By SARA FURLONG

s.furlong@bradfordera.com

KANE — Kane Area High School presented diplomas to 71 students during a graduation ceremony held Friday evening at Paul R. Miller Stadium and streamed live on YouTube.

Superintendent Jeannine Kloss welcomed graduates and their families to the 135th commencement of Kane Area High School. “I’ve had the privilege of watching our graduates into thoughtful, capable young adults and I can confidently say this class has embodied not just excellence in academics, art and athletics, but also the heart and spirit of what it means to be a Kane wolf,” Kloss said.

“Our mascot isn’t just a symbol on t-shirts and signs. The wolf represents qualities that this graduating class has displayed time and again,” she continued. “They’re known for their leadership, their loyalty, their intelligence and their deep sense of community. Graduates, as you move forward, remember where you came from. Carry the spirit of the wolf in your heart and never doubt that you can achieve great things.”

Kloss then introduced Dr. William “Billy” Woodford, who gave the commencement address.

A 2004 graduate of Kane Area High School, Woodford is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Form Energy, where he leads the development of groundbreaking battery technology and advanced energy storage.

Woodford completed degrees in material science and engineering from Penn State and MIT, where he earned his doctoral degree.

“I’m not here tonight to share any technical wisdom,” Woodford said.

“Instead, I want to share a few lessons that I learned growing up here in Kane that have stayed with me every step of the way.

These are the two lessons I keep coming back to.

First, be kind. Second, keep your head down and do the work.”

Starting with kindness, Woodford said, “In a small town like Kane, you know everyone and everyone knows you.

You quickly learned that how you treat people matters. You see the ripple effects of your words and actions. And what might surprise you is this: Wherever you go, whatever you choose to do, kindness will make you better at it.

“Kindness doesn’t mean being a pushover, or staying silent about things that really matter to you. It means standing up with dignity and treating others with respect.

Especially when you disagree,” he emphasized.

“Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside many incredibly successful people. The overwhelming majority, truly more than 95% of them, are deeply kind people. Our most effective engineers, managers and technicians at Form Energy are the ones that people trust and want to work with. They treat others well, they listen, they build strong teams.”

Moving to work, Woodford said, “If you want to do something meaningful, big or small, there are no shortcuts.

Success doesn’t come from talking about how good you are. It comes from quietly showing up, day after day, and doing. There’s a quiet kind of determination in the people I admire most — people who don’t seek credit, but who show up again and again and do the work. “So to the class of 2025, as you leave this field and heat into the world, be kind, do the work. Those two simple things will serve you in every job, every relationship, every challenge that you take on.” Class president Brayden Byham said his 13 years with Kane schools have “enhanced my character and revealed to me the fine print of a Kane Area High School diploma.”

Byham said, “Our town values kindness and showing compassion for others above all else. It values integrity, honesty, humility, a willingness to be decidedly different.

It promotes good character and celebrates the fact that its citizens are unique and truly 1 of 1.

We work hard in Kane … and we understand that sometimes our hard work doesn’t initially pay off, but we stand strong and remain persistent in our efforts to achieve our dreams and build a better community.”

Byham also presented the class gift, Kane Wolves cornhole boards — a “unique gift” settled on after the class decided not to replace the flagpole at the northwestern end of the stadium.

He explained, “It’s getting up in age, it’s a little bent” and the class considered purchasing a new, perfectly straight and perfect flagpole.

“A decision was made to not only keep it on display, but allow it to carry our Kane Wolves flag.

The flagpole has some bumps and bruises because it persevered through the 1985 tornado that left behind mass destruction to our town just over 40 years ago.

But this flagpole endured the might of the tornado gusts and debris and left the school district in awe when they found that this flagpole had remained standing. That is the spirit of Kane, Pennsylvania.”

In addition to Byham, Kane’s Ranking Seven for the class of 2025 were Brayden Byham, Melaina Nicklas, Brynn Bizzak, Logan Gabriel, Maya Holt, Kaycie Dahl and Samuel West.

School board president Linda Anderson presented diplomas to the following students: Sami Leigh-Ayn Ackley, Lindsay Larrain Allen-Patcyk, Megan Piper Bailey, Kayin James Bard, Olivia Ryanne Bell, Brynn Patricia Bizzak, Eric Alexander Bowen, Trey James Bradybaugh, Haley Rose Bundy, Brayden Michael Byham, Austin Paul Campbell, Noah Jaykeb Carpenter, Kaiyah Jade Chase, Madisyn Lane Chase, Sienna Nicole Conklin, William Maximus Costanzo, Hailey Nicole Cunningham, Kaycie Louise Dahl, Alaina Marie Davidson, Patric Steven Dinger, Logan Roy Gabriel, Cora Marie Geibel, Aliya Jayne Gerold, Sierra Nicole Gilmore, Blaine DaVean Good, Kaliah Rae Graves, Arianna Faith Greville, Lexie Michele Haight, Isaiah Benjamin Hartzell, Aizlinn Nichole Heasley, Russell Eugene Heasley, Marie Elizabeth Hilyer, Maya Madisyn Holt, Harley Rae Hughes, Rhys Lee Hushon, Adison Grace Johnson, Jacob Reid Langille, John Edward Lorenzo, Emma Josephine Lucia, Baileigh Elizabeth Mallery, Allenah Michelle McGuire, Rowan J.

Milliron, Alexis Claire Morgan, Rylee Michelle Nichols, Melaina Lynn Nicklas, Abigail Elaine Oakes, Sydney Elizabeth Payne, Lilly Rose Peterson, Silas Ray Plants, Vanessa Grace Port, Camden Eliseo Ray, Isabella Marie Saf, Kane Dalton Scharba, Cameron Lee Severance, Hailee Raelynn Sheaffer, Abigail Leigh Shrubb, Anna Isabelle Shrubb, Isabella Rose Smith, Keigan Daniel Smith, Emily Nicole Stephan, Evan Daniel Swanson, Christofer Lawrence Swedenhjelm, James Spencer Swedenhjelm, Natalie Marie Szymanski, Evan David Tarnaski, Derek Matthew Warofka, Brock Michael Wensel, Samuel James West, Paige Anne Williams, Levi Christopher Wilson, Rosstan Lee Wright, Christopher Leon Yates, Addy Margarete Zampogna and Kyle Brayden Zook.