.

“He showed me what I wanted to do in life,” said McIntosh, who will attend Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan.

Doug Huber of Penn Township named Sam Frishkorn, Bethany Hanner and Krista West as teachers who made an impact on him.

“They were always really supportive and helpful in my schooling,” Huber said.

He will enter BC3 as a psychology major.

“I am interested in the mind and how it works,” Huber said.

Hunter Nowakowski of Saxonburg also named Sam Frishkorn as his favorite Knoch educator.

“He was very helpful,” Nowakowski said. “He was always trying to get me to get the best grade possible.”

The Knoch High School Class of 2019 collected $1,000 for the next kindergarten class at South Butler Primary School.

Scholars in the graduating class also earned a collective $3.1 million in scholarships.