Coupeville High School senior Ryan Wells received a pleasant surprise along with his diploma Friday night.

His mother, Petty Officer First Class Lisa Braulik, serving on the John C. Stennis that is currently in Hawaii, flew back the night before the graduation ceremony to surprise her son.

When Wells walked up to the podium, Lisa was waiting for him to deliver his diploma and a big hug for a job well done.

“It’s a big surprise for my family,” Braulik said after presenting Ryan with his diploma.

Wells, who is enlisting in the Army and heading to basic training this summer, didn’t know his mom was going to attend his graduation.

“She said she was getting in as I was shipping off to basic,” Wells said after the ceremony.

Wells joined more than 70 members of the Class of 2009 in receiving their diplomas during a ceremony in the school’s gymnasium.

This year’s class features two valedictorians, Toban Platt and Aaron Mitchell, who are both graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Principal Sheldon Rosenkrance said the graduates earned $430,000 in grants and scholarships. Additionally, 77 percent of the graduates are attending colleges or technical schools, three are enlisting in the military and 13 are entering the workforce.

Several students and teachers spoke during the ceremony, emphathizing the support family, teachers and fellow students provided. Speakers also shared pointers on how to be successful as adults.

Valedictorian Toban Platt reminisced about elementary school days of playing kickball and poison, and remembering the jungle gym and the blue dome that mysteriously disappeared.

He said taking the SAT sparked his thinking about life after high school.

“The three letters SAT can bring more fear than playing ABM,” Platt said of Coupeville’s in-conference nemesis, Archbishop Murphy.

Fellow valedictorian Aaron Mitchell mentioned the help everyone provided to help classmates graduate.

“The people you are indebted to are right here in this room,” Mitchell said.

Salutatorian Scott Arnold mentioned the importance ambition and passion plays in life.

“Ambition plus passion equals success,” Arnold said.

Two students, Ladd Campbell and Jenneka Dohner, performed the Lynard Skynard classic “Freebird” during the ceremony.

Dohner said before the ceremony that she thought Freebird would be a fun song to sing and parents would appreciate the choice.

“It’s a goodbye to the parents,” Dohner said of the performance.

Two teachers, Ryan Grenz and Ken Stange, were invited to speak.

Grenz said that choices graduates make will be based on the foundation built in Coupeville. He encouraged graduates to leave the places they go and people they meet better than when they found them.

Stange provided the students with several lessons graduates should take with them. He said no one will ever cease learning and pointed out that his 80-year-old father bought a computer and Internet connection a year-and-a-half ago. Other tidbits he mentioned were: People don’t work when they enjoy what they’re doing; the speed of life increases exponentially as people grow older; take time to enjoy the little things and find a life-long activity; and cherish every moment with family and friends.

“The older you get the more you’re going to realize your parents were right,” Stange said. “You will become your parents.”

Following the ceremony, the graduates filed toward the Commons located across the street in the high school to celebrate their accomplishments with family and friends.

Oak Harbor High School’s graduation takes place Monday, June 16, at Wildcat Memorial Stadium. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and gates close at 5:45 p.m.