Saturday marked the 198th and final commencement in Cazenovia College's storied history. 

It represented the end of the road for both the seniors and the school.

“[I feel] exhilaration, joy for the graduates and all the work they’ve done,” said David Rufo, an assistant professor at Cazenovia College. “And of course, there’s a sadness that the school is closing.”

Despite a bittersweet commencement, the affectionate nature of Cazenovia College will always be remembered.

“The school is like a family," he said. "You know I’ve heard that in other institutions I’ve been in, well we’re a family here. OK, maybe to a certain extent. But in Cazenovia College, it actually was the case.

Rufo previously taught at Fordham University and Syracuse, but says the intimacy of Cazenovia stood out to him.

“What I found we could do at Cazenovia College and our programs here is take everything that those big schools had to offer and also include it in this small, wonderful, intimate package that Cazenovia College is," said Rufo.

After almost 200 years, Cazenovia College’s final valedictorian is Sarah Cole.

“It just is an incredible honor that my professors and the faculty here decided that I was the right candidate for this decision," said Cole.

Cole’s goal is to become a high school biology teacher in the future. As she pursues her master’s degree, Cole knows the relationships she’s built in Cazenovia will never go away.

“[I've met] so many amazing people here [and] I hope to hold them close to my heart for the rest of my life," she said. "It breaks my heart to know that I won’t see them all together in the same place again but I know that I’ll keep in touch with them and they’ll help me with my future."

Rufo believes unique challenges allow us to grow. 

"You know we can look at it actually as a growth opportunity," he said. "What do we do next? What does each student do next? That’s an incredible experience to have and to learn from.”