The 600 processed into the GHS stadium between two long rows of the teachers that have guided them through the last four years. Many students broke out of line to hug or high five an old teacher, a beloved mentor.

"This is one of the closest classes we've had," teacher Eric Kuwada said. In his 19th year teaching at GHS, he's amazed with how well the students seemed to coexist, he said. "You don't see cliques in this class."

"This unity has been evident throughout all of our four years at Gilroy High School," said class salutatorian, Rachel Tenney Aptekar. "High school is famous for divisions, but I know that the Class of 2008 has challenged this stereotype. In our class, kindness is extended beyond cliques, judgments and prejudices."

Tenney Aptekar went on to challenge her fellow classmates to extend the same compassion for others that they exhibited during their four years together to those they encounter for the rest of their lives.

"If we can create a community in the typically divided realm of high school, imagine what we can do in the future to end the hatred caused by other divisions - racism, sexism, nationalism," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "As you leave Gilroy, share what you have learned here with the world, and use it to bring about change."

Her challenge was met with a roar from the colorful crowd of students, the tops of their caps decorated with glitter, decals and photographs, their necks draped with brilliantly colored flowers.

Struggling to reposition the microphone after the petite salutatorian left the stage, valedictorian Johnny Kuang received a little help from Principal James Maxwell.

"He's a genius," bellowed one of his classmates from the sea of graduates. "He'll figure it out."

Once the technical difficulties were resolved, Kuang riled his classmates into a frenzy. Lighthearted and jovial, Kuang took his opportunity at the podium to recap the best of GHS. Once he had the crowd's attention after regaling them with stories of the last year, he bestowed an inspirational quote upon his audience. After all, what's a graduation speech without quoting a famous scholar, prompting the boys to space out and the girls to start crying, he said.

His earth shattering insight came from the inside of a Panda Express fortune cookie: "Today is your lucky day."

"Just kidding," he laughed.

His real quote originally came from the mouth of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: "We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities."

This fall, when the graduates start a new school year, some will go as far away as New England. Others will remain nearby, attending Gavilan College. The families in the overflowing bleachers cheered for the accomplishments of their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and Kuang didn't forget to thank his own parents before he stepped down from the podium. He quickly swiped at the tears that accompanied words of thanks to his parents and joked that he couldn't believe he was breaking down.

"Let's graduate!" he yelled to his classmates, who took the opportunity to let their beach balls fly.

Voted to deliver the keynote speech by her senior students, Mirra Shernock addressed the graduates for the last time. Like the graduating class, Shernock came to GHS in 2004, she reminded her students. During the last four years, she has grown up with the group that sat before her. Kindness was among many of the Class of 2008's best attributes, she said. She advised the graduates to go out into the world and extend that kindness to others and, above all, to do something with their lives that matters and inspires them.

"If you like what you do, then you will not feel, as so many Americans do, reluctant to get out of bed and go to work in the morning," she said. "You will get up and go because you know it will be fun while you are there."

When the graduates began lining up to accept their diplomas, a low roar erupted from the crowd that didn't die out until it reached a crescendo as the last name of the evening was called. Under a darkening sky, shimmering balloons floated and families waved colorful signs to get the attention of their graduate.

Josh Yassini's family broke into cheers as he crossed the stage. His mother Adriana Yassini couldn't have been happier to see her son graduate Friday night, she said.

"He's my baby!" she said with a grin. "I am so proud of him tonight."

The presentation of diplomas took longer than usual because of the unprecedented size of the class. When the last diploma was handed over, dozens of caps flew into the air and the students dispersed into the mob of well-wishers to the strains of Bob Marley's "One Love," spurred on by the song's words that echoed the night's theme: "One love, one heart, let's get together and feel all right."