Lindbergh High School Class of 2018 members, seen above during their ceremony, will go on to many diverse paths after graduation.

Students in Lindbergh High School’s 65th graduating class were awarded more than $21 million in scholarships this year, Principal Eric Cochran said during the Class of 2018’s graduation ceremony last week at Chaifetz Arena.

Of the 495 new Lindbergh graduates, 89 percent plan to attend college, 1.4 percent plan to enroll in schools of advanced training, 2.6 percent plan to serve in the military, 5.8 percent plan to enter the workforce and 2.5 percent are undecided.

Senior speakers Aidan Kelley and Evelyn Reed spoke to overarching themes of comfort and change, according to a news release. They looked back on their school years in Lindbergh with fond memories and ahead to the future with optimism.

High school is a place where students find comfort in teachers, friends and a set schedule, but it also is an environment where soon-to-be adults can create their own identities and follow their own paths, Aidan said.

“At Lindbergh, the best teachers I’ve had have made us leave this comfort, not to make us miserable but to make us grow,” Aidan said. “When we leave this auditorium, diplomas in hand, we will leave the comfort of school. … But we will always have opportunities to grow and to improve ourselves if we seek them.”

Evelyn looked out into the sea of graduates and identified 16 members of her Truman Elementary School kindergarten class. She shared a story about a time when as a 5-year-old she got in trouble for coloring on the floor with purple and yellow crayons during nap time.

“Today, I challenge each of you to take risks,” she said. “After all, life’s about using the whole box of crayons, isn’t it?”

Once again this year, LHS was ranked among America’s best high schools by U.S. News and World Report and the Washington Post. In this year’s class, 242 students were awarded scholarships, among those 54 Missouri Bright Flight Scholarships; 22 athletic scholarships; 136 A+ scholarships and 20 music, theatre and arts scholarships.

The Class of 2018 also includes four National Merit Finalists, five National Merit Semifinalists, seven National Merit Commended Students and nine International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates.

Lindbergh High School Class of 2018: By the Numbers

• Graduates: 495

• Graduates attending college: 444 (89 percent)

• Four-year colleges: 274

•  Two-year colleges: 170

• Schools of advanced training: 7 (.1 percent)

• Military service: 13 (2.6 percent)

•  Employment: 29 (5.8 percent)