Mancos High School graduates were sent off into the wider world Sunday afternoon during a heartfelt ceremony attended by hundreds of friends and family.

The Performing Arts Center was buzzing with excitement as the 33 graduates entered and prepared to accept their diplomas.

Graduation speaker Alan Mathews talked of the hard work and promising futures of the Class of 2022.

The love of the community “surrounds this group and witnessed the heart and soul” graduates put into their school, work and play, he said.

School spirit permeates the town of 1,300, which witnessed with pride the Mancos Bluejay’s winning football season and chance at the championship.

Like the great season, graduates should not be afraid “to go for it, take the big shot just like in a big ballgame,” Mathews said.

“Tomorrow is a new chapter, and the community will continue to support you,” he said. “Live your life with purpose and passion.”

Valedictorian Connor Sehnert and salutatorian Evan Sehnert are twin brothers who had the highest GPAs.

“It was close, he beat me by 5,000th of a point and one-upped me one last time,” Evan said of the friendly competition.

Evan graciously credited the teachers and staff for the success of graduates.

“They were there for us, we excelled because of them,” he said.

The Class of 2022 is a “close group who grew up together. We’ve come a long way, and now we made it to graduation,” he said. “The next step is to “climb a peak in search of greatness.”

Valedictorian Connor Sehnert continued with the good-natured brotherly ribbing.

“It is true that I beat him during the final push, and I am certain the reason is because I am a minute older, that extra minute of life experience is all I needed,” he said to laughter from the crowd.

Get ready for life to throw trouble at you, Connor continued, like the pandemic did the last two years.

It will not seem fair, but “you must drive on and continue to push forward.”

Despite adversity, “our class did amazing things,” he said. “That is the theme of the Class of 2022: to look failure and adversity in the eye and not shy away.”

He urged fellow graduates to “be steadfast and not waiver when the going gets hard.”

School taught us “perseverance” a lesson that is foundational for the future, Connor said.

“Use this skill that you have cultivated in Mancos to dare greatly in your futures, and most importantly, never, ever quit,” he said.

Life’s challenges “strengthens our hearts and sharpen our minds and gives us the ability to do great things,” Connor Sehnert said. “Go out in the world and persevere, don’t be nervous; you’ve had plenty of practice.”

After the speeches, a video showed photos of each student when they were a baby, as a child, and during high school. Every graduate was met with warm applause.

Parents and relatives beamed with pride as they entered the ceremony.

A man’s grandson, Michael “Big Mike” Velasquez, was graduating and was off to college.

“We’re so pleased, it makes you proud to see generations of your family graduate and go on to succeed,” he said. “Every generation does better than the one before. It is great to see that escalation.”

On her hopes for her graduating niece, Theresa Adams said “to reach for her dreams.”