Photo by Graham Cullen Twins Ikea, left, and Mi’kea Bowie wipe away tears after the Brunswick High School graduation Thursday evening at Knott Arena. Purchase this photo

"You are a real community, and that sets you apart as a school community," said Kathryn Groth, a member of the Frederick County Board of Education who gave welcoming remarks at the ceremony at Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary's University.

There were 194 students graduating from Brunswick High School in the Class of 2009, along with three students who received non-diploma certificates.

Christopher Coghill, the student speaker, also spoke of Brunswick 's sense of community.

"It has been said Brunswick is the hidden gem of Frederick County, and I believe that with all my heart," he said. "It's a small school, but our class has a lot of fun."

The school's smaller size may have meant fewer opportunities in some ways, but more opportunities in others. "Our size gives students a real-world education," he said.

The mayors of Brunswick and Rosemont attended the ceremony and were introduced. The mayor of Burkittsville also attends if that community has any graduating seniors. Rosemont provides a $25 check to each graduating senior from Rosemont , said Mayor Jackie Ebersole.

"It's to let them know we are thinking of them," she said. This year's Rosemont graduates were Gregory Kline and Ariel Cummings.

Burkittsville presents a $100 check to each of its seniors, which Mayor Debby Burgoyne said the town likes to do to reinforce the close-knit ties in Burkittsville .

Wesley Adams, 17, was standing in a sea of students wearing garnet and gold graduation robes, representing the school's colors, before the graduation ceremony Thursday. He attended Brunswick Elementary, Middle and High schools, and was happy to be graduating with lifelong friends.

"I grew up in Brunswick ," he said. It's a bittersweet time, he said. "I'm going to wake up tomorrow and not be around anyone I know. It's kind of weird."

Adams expects to attend Lincoln Tech and plans to become an auto mechanic.

Kelsey Heffner, 17, attended Valley Elementary School and Brunswick Middle and High schools. "I'm going to miss a lot of my younger friends, but it's an exciting new step in my life."

She plans to study journalism, first at Frederick Community College, then at Wesleyan in Norfolk, Va. She played tennis and was in the school marching band, and will miss those activities.

Ethan Tome, 18, attended Brunswick schools from kindergarten on. "It really hit me as we were walking out the doors on the last day," he said. "All my friends were yelling, 'I'm finally done.'" Then the realization hit that he wouldn't be coming back. "It was fun while it lasted," he added. "I'm going to love college."

He's planning to study political science at Towson University. He's had fun learning about and talking politics in high school.

The class has many distinguished students, including a winner of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, a Marine Distinguished Athlete and a Maryland State Cross Country Girls champion.