Mike Nymberg places an academic sash on his son, Tyler Nymberg, before the Mars Area High School graduation Friday.

ADAMS TWP — Bad weather may have forced Mars Area students to graduate Friday instead of Thursday, but it still didn't rain on their parade.

The class of just under 260 students celebrated the final moments of high school with a student parade and ceremony in the high school parking lot.

The venue was first used last year for pandemic mitigation in place of the traditional auditorium setting. With the positive feedback the district received from families, it may become tradition.

“We learned last year that this is for them,” said Lindsay Rosswog, high school principal. “We thought this way, a car-full of family was more festive than just a few tickets.”

Many families chose to decorate their vehicles and bring snacks while graduates received their diplomas and paraded through the parking lot.

Danielle Ridgeway and her family made use of their assigned parking spots. Danielle, who is going to cosmetology school for hair, attended graduation with her parents, grandparents, sister and boyfriend.

“It's more fun,” Danielle said. “It was very much worth it.”

Danielle's parents, Kathy and Mark, agreed. They said the good weather and the ability to celebrate during the ceremony made the event special.

“How fast the time has flown,” Mark said.

Friday's graduation wasn't exactly the same as 2020's. Rosswog said district leaders made some adjustments to the ceremony in an effort to reach as many people as possible.This included a livestreaming option for those who weren't able to attend in person.Students also voted on a selection of songs that were popular during their school years to be included on a playlist that ran the length of the ceremony.And an addition was made to the traditional graduation speaker roster. Aside from officers and top students — this year, all female — the class of 2021 voted on a student speaker.After all, Rosswog said graduation should be about the students and their experiences.“I think that this senior class — even more than last year — learned how to face adversity and adapt on the fly,” Rosswog said.This was the first Mars Area graduation for superintendent Mark Gross, who joined the district last summer.He said letting families, friends and faculty gather outside was a much more festive environment than an indoor graduation would have provided.“I think it's a good end to a tough year,” Gross said.

Danielle said she's going to miss some things about high school, such as football games and the routine of daily classes.But she's excited to move on to the next stage of her life.“The world is mine,” Danielle said.Gross said he sees the class of 2021 as “pioneers.”These students spent the school year navigating virtual and in-person learning with quarantine closures, aside from their normal load of school and extracurricular work.But that sort of adversity can come with lots of positives, according to Gross.“It's not always a bad thing,” Gross said. “With adversity comes growth.”“The good and bad mixed together create a complex person,” said Genevieve Thomas, class president, in her pre-recorded speech. “Your future is in your hands, and yours only.”

Mars Area School District held its 2021 high school graduation in the school parking lot, just as it did last year.

Danielle Grau shakes hands with Superintendent Mark Gross after receiving her diploma at graduation Friday. She will attend Arizona State University in the fall.