For the 11 seniors of St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, graduation was much like saying goodbye to family.

St. Joseph held its 79th commencement Friday at the St. Joseph Church in

front of a crowd of educators, family and friends gathered for the ceremony.

"The next step is our own," salutatorian Thomas Murray Gillespie told his classmates during his speech.

Class valedictorian Christina Nicole Harvey read a letter of thanks to the people who supported and encouraged her over the years and thanked her classmates that she said

had always been there for each other.

It was that togetherness Harvey said she would miss the most.

Harvey also gave a very heartfelt thanks to her parents and family.

"I love you all very much," she said.

Salutatorian Sarah Ann Webb remembered all the years the class had spent together at the school, starting with kindergarten.

As she recounted special memories of each year, her classmates and the audience smiled and laughed as they remembered with her.

Rebecca Wood attended the ceremony to celebrate the special the special occasion with her cousin, Matt Lewis.

"I'm really proud of him," she said.

Also graduating were

Kevin Dufore, Sarah Harmon, Mallory Hasenauer, Kurt Jordan, Matthew Lewis, Heather Martin, Joseph O'Leary and Courtney Sharp.