From left, Jaileene Brown, Stephanie Sybert and Lexi Geibel pose Thursday for a photograph by Amanda Schreckengost before Karns City High School's graduation ceremony. Diplomas were awarded to 128 graduates.

FAIRVIEW TWP — The weather was more like that of early football season than graduation season, yet graduate they did on the Karns City High School football field.

The Class of 2009, made up of 128 seniors, gathered on the track for a 10-minute processional to their seats while parents, siblings, grandparents and friends looked for familiar faces surrounded by purple and white robes.

"We love that our class is so close, everyone knows everyone," graduating senior Taylor Kerschbauner said. She plans to attend Butler County Community College to study nuclear medicine.

Friend and class president Ben Pyle who stood out from classmates with a large bouquet of balloons, will join Kerschbauner at BC3 to begin studies in mechanical engineering.

"This is exciting," he said, "but we are all so close, I know we'll see each other all the time, so I'm not really worried about (graduation)."

Karns City does not have a valedictorian, but instead asks the top four students of the class to speak at graduation. Like President Barack Obama, each spoke about change, especially the challenges and opportunities change can bring.

This year's speakers were Alaina Burns, Sarah Wallace, Jessyca Olkowski and Aaron McGarvey.

McGarvey stood in the high school's cafeteria before the ceremony began, draped in an honors scarf and various strings and medals of honor. He plans to attend Grove City College to study history education. A future teacher or professor? "Something like that," he said.

When asked if he was excited, nervous, reticent about the evening's events, McGarvey said, "I know I'm going to be, but it hasn't really hit me yet. I have to give a speech, so we'll see when I get up there."

Norman and Patty Bowser of Kittanning rested comfortably in porch chairs they brought from home, while waiting to watch grandson Seth Walker graduate.

"It's hard to believe," Patty Bowser said of the event. "I brought him home from the hospital. He was so little and you turn around and he's graduating."

Norman Bowser had that look of a proud grandpa, yet was philosophical about the night's ceremony.

"I didn't graduate from high school, but I always had good jobs and a good life," he said. "I would tell kids today to make sure to get an education because it doesn't seem there's much else out there for them."