“I’m interested in video-editing, and 3-D modeling and animation,” Valedictorian Erik Patak said. “I was learning off YouTube, one of the best educational resources.”

John Bennett Mackay learned last month that he had edged out his friends for the honor at a school he enjoyed attending.

_{Nancy Frueh, East Berne}

Teacher David Lawrence emphasized the need to be a good person in a world that judges people based on tests, evaluations, and applications.

Fifty-three students graduated from Berne-Knox-Westerlo in a ceremony on June 28. The otherwise jovial event was especially poignant when awards were given in memory of a student and  two alumni who died in recent years.

The valedictorian of BKW's Class of 2014, who is headed to Houghton College to study chemistry, has been a counselor at Camp Pinnacle where his father, a pastor, is executive director.

BKW's salutatorian learned gardening and cooking from her mother. Now, she's graduating with a coveted restaurant job and a spot in Schenectady County Community College's restaurant and hotel management program.

VOORHEESVILLE — Salutatorian Christian Keenan stood alone at the lectern as he gave his speech on June 27. But, behind him sat the rest of the members of the Clayton A. Bouton High School class of 2014, and in front of him were all their friends and families.

Before the roar that reached the rafters, before the caps of red and white were tossed with abandon and fell to the floor, before the beach balls surfed the crowd — there was Pomp and Circumstance, there were parents taking pictures, there were carefully chosen words spoken from the heart.