COEUR d'ALENE — More than 300 students dressed in maroon caps and gowns walked triumphantly into the Christianson Gym Friday morning at North Idaho College for graduation.

Their friends and families filled the gym with deafening applause, celebrating the graduating class of 2015. Of 1,000 students eligible for graduation, 340 chose to participate in the commencement ceremony signifying the end of one life chapter and the endless possibilities of the next.

"Let's all recognize and congratulate this North Idaho College class of 2015," said Joe Dunlap, president of NIC, before addressing the graduates. "Thank you for your commitment to your education and your commitment to yourselves."

After Dunlap introduced the members of the school board and other dignitaries, he invited Richard Fortman, president of the Associated Students of NIC, to the podium to address his peers. But first, Fortman had to pause and take an "unselfie."

"If you don't know what that is, it's called a picture," Fortman said with a chuckle while a faculty member took his photo.

Fortman then described his life leading to a decision he made to register at NIC. In 2012, Fortman was arrested for driving under the influence and said he broke his back just two weeks later.

"In this moment of darkness, I was given the opportunity to re-evaluate the things in my life," Fortman said. "I had a decision to make - I could become bitter, or I could remember that if I keep a good attitude and take self-responsibility I could recover. Inch by inch, everything is a cinch."

With his newfound perspective on life, Fortman went to NIC and said he made every day a new opportunity. Three years later he was in front of his peers, "basking in this glorious moment."

"What is so amazing about this story is that every single person in this room has a similar story," Fortman said. "The title of that story is called 'Life.' We the 2015 graduating class of NIC have the opportunity to change the world as long as we keep a good attitude."

There was no shortage of attitude from the ceremony keynote speaker, Mikki Stevens. A former instructor at NIC, Stevens is now known as the founder of the Red Hot Mamas - a musical comedy performance group based in Coeur d'Alene.

Stevens began by recognizing that she was not given the honor with the expectation that her speech would be filled with typical graduation cliches like "reach for the stars." As a way to get any and all cliches out of the way, Stevens performed a rap filled with lines commonly found on cards and celebratory balloons.

"You are the opposite of a cliche," Stevens said after the laughter had subsided. "You have fresh ideas and a pertinent education that has prepared you to go out and overcome challenges. You are overcomers."

Overcoming challenges is something Stevens said she had to do countless times on her quest to bring joy and happiness to people. She added that while her goals may seem insignificant to some, the value of a smile should never be underestimated.

Stevens then challenged the graduates to think about how many obstacles - everything from finances to naysayers - they had to overcome in order to even be sitting in the gym awaiting their diplomas. Naysayers, Stevens added, were the biggest challenge she and the Red Hot Mamas had to overcome throughout their 23-year history.

"Naysayers are people who will come along and just say garbage things to you," Stevens said. "I've found that the best way to deal with people like that is to wish them well because they're carrying some heavy stuff. Leave the garbage in the can and move on."

But the biggest thing Stevens said she and the graduating class needed to overcome is a tendency to underestimate personal value. Everyone is different, Stevens said, but there is value in those differences that can be used to make the world a better place.

"Don't quit. Turn the 'Why me?' into the 'Why not me?'" Stevens said in the conclusion of her speech. "You are not too young, and I'm not too old, and we are not too sick, too fat, too, too, too, nor are we too late to defeat defeatism. Now that we've heard a few of my stories it's time for your stories. Because you are overcomers."