Class of 2010: Great expectations

,  Boca Ciega

Number of grads: More than 300

Commencement speaker: Grant L. Azdell, dean of students at Randolph-Macon College and a 1985 graduate of Boca Ciega High.

Quote from commencement speaker: "Think big, leave a legacy, so that when someone asks you that question, 'what do you do for a living,' you can tell them how you live your life instead."

A moment: Getting one child through school can be tough enough. But for five families, the ceremony was twice as special. That's because this year, five sets of twins were in the graduating class. Before the they made their walk across the stage, principal Paula Nelson took a moment to honor the students, whose parents stood and cheered in the crowd.

m Lakewood

Number of grads: About 400

Principal's Choice speaker: Mateo Vargas, a graduating senior who has traveled the world as a competitive sailor and will represent the United States this summer in Istanbul at the 2010 Volvo Youth World's Regatta.

Quote from speaker: "If you take anything from this speech it should be not to let any formula, standardized test or a person's expectations decide your potential for success."

A moment: Graduation happened to be on the same day as retiring principal Dennis Duda's 60th birthday. "I couldn't think of a better way to spend it," Duda said.

Seminole >>

Number of grads: 476

Speakers: Senior class president Ashley Grimes and valedictorian Carley Pels.

A moment: Joey Ruzecki and Keith MaCollum — two of four teens killed in an April 2009 car accident — were honored with posthumous awards and medals. On stage were framed pictures of the two students and their honorary diplomas. During a moment of silence, green balloons were released. "Whether you were their close friends, acquaintances or simply a member of one of their classes, the lives of these two students will forever be embedded in our memory," said principal Walter Weller.

Graduating today: Bayside, Clearwater, Countryside, Dixie Hollins, Dunedin, Gibbs, Largo, Northeast, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs.

By Kameel Stanley, Tori Creighton and Kelly Price