“All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”

The quote was pertinent to the evening’s festivities as Katie Jaroszynski, Falconer Central School valedictoran, channeled her inner Walt Disney to recite his famous words.

On Thursday inside the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts, the senior class took the stage and gathered together one last time as they transitioned from students to alumni.

Jaroszynski and Joshua Bowman were announced as the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Jaroszynski plans to attend George Washington University to major in biomedical engineering with a minor in mathematics and Bowman plans to attend Houghton College to major in applied physics.

Jaroszynski admitted that if four years ago someone would have told her she’d be the valedictorian giving a speech at graduation she would’ve laughed. But in reality she was, and her speech detailed her journey as she thanked everyone who was involved in her success.

Jaroszynski questioned the actual word “success.”

“Success is a strange word,” she said.

She pondered whether success was defined as acquiring a dream job in one’s dream city, or if it was to have a family?

She pointed out that every student on the stage most likely has a different path to follow, but emphasized the overall goal for all of them was to be happy.

“If I were to create my own definition I would say success is the final destination on our journey to happiness,” she said.

For her success and happiness go hand-in-hand. She said that all the students on the stage Thursday night shared that common goal: to be happy.

Later, she told a story of a fellow classmate asking for advice for an upcoming dance recital. The friend asked Jaroszynski how she doesn’t get nervous.

To that she simply replied, “dance for yourself, like no one is watching.”

Jaroszynski said she would remind herself of that sentiment and try to live her life the same way.

The guest speaker and 1988 Falconer graduate, Shawn Beckerink, told the graduating class that time doesn’t stop and cannot be turned back.

“Focus on the now,” he said. “Everything that has happened in the past has made you become who you are today.”

He warned the students to enjoy their experience because it can all be taken away from them in “one split second.”

Beckerink described his experience throughout life and how it led him to the exact moment on Tuesday where he was giving a speech to the class behind him. He told the senior class bluntly that they will fail in life, but encouraged them to embrace that aspect and learn from it.

During the salutatorian address, Bowman questioned what failure actually is, but then countered that defining success was more important.

“I believe that real success doesn’t involve money or fame, but is instead achieved when you give to others,” he said. “Many people think that to give back, you have to donate money or volunteer time, but I believe that choosing your path and pursuing it with integrity and diligence is a form of giving back.”

Bowman told a Mark Twain story of a man who plants a peach tree but who will never eat the fruit from the tree he planted. The man understands this reality, but feels that he owes a debt to the men who planted the fruit he had eaten in his lifetime.

Bowman believes success isn’t solely achieved by one person, but rather built upon by many people.

“As pleasant as it is to enjoy our own success, we need to remember that it’s not totally our own success,” he said.

Bowman then thanked the people who helped him succeed during his time at Falconer.

And to end his speech he said, “Now let’s get out there and plant some peach trees.”

Soon, the night was over with the former Falconer students officially became alumni and, according to their valedictorian and salutatorian, were now tasked with finding happiness and giving back.