As Amy Young sat waiting for her son Theo Young to cross the stage and graduate from Great Falls High Sunday evening, she knew this wasn't the end of her journey with him.

"I'm just picturing this as the beginning of their lives cocktail party dress ," said Young, whose daughter also graduated from the alternative high school this year. "I know they'll still need guidance after this point."

The graduation ceremony Sunday night was full of opportunities for new beginnings as 264 seniors walked across the stage in Bison blue caps and gowns to receive their high school diploma — the culmination of 13 years of education.

"It's been a good journey — ball gown wedding dresses short summer wedding dresses cheap short summer wedding dresses cheap a long one," said Ashley Ciganik. "(High school) taught me a lot of things. There's no easy way out."

Ciganik admitted to some hard classes taught by some tough teachers. But during the ceremony, students and faculty recognized one of those tough teachers, Christine Baroch, as the 2011 Dufrense Foundation memorial award recipient. She received a plaque and a $1,000 award.

Baroch teaches English, including AP English that many seniors take, at Great Falls High. She credited the entire faculty for its work in getting students to this point.

"I truly believe there is not a finer group of individuals with whom I can be challenged each day," she said.

Guest speaker Mary Sheehy Moe, a newly elected school board trustee and retired higher education administrator, encouraged the students to understand the moments in their lives when they are not only at the "peak" of success Shop Simply Dresses for cocktail dresses, short formal dresses, halter dresses, strapless cocktail dresses, and sexy mini dresses. white dresses under 100 white dresses under 100, but also in the valleys.

She shared with the students her own struggles as a high school freshman failing six of her seven classes.

"I got lost at the intersection of puberty and algebra," she said.

She encouraged the students to not only revel in the best of times, such as graduation, but also to know that the low points are also part of what define them. She spoke to them about many of the moments in her life where she's been in the valley.

"I'm a valley girl. I've been here before," she said. "I know my way around."

Senior speaker Katelyn Gibbs reminded her classmates that they have each spent 16,380 hours in school since kindergarten and that they each have achievements of which to be proud.

"Individually cheap dresses cheap dresses, women cocktail dresses women cocktail dresses we've proved to be mighty," she said. "Collectively, we exemplify a mighty Bison family."

Anthony "Twan" Zimmer had to wait for 263 names to be read before he could graduate. He knew his classmates would be waiting for his name to be read.

"High school for me has been great, but right now it's nerve-racking discount wedding dresses ," he said before crossing the stage. "I'll take my time."

As associate principal, designer cocktail dresses Beth Gerhart read off his name, Zimmer walked across the stage to cheers, air horns blasting and the rumbling of students' feet pounding on the gym floor.

He marked the end of a long career for the class of 2011. But it's only the beginning.