Ward Melville High School Graduates Class of 2010

When he stepped to the podium at Ward Melville High School's graduation ceremony on Sunday, Daniel Roth held up a sandwich: a "Boone" from Se-Port Deli.

"This sandwich is the truest and simplest representation of the Class of 2010," said Roth, president of the senior class, who proceeded to compare each of the sandwich's ingredients to an element of success for his classmates.

"The bread that holds this sandwich together is your experience and the people and things who shaped this experience," Roth said, before dedicating the senior class gift – picnic tables in the school's courtyard.

The Class of 2010, comprised of 664 seniors, began its Three Village educational journey in 1997 and graduated on Sunday afternoon.

About 71 percent of the class will attend a four-year college – with some heading to Harvard and Yale this year – and another 23 percent planning to study at a two-year college. Collectively, the class has received over $22 million in scholarships and grants – the most ever recorded by a Ward Melville class, according to principal Dr. Alan Baum.

"Your talents and abilities are truly amazing and will carry you to new heights," Baum said. "I believe that Three Village has given you an excellent education and an excellent start."

In his keynote address, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy told the Class of 2010 to be willing to start at the bottom and to take chances.

"Not everything is going to work out but if you don't take any risks, you're not going to get any rewards," he said.

Before the ceremony, the school was buzzing with excitement as students lined up in classrooms to get ready to walk.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time and now that it's here, it's really weird," said Kristen Mingione, who will study elementary and special education at Syracuse University in the fall. "It's been fun. It went by really quickly."

Many seniors credited their successes to Three Village teachers and staff members.

"They have taught us outside of the curriculum a lot of things I think will help me in life," said Don Strong, who is headed to Boston College this fall to study management.

Jimmy Mocko said the Three Village schools gave the students a lot of responsibility.

"It was up to us to do our best," said Mocko, who will study graphic design at Drexel University. "I think those of us who tried our best are likely to succeed."

Valedictorian Shelby Lin, who will study economics and environmental studies at Harvard University this fall, composed a poem for her classmates in lieu of a formal speech.

"Regardless of awards, if the people graduating today are happy with who they've become, then they've gotten exactly what they need to out of high school," she said.