POULSBO — On the evening of Friday, June 15, 295 students became 295 alumni of North Kitsap High School.

More than 60 of those students graduated with a 3.5 GPA or better.

It was a graduation ceremony full of advice. The ceremony was held at North Kitsap High School Stadium.

Lindsey Foster and Naomi Morgan, the two valedictorians, and Conner McCorkle, the salutatorian, gave their peers encouraging thoughts as they prepare to take that next step in life.

Quoting Winnie the Pooh, Foster and Morgan noted how the well-known children’s character always said how lucky he was to have something that makes saying goodbye difficult.

“It means we have something worth missing,” they said. “We can use goodbyes to remember everything we’ve gone through together.”

But it was principal Judson Miller who provided the answer to the toughest question: what is the meaning of life?

Simple.

“The meaning of life is a barbecue,” he said. “It is now yours to own.”

The cold shell of a barbecue represents all that is needed in a successful life, he said. “Strike a match and presto.”

In order to enjoy a barbecue, no matter what you have, you need three things: free time, family and friends, and just a little bit of money.

“Barbecues solve problems,” he said. “They make people happy.”

And so, with the knowledge of the meaning of life to carry on with them, 295 previous students of the North Kitsap School District tossed their caps into the air for a final goodbye.