Hoboken High School Class of 2011 Graduates

Hoboken High School graduated its Class of 2011 on Wednesday night in the school auditorium.

There were 137 seniors listed on the program, including those who are scheduled to graduate in August. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in JFK Stadium but was moved indoors due to the rain. It was standing-room only inside the auditorium.

Valedictorian Giovanni Notaro and salutatorian James Perez, Jr. were awarded proclamations from the City of Hoboken by Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

Nataro, who has a four-year scholarship to study at Stevens Institute of Technology, encouraged his fellow graduates not to feel overwhelmed by the challenges they'll inevitably face after high school.

"What truly lies ahead is opportunity," he said.

In his speech, Perez, who has a four-year scholarship to study at Rutgers, also urged his classmates to focus on opportunities ahead while also waxing nostalgic about their high-school years. He recalled the time following his grandfather's death, when he felt alternately numbed and filled with anger but then found comfort at school.

"As I walked the (Hoboken High School) halls, I realized that this was home," he said.