Two may be company. Three is often called a crowd. But five was perfect when it came to representing the diverse personalities of the Edwardsburg High School Class of 2014.

With the boys clad in navy blue and the girls wearing gowns of vibrant orange, each of the school’s five co-valedictorians — and one salutatorian — spoke to their classmates and a packed gym of school administrators, family and friends about what it means to be closing this chapter of their lives.

Anne Makielski, who will attend Emerson College to major in political science, said she and her classmates have spent the past four years focused on what comes next.

“Now we are done. That next is here. With this ceremony we enter into a new part of our lives. College. A job. The unknown. Each of us have different paths,” she said, adding that they will never forget some of the memories they built together. “… We have this big world in front of us. This living next, and it is time we meet it.”

Makielski was the last of the five co-valedictorians to speak, capping a group of students for which it seemed only fitting that the 185 graduates chose as its motto this anonymous quote: “Each of us has different talents, different dreams, and different destinations, but we all have the same power to make a new tomorrow.”

Thirty four of the graduates were honors students of some kind and the group collectively earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships.

James Chapman, who will study electrical and aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, urged his classmates to not just settle for success but to instead strive for greatness.

“Hard work is what makes great people. Yes, inborn and innate talent is a factor, but that will only take you so far,” he said. “It is hard work that makes people great and makes them successful. This doesn’t only apply to academics but also applies to life in general.”

Elyse Clark and Christopher Holston spoke together about the family atmosphere at the rural southwestern Michigan school. Clark and Holston should know: they are relatives who have grown up together.

“I think it is impossible to spend so much time in each other’s company during such formative years and not end up resembling some sort of a family,” Elyse said.

“The Edwardsburg family of 2014 … will always come back together,” Christopher said.

Olivia Hartline will soon head off to University of Michigan to pursue her future, but not before she took a minute to urge her peers to thank all the people who played a part in their individual and collective successes. These, she said, range from parents who offered endless support to friends who had their backs to siblings who served as great role models to teachers who made students feel special.

“I know I am not the only one who can thank Mrs. Bartz. Without you Mrs. Bartz, I don’t know if I could have survived here. There were so many moments where I could have given up due to pressure or stress but you were always there for me to listen to give advice and to help pick me up. I owe so much to you I’ll never be able to repay you for what you have done for me.”

Salutatorian Dustin Long talked about second chances and making sure you pay attention to how people grow and change through high school and life.

“Know who you are. Know what your faults are. Know what you need to change, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” Long said.

Principal Jeffrey Leslie agreed that this class was special and reflected on how he tells freshmen each year that they should enjoy their time in high school because it will fly by.

“The thing I am most proud of is that you did make the most of your time here at Edwardsburg High School,” Leslie said. “You did some phenomenal things academically, athletically and artistically.”

“On behalf of the faculty and staff at Edwardsburg High School, our wish for you is that the future is full of the happiness and success that you so richly deserve.”