Ligonier Valley High School Graduation

Nostalgia hit me pretty hard when I photographed Ligonier Valley High School’s graduation ceremony this evening. In between frames I thought, “Three years seemed like a blink of an eye.”

As I am quickly approaching the start of my senior year of college, watching these young kids fix their hair and tassels, line up on stage, joke with friends and receive their diplomas before running into the arms of their proud parents forced me to realize how I take these once in a lifetime moments for granted.

Honestly I hated high school, but it molded me into who I am today. Thirteen years filled with redundant homework assignments, silly heartthrobs and crushes, failure and stress, awkward stages of puberty and dreadful standardized testing with 800 cliquey classmates caused me to wish away this fragile time in life. Though for what it was worth, it was worth all the while.

Steph Anderson | Tribune-Review

Shannon Lebo (left), 17, of Wilpen, dances with friends Caiti Brown, 18, of Ligonier, and Catherine Markle (right), 18, of Ligonier, while waiting in line before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

Friends photograph themselves on their iPhones before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

Joe Ferraro, 18, of Ligonier, pauses for a moment by the lockers with girlfriend Phoebe Gilmore, 16, of Ligonier, before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

Students wait in the gymnasium before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

Blair Hillegass, 18, of Fairfield, fixes her hair in the girls locker room with Breanna Lynch, 18, of Seward, before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.

John Nicholson, 18, of Stahlstown, asked his classmates to autograph his tie before the Ligonier Valley High School graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.