ADAMS TWP — Ambitious plans and high hopes for the future created a crackle of excitement in the air Thursday evening at the Mars High School Commencement.

Prior to the ceremony, giddy young adults donned their caps and gowns in the school cafeteria. Selfies, hugs and handshakes punctuated the preparations in the large room.

“It's bittersweet,” said Jamie Billman. “I'm excited, but I'm going to miss everyone.”

Jamie, who has attended Mars since kindergarten, said prom was her most memorable event from senior year.

“Everyone banded together to make it a great one,” Jamie said.

She counted Darcy Silbaugh and Scott McCarthy among the most inspiring teachers at Mars because she was able to form a bond with them.

“They offered me advice for the future,” Jamie said.

Lee Rezzetano, who moved into the district in his freshman year, said his defining moment during senior year was taking first place in the Norwin Marching Band Competition in October as a trombone player with the Fightin' Planets Marching Band.

The teacher who most inspired Lee is Theodore Gross.

“He always has a joke to tell,” Lee said, “and he talked about his time in the Army and his own years in high school.”

Lee, who will enter the Navy, looked forward to graduation.

“It's exciting, yet I wonder what will happen in the future,” he said.

Hannah Govan will pursue a degree in nursing from Butler County Community College, and then hopes to attend medical school to become an oncologist. Hannah's high point during senior year was winning two community scholarships.

She named Robyn Davies as her favorite teacher after taking an English class in which she was the only girl.

“She was there for me to talk to and it was really nice,” Hannah said.

Greg Campbell said Friday night football games, homecoming parade, and all the annual high school activities were his most memorable moments this year.

“It's your last time doing all those things,” Greg said. “It just means so much more as a senior.”

Greg named Charlesa Fassinger as his favorite teacher because she served as musical director for the 2013-14 school musical, “Footloose,” in which he played the lead.

“She gave me a bunch of life advice,” Greg said. “I don't think I'll ever be able to pay her back for what she's taught me.”

Greg will attend Bowling Green University in Ohio to study actuary science, but first he had to get through commencement.

“It's exciting now, but I'll probably miss all of these people in a year,” he said.

Elizabeth Dakan recalled an event this year during lunchtime that will stick in her memory when she thinks back on her senior year.

“A DJ came to the cafeteria, and this underclassman started singing to his sister for her birthday,” Elizabeth recalled. “It was all anybody talked about for like two months.”

Elizabeth said teacher Bill Wesley had the biggest impact on her during high school.

“He's an amazing teacher,” Elizabeth said. “He got me interested in biology, which is what I'm majoring in in college.”

She will attend Penn State's main campus in the fall.

Ryan Horan also named Wesley as his most inspiring teacher, and said he was lucky to have Wesley for homeroom as well as AP biology.

“He taught me a lot of life lessons that I'm going to carry with me for the rest of my life,” Ryan said.

That life will include enrollment in John Carroll University near Cleveland, where he will major in premedicine. Ryan hopes to become a cardiologist.

Eric Barnes, who said his best senior moment was playing trombone in the marching band during a parade in Kentucky, thanked his parents, Dan and Cindy Barnes, for all of their support.

Eric will be a computer science major at Slippery Rock University in the fall.

As the 246 students paraded into the auditorium, flashes popped and thrilled parents screamed the names of their special graduates.

Class President Tessa Cybach welcomed families to the ceremony, and said she finally ended her search for a class quote at a visit to Starbucks, where she was stricken by a sentence by Oprah Winfrey on her coffee cup sleeve.

“You are here not to shrink down to less, but to blossom into more,” Tessa read.

She encouraged her classmates to chase their dreams, but remember their high school fondly.