AID TOWNSHIP — Mixed emotions filled the gymnasium at Symmes Valley High School on Sunday as friends and relatives gathered to see the class of 2011 graduate.

Everyone told her she was going to cry at the ceremony, graduate Amanda Cooper said.

“I’m excited,” Cooper said. “…but I’m not going to cry.”

Cooper was one of many graduating seniors who were too excited about the future to feel sad. Cooper said she had her mind on a trip to North Myrtle Beach after graduation and was looking forward to college at Marshal University where she plans to study secondary math education. Her mother, on the other hand, would probably get misty-eyed, Cooper said.

“Mom gets to see the baby graduate,” she said.

Kara Brown took pictures of her son, Corey, and his friends while they were waiting for the ceremony to start.

“I’m happy and sad,” she said. “He’s ready to move on.” She said Corey will be attending Marshal University in the fall.

While her nest will be a little less crowded, Brown still has a few years left with her daughter, Stephanie, who will be an eighth grader next year. Stephanie said she would miss her big brother, but is happy for him that he is graduating.

Superintendent Jeff Saunders said he was proud of all 68 graduates and was confident they were all ready to “enter this ever-changing world we live in.”

Saunders encouraged the seniors to continue to work hard after graduation and said the district would still offer a helping hand if needed.

“If they need any help or guidance, the staff of Symmes Valley is ready to help them.”