Sierra Lutheran High School graduation up first this spring

Thirteen young adults dressed in gowns and caps gathered at Carson Valley Christian on Friday.

Together they reminisced about past experiences. They joked and laughed while counting down the minutes.

"I'm ready to go," said 18-year-old Chae Cariaga. "I'm not really worried. I trust God will provide."

"I'm looking forward to getting a job and moving out," said classmate Aubrey McClure.

Both young women were part of Sierra Lutheran High School's 2009 graduating class.

"They all have bright futures," said teacher Michael Nelson. "When they find their niche, they'll be rising stars, and I hope to hear from them down the road, to see how they've done."

Both Cariaga and McClure said they're planning careers in nursing.

"Nursing always has jobs," said Cariaga. "The medical field is pretty much good."

Ryan Jackson, 18, said he's heading for Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., where he'll study business.

"I don't know what I want to do yet, but we'll see where it goes," he said. "I'm not really nervous, but I think I'm ready. I want to be next to the beach."

Senior Robert DePaoli, planning to become a mechanical engineer, said he welcomes the challenges of adult life.

"Bring it on," he said. "I'm excited just to see what I can do in this life."

Ten minutes later, the thirteen students were filing through a crowd of more than 300 people in the sanctuary of the church.

Dave and Anita Swearingen, parents of class salutatorian Victoria Swearingen, said they want their daughter to follow her heart.

"She's a natural born leader," said Dave Swearingen. "I want her to pursue her desires and to be happy doing what she does. She has a lot of different talents and gifts. She can do pretty much anything at this point."

Anita Swearingen agreed, but admitted it's difficult to let go of a child, especially the first of four to grow up and leave the nest.

"I'm a little more use to it now," she said, "but I don't think you'll ever be completely use to it."

In her salutatorian address, Swearingen she'd been transformed from an insecure child, worried about what to wear the first day of school, into a confident young woman, now clothed in righteousness and love.

"I gladly trade in that green shirt and those Converse shoes for this cap and gown," she said.

She reminded classmates of their many experiences together, both tears and laughter, defeat and victory.

"Someone once said that best friends are hard to find, hard to leave, and impossible to forget," she said.

Valedictorian Michael Kubel began his speech by thanking the school's teachers, administrators and board members.

"The world will never know how much you have affected our lives," he said.

Turning to his classmates, he urged them to embrace their new-found freedom, but never to abandon their core values.

"Now is the time not to waste your lives, but the time to build your character," he said. "Put on the full armor of God, so when the day of evil comes, you'll be able to stand your ground."

Norm Bauer, executive director of the school, took the podium to say how proud he was of the thirteen students.

"I wish you could see right now what I'm able to see," he said. "These wonderful young adults with various expressions on the their faces " happiness, excitement and anticipation."