For the students of Wareham’s Cooperative Night School, getting an education was a decision that required determination after they dropped out of high school. Their perseverance paid off on Wednesday night when 23 students earned their diplomas.

“Graduates, feel good because you stayed the course and you completed what for many of you may have been a long and sometimes difficult journey,” said Michael Collins, chair of the Humanities Department in Wareham Public Schools. “Parents, friends, families, you should also feel good because you provided the support, the guidance, assistance, the occasional boot in the rear that the students needed to complete this task.”

The nightly school, which part of the Wareham Cooperative School, requires students to take three classes a week, for two hours each night. Some take extra classes online to earn their degree.

This year, there were about 60 students in the nightly program altogether.

Director Dr. Allen McMurray described it as an “academically rigorous program.”

“These are students that return to school after having dropped out... so they took this on and they did really well,” he said.

Parents, families and friends cheered for each of the graduates that stepped up to receive their diplomas in the high school auditorium.

The ceremony was relatively short, even with three speakers that shared advice.

Collins had four pieces of advice for the graduates.

“Never go anywhere hungry, because you might not get fed; never stand when you can sit or run where you can walk; stuff multiplies and will fill a lot of space; Don’t follow leaders, watch your parking meters.”

The first tells students to plan ahead and always be accountable for themselves. The second asks students to slow down a little and enjoy life around them. The third piece of advice warned students that the things they own would end up owning them. The last encourages students to mind their own affairs rather than others.

Wareham School Committee member Cliff Sylvia told the young men in the class that they need to be an equal partner in marriage. Afterwards, he  reminded the women to “expect an equal partnership,” “to be treated with dignity and respect,” and to “not compromise what it is to be [themselves].”

Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood was the first speaker of the night. Her advice to the students was to “draw upon the solid foundation that you’ve built throughout your education” and to “look back at where [they] started.”

The graduates this year from the Wareham Cooperative school are: Elijah Arne, Hayley M. Cincotta, Nolan J. Chang, Paige B. M. Colantonio, Kevin R. DeShiro, Andrew R. Edwards, Dakota K. Evans-Kibbe, Timothy Harper, Amanda Kinsherf, Kerry A. Murphy, Marysa M. Richards, Tee-Jay R. A. Roginski Jr., Christoper P. Sharpe, Aliana R. Socci, Benicen A. Soto, Mason C. Stouffer, Aaron J. Swift, Destinee M. Tagger, Diazshe Tobey, Nicholas M. Tomchak, John Valle III, Luis Velasquez Jr. and Miranda Whitehouse.