Graduation is both a time for remembering the past and looking forward to the future.

Keith High School did just that during its 2010 commencement ceremony by not only reorganizing the completion of its newest class, but also brining back the Keith graduating class of 1960.

“We started last year with the class of 1959,” said Keith principal Joseph Pettway Jr. “What we are trying to do is bridge the gap between the two generations.”

The students that finished their high school careers all had smiles on their faces as they stepped up to get the diploma that they have spent the past 12 years working for.

“It feels great,” said valedictorian Marcus Deion Cochran. “It’s a big accomplishment.”

“I feel like all my hard work has paid off,” said salutatorian Sakenva Robinson. “I have strived for excellence, a plan I want to continue after.”

Much like the students, the parents had smiles as they watched their children’s hard work payoff.

“We are just so proud of him,” said Cochran’s mother Melvinea Cochran. “He has worked so hard and we have worked hard at home with him.”

“It’s a bittersweet moment,” said Vivian Williams, the mother of graduate Jasmine Thomas. “But more sweet than sad. The 12 years it took to get here, it’s all worth it.”

Pettway said he expects this year’s class to move on to become great adults.

“We will get some outstanding men and women out of this group,” said Pettway. “They are a good bunch, they will grow real fast.”