LAKEWOOD — What a long, crazy journey it has been.

For the Lakewood High School Class of 2009, commencement exercises June 11 marked the end of one journey for the 154 graduates and the beginning of a new one.

“Some of us are excited for this new independence and some of us are scared,” said James Mattson, who was elected by his fellow students to address the graduating class. “Remember that neither success nor failure is final.”

Brought together by home address and age, the graduating class developed new bonds throughout their high school years — many going to middle school or further back — as students moved in and out of the district. Class salutatorian Cassie Czarnetzke transferred in as a junior from Marysville-Pilchuck looking for an educational challenge. She found that and more, she said.

“I felt very welcome,” she said, adding that one memory she’ll take with her to the University of Washington this fall where she plans to study pre-medicine is “just the unity that our school has. There’s no barrier between grades.”

However, the Class of 2009 is the last to be united by the memory of a taco stand that once stood in the Lakewood High School parking lot. Both Mattson and valedictorian Kelsey Gann cited the stand in their speech more than once to boisterous reception.

Gann tried to explain after the ceremony.

“We had a taco stand out here freshman year and it blew up,” she said. “One day it exploded and Mrs. Connor came on and said, ‘Yes, the taco stand is on fire.’”

Gann, who echoed Czarnetzke’s sentiment about the class’ close bond, said she is nonetheless excited to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she plans to study international relations. A varsity soccer player and golfer, she has no plans to compete at college but hopes to keep up a little recreationally for fun.

Lakewood senior Nikolay Borisov made the most of his high school graduation, wearing neon shades as he entered the gymnasium and getting as many pictures with friends and classmates as he could after the ceremony ended.

“I’m so happy. I think it’s just that I’ve been through so much at Lakewood High School,” he said. Another graduate to say how close the class was, he added, “I’m just so ready to go out into the world.”

Borisov plans to attend Northwest University in Kirkland and is interested in a major in a people-oriented field.

“I’m excited, but it’s to the point that there’s nowhere to grow here. This is my home, but I’m excited to learn and grow,” he added.

The class left an impression on Lakewood math teacher Larry Delaney, who was selected to address the graduates.

After calling out unique memories of several individual students, he added, “The Class of 2009 is made up of genuinely good people. Not perfect people, because nobody is, but good people. They’ve made Lakewood High School a better place to live and a better place to work.”

Acknowledging that the students enter the adult world in a particularly trying economic time, Delaney encouraged students never to give up on their dreams.

“If, when you walk out of here, you pledge to persevere, you will have more successes than failures,” he said.

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