A total of 108 young men and women entered a new phase of life Friday night during Mineola High School’s commencement at Meredith Memorial Stadium.

The evening was filled with hugs and smiles and tears, bittersweet farewells, light-hearted memories, words of wisdom, encouragement and feelings of accomplishment. The home crowd bleachers were nearly full with family and well-wishers.

Mineola High School Principal David Sauer looked out at the seniors assembled in chairs in front of him and told them “You are the reason we are all here tonight.”

He cited the class of 2019 for its many accomplishments, including amassing $700,000 in combined scholarships “with more coming in every day.”

Sauer hugged each and every graduate as they walked on stage to receive their diploma.He urged them to “have a servant’s heart” and allow themselves to “love others” for who they are regardless of their personal beliefs or the color of their skin.

Class Salutatorian Alaina Lopez choked back tears as she addressed her fellow graduates.

“My Mineola High School experience was amazing,” she said. “Through every friend I made, through every secret, every band and sporting event and just through the pure joy I got from just coming to school. Now for the graduating seniors, I know this can be a very emotional day as you want to dwell in the past about high school days. I know all the memories we made will carry over into our futures.”

Valedictorian Lena Hughes cautioned her fellow grads that “we like the idea that some form of ultimate happiness can be obtained, or that we can be fulfilled and satisfied with our lives forever, but we cannot.”

But ultimate happiness, she said, requires struggle. “Pure joy does not just sprout out of the ground like daisies and rainbows. If you want to find meaning in your life, choose your struggle. What will determine your success is not what you want to enjoy, but rather what pain do you want to sustain.”