Gabriele Miller wasn't shy about post-graduation advice for her 2012 classmates of New Hope Academy Charter School.

"Now get out of here and start your new chapter," said Gabriele, the class's valedictorian. "I'm tired of seeing your face after four years."

Gabriele and 65 fellow students received their high school diplomas from New Hope, which held its graduation ceremony at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in downtown York.

During her speech, Gabriele also encouraged her classmates to continue working hard, making right decisions and thinking properly to succeed beyond high school.

Salutatorian Kemysha Cornelius thanked the school for providing her opportunities to do new things. She told her fellow graduates that it's OK to be nervous about starting their new journeys beyond high school, but they must move on and keep learning in order to achieve great things in life.

Sense of urgency: The graduating students also heard from Eric Thomas, known at the "hip hop preacher." Thomas, of Lansing Mich., is a motivational speaker and is author of "Secrets to Success."

He told the graduates to "operate with a sense of urgency," making each day's 84,400 seconds count.

"The worst thing is to have an opportunity and not be prepared for it," Thomas said.

He said that his being invited to speak to the New

Hope students was an opportunity of a lifetime for him because it allowed him to be in the presence of future great leaders.

"I recognize your greatness, but it doesn't mean a thing if you don't recognize it," Thomas said. "Graduate, come back and take this city to another level."

--Reach Eyana Adah McMillan at emcmilla n@yorkdispatch.com.