Bishop Seabury Academy had to move up its graduation ceremony to 8 a.m. Friday so that three of its 28 graduates could make it to the girls state swimming and diving championships in Topeka.

That was just one sign of the level of commitment and achievement that pervaded Seabury’s Class of 2014.

“Very strong, one of the strongest we’ve ever had at the school,” said Head of School Don Schawang when asked to describe the class.

Joseph T. Westbrook, a National Merit scholarship winner and this year’s overall winner of the Journal-World’s Academic All Star competition, gave the valedictory speech, which was mainly addressed to the underclassmen, advising them not to sacrifice the things that make them different for the sake of blending in and trying to appear “normal.”

“That’s what the word ‘outstanding’ literally means,” said Westbrook, who plans to attend Harvard University next fall. “Not to be the best at some arbitrary skill, but to be different, or unusual. In other words, to stand out.”

Alexandra Rader, the senior chosen by her peers to speak on behalf of the class, gave a light-hearted remembrance of the senior class’ years at Seabury.

“High school did not turn out as I expected it to,” said Rader, who received the school’s annual Music Department Award. “In fact, it was nothing like Hanna Montana or even ‘Glee’ had foretold. But my high school experience was still TV-worthy.”

Commencements at Seabury are an all-school affair that not only recognize the graduates, but also signify the classes below. Each class, starting with the sixth graders, is greeted by members of the class ahead of them and is authorized to “step up” to the next level.

The ceremony sometimes becomes emotional toward the end as the graduating seniors greet the juniors and, finally, the entire faculty individually greets each of the graduates.

At the end, the graduates seat themselves behind the rest of the student body. Next year’s class of seniors are sitting in the front row, and there’s an empty section on one side, symbolically awaiting the new group of sixth graders who will arrive next year.

Kristofer Knudson, who plans to attend Oklahoma State University and study math next year, said he valued his experience at Seabury.

“I enjoyed it and made a lot of friends, both really good and people I wouldn’t have expected to be friends with,” he said. “This last year especially, putting everyone together in one room, the senior lounge, really brings you together and you get to know people you wouldn’t talk to otherwise.”

Sally Nixon, who came to watch her grandson Patrick Gutierrez graduate, said she thinks the students at Seabury are fortunate to be there.

“I think it’s great and I love this school,” she said. “The students are blessed to get to go here.”