BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- High school seniors across the Southern Tier are celebrating the culmination of years of hard work. Graduation ceremonies are happening across the area this weekend.

In Broome County, seniors from Vestal and Union-Endicott districts walked the stage on Saturday. Vestal's ceremony was held at Binghamton University's event center. Over 250 students were cheered on by their friends and family as they received their diplomas. The class valedictorian describes it as a day of mixed emotions.

"It's a new beginning, it's kind of bittersweet. It's a sad end to something that's been really good for the past few years, but it's really exciting to move on," said Joseph Spivak, Vestal's Valedictorian.

Seniors at Vestal also got to take part in a school tradition of tossing beach balls around the events center. On Sunday, it will be Binghamton and Johnson City's turns to graduate their class of 2012.