The latest class of seniors from Warren County High School have been set off on their journey through the next phase of their life after graduating Friday evening.

Inclement weather loomed as an imminent threat during the ceremony, but held off while the seniors were honored for their school careers.

In total, WCHS graduated 335 students.

The Class of 2025’s Valedictorian Lauren Slatton took to the podium to give a speech before her peers and the class’s congregated friends and families.

“Leading up to this moment, people ask me, ‘How does it feel to be a Valedictorian?’,” Slatton said. “I put some thought behind it and realized that there are all my losses and wins to get here. My class rank is not something I am proud of. Instead, I found graduating alongside my classmates to be much more valuable.”

With her new revelation, Slatton encouraged each of her classmates to choose their own personal best wins during their time in school.

“I found that none of my biggest achievements held that top spot. Thinking deeper, I got myself thinking about a quote from Bobby Bowden, my dad’s all-time favorite iterator,” Slatton revealed. “’First you lose by a lot, then you lose by a little, then you win by a little, then you win by a lot.’ Everybody wants to win big, and our enemies will always remember our losses, no matter how big or small. But what about our small wins? They are deemed as unimportant, and therefore forgotten.”

Slatton continued, “Yet, they are quite the opposite. It is a given that we will lose,but we cannot reach the top without our small victories. You can’t make a hundred without going to class; you can’t get gold without going to practice; you can’t get the job without filling out the application — and I couldn’t have gotten valedictorian without graduating. Class of 2025, our future is going to be a windy, unmarked path. It will be hard for us to get to our final destinations, and we will trip on the way there, but I hope all of you keep striving for those small steps that move you forward. Those small wins matter, and I know if we continue having them, we will all become big winners.”

Following the ceremony, those interested in attending Project Graduation were shuttled to the location by bus.