Friday night may have been the biggest moment in the lives of many of the 125 graduating seniors at Wareham High School, but most of those chosen to speak at the ceremony focused on savoring every moment both big and small rather than just the major milestones.

Valedictorian Emma Wynne said that at first, she was nervous about picking one specific event to describe her high school career, but then she realized that her speech would be better suited to focus on her time at Wareham High as a whole.

“The best part about high school is simply being there,” said Wynne before a large crowd that filled the left field bleachers at Spillane Field, citing several of the little things she enjoyed about high school. “The simple joy of these moments at Wareham High School are something that I’ll never forget . . . take a moment to live in the moment.”

Salutatorian Hope Wallace similarly chose to focus on the value enjoying one’s self, which she said she was able to do through hard work, without dwelling on the magnitude of the graduation itself nor what lies ahead in the future.

“Giving our best effort every day no matter if we win or lose is what makes our lives enjoyable,” she said.

Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood cautioned students to continue on with the pursuit of happiness over all else.

“Regardless of where your path takes you, realize and believe that happiness is a choice,” said Shaver-Hood, referencing a recent article in the New York Times that concluded, with the use of 40 years’ worth of research, that happiness lies inside of a person and cannot be found through the major events in life, both good and bad. “Happiness comes from within, not from some big-time event.”

Principal Scott Palladino, whose first year as head of Wareham High came in 2010 (the Class of 2014’s freshman year) said that he was especially excited to see this group succeed because he was there to witness the students’ entire high school careers.

“They have been a class act in everything they’ve done,” he said, noting that the Class of 2014 had been through “the most rigorous standards of any class to date” at Wareham High, that every graduating student had passed the MCAS exam by the tenth grade, and that 78 percent of the students were going on to some form of secondary education. “It’s very rewarding to see you graduate at Wareham High School.”

Both Wallace and Wynne also devoted parts of each of their speeches to thanking the teachers, administration, and coaches at the school.

“There’s no time to recognize all the teachers who have taught us so much more than is in our textbooks,” said Wallace.

Wynne chose to end her speech with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day 
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.”