Lebanon
Twenty-six years of coaching and teaching physical education has taught him the art of inspiring and pushing young people to do better.
And to Kehoe, graduation is a lot like a half-time for life. After years of being told by parents and teachers what to wear, how to act and where to live, the Lebanon High School Class of 2016 will soon begin to make those decisions for themselves.
“The first half hopefully prepared you for the second half,” he told the class before hundreds of parents and other well-wishers seated on the school’s football field on Thursday.
“Tonight, you start with a clean slate. After tonight, you will by judged by your new merits,” Kehoe, the keynote speaker, said.
As students make more of their own choices, they all have the opportunity to be successful, he said. But everyone determines for themselves what defines success.
Some would say he isn’t as successful as others, Kehoe said, reciting the phrase “those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t teach, teach gym.”
“It’s ‘physical education’ not ‘gym,’ ” Kehoe retorted, adding that “words hurt” and “that saying is not true about me.”
Instead of searching for money or a high-powered profession, Kehoe said, he found success in his loving family and rewarding career in education. And he told students to follow his lead and define their own brand of success.
“Relationships build the foundation of success,” he said, calling on students to become team players both in the workplace and at home.
It was Kehoe’s relationship with his brother, Ed, that propelled him to a career in basketball. His brother pushed him to practice, inspired him as a player and helped him as a coach.
Since Ed Kehoe died two years ago, his brother makes a point of pointing skyward as a way of saying “thank you for believing in me.” He said students should seek out and foster similar relationships.
The Class of 2016 should also find and build supportive communities, said valedictorian Grayson Daly.
“I think that the most important thing I learned wasn’t from teachers but from all of you,” she told her graduating class of 150 students.
Coming from Grantham into the ninth grade, she found a community in band. But also saw that same camaraderie on athletic teams, while studying for tests and at pep rallies and assemblies.
A lot of speeches at graduations talk about people finding their individual path in the real world, Daly said.
“Instead of going it alone,” she said, “find your community.”
During the 90-minute graduation ceremony, the Class of 2016 also sang along to a rendition of John Denver’s Leaving on a Jet Plane sung by graduate Joey Rogers, danced to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and laughed with the a cappella group Three Good Looking Guys. All the while, friends and family cheered and huddled in blankets to keep warm on an unseasonably cool late spring night. Salutatorian Georgia Houde led the Pledge of Allegiance and Chris Morse emceed the ceremony.
In his farewell address, graduate Walker Tuttle refused to say “goodbye” to his classmates, instead choosing to say “so long, maybe see you in the future.”
He took students on a brief walk down memory lane, listing their accomplishments together and declaring them one of the best classes at Lebanon High School.
“We made it through not one, not two but three principals,” Tuttle joked. “Mr. (Ian) Smith, let’s see how long you last.”
And while there are a lot of memories he could have recalled, Tuttle instead chose to leave the class with a quote from the recently decease boxer, Muhammad Ali.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
Daroc M. Alden, University of New Hampshire; Hassan Altaf, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences; Madison V. Alves, UNH; Brittney C. Amell, River Valley Community College; Nicolas M. Anderson, Gap Year; Lauren T. Anikis, University of Maryland; Jacob A. Armstrong; Shyann E. Arpaia, work; Matthew A. Babbitt; Lincoln P. Balch, work; Timothy A. Bannister, work; Thomas L. Barber Jr., Nichols College; Nicholas A. Beaulieu; Rachel A. Billings, Vassar College; Teagan W. Bircher, Vermont Technical College; Carter M. Bish, Gordon College; Tiffany J. Blake, work; Tyler T. Blish, UNH; Abigail T. Brann, Plymouth State University; Elle A. Brine, Bowdoin College; Nathaniel E. Brundy; Vladimir A. Burnin, Springfield College; Zachary S. Carrier, Keene State College; Tanner P. Chamberlain; Meagan L. Chase, RVCC; Nicholas J. Cicotte, UNH; Jessica A. Cloud, New Hampshire Technical Institute; Benjamin P. Cole, Universal Technical Institute; Jeremy D. Corbin, University of Colorado-Boulder; Cormac L. Coyle, University of Maine; Kendra M. Cunningham; Tiffany T. D’Cruze, Dartmouth College; Grayson A. Daly, Brown University; Conner S. Davis, University of Arizona; Brandon A. Decato, Syracuse University; Shianne D. DeFord; Emma L. DeGrasse, Endicott College; Brittany M. DeVoid, work; Ethan A. Didehbani, University of North Texas; Jillian R. Dion, RVCC; Brian J. Downs, NHTI; Colby J. Drew, Plymouth State ; Timothy D. Dupree, work; Nathan R. Eastman, RVCC; Tyler J. Edwards, U.S. Marine Corps; Brooke E. Falzarano, Gordon College; Chad M. Fazio, New England College; Damon M. French, Stanford University; Callaghan R. Garland, McGill University; Noah P. Gaudette, Merrimack College; Robert J. Germana III, NHTI; Baylee M. Giguere, RVCC; Joshua Z. Gilmore, Becker College; Michaela D. Girdwood, St. Mary’ss College of Maryland; Lauren M. Goodell, RVCC; Nathan R. Gradijan, Lasell College; Gregory A. Grant, AmeriCorps; Brett S. Griffin; Kyle E. Grohbrugge, Roanoke College; Lauren M. Hadley, Duke University; Nicholas H. Haidari, Boston College; Daisy M. Haley, RVCC; Amy J. Hansen, Vassar College; Jake W. Hansen, Keene State; Emily M. Hastings, NHTI; James F. Heatherton, Colgate University; Leandrea H. Henderson, work; Christian D. Hernandez; Timothy N. Herndon, Rochester Institute of Technology; Zachery A. Herrin, work; Emily J. Hodgdon; Georgia R. Houde, Middlebury College; Calvin P. Hunnewell, University of Maine-Orono; Sydney J. Johnstone, St. Olaf College; Scott M. Jones, Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Lexie A. Keane, RVCC; Brendan J. Kelley, University of Maine; Matthew J. King; Emily G. Kovacs, UNH; Nathan T. Kriplin, Bryant University; Shyanne R. LaHaye, DHMC LNA Program; Logan A.R. Lambert, U.S. Air Force; Katherine L. Laramie, Emmanuel College; Rebecca L. Leonard, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Jaime E. Lowell; Kendra L. MacDonald, Univeristy of New England; Taylor R.M. Martin, NHTI; Trevor P. Mayes, University of Vermont; Isaac E.R. McIntire, Southern Maine Community College; Emily G.Merrihew; Justin T. Merrihew, RVCC; Brianna A. Merrill; Alexis T. Morgan, Colby Sawyer College; Anwen E. Morgan, Eckerd College; Christopher C. Morse, New England College; Jeremiah D. Morton, University of Richmond; Hayley P. Mossell, University of Iowa; Ethan E. Moul, work; Kudakwashe Muhlauri, Kimball Union Academy; Bennett V. Newlove, UNH; Andrew L. Ogrinc, Case Western Reserve University; Maddison E. Ouellette, Franklin Pierce University; Nikita V. Parham; Urvi H. Patel, Simmons College; Ethen W. Perkins; Cameron P. Perron, Colby Sawyer College; Brenna M.E. Peterson, Gordon College; Jane Plomp, Hamilton College; Kelsey M. Pollard, Plymouth State; Ellen E. Pomer, Ithaca College; Rylee A. Preston, High Point University; Colin J. Prince; Christopher A. Roberge, Keene State; Gregory J. Roberge, NHTI; Joey E. Rogers, WyoTech; Joshua S. Rush; Madison R. Safford, Carlee E. Schettino, Franklin Pierce University; Michelle M. Schmidt, Middle Tennessee State University; Mary Grace D. Sedero, Colby Sawyer College; Kyle D. Shepherd, Vermont Technical College; Katie J. Shippa, Plymouth State; Ashley Silva, Kent State University; Lauren S. Simard, Keene State; Karlie M. Sou, Keene State; Shanya M. Spaulding, DHMC LNA Program; Shailynne M. Stark, work; Ryan C. Stebbins, work; Kameron E. Steinmetz, New England School of Hair Design; Gavin T. Stewart, FEMA Corps; Grace N. Stott, UNH; Matthew J. Sullivan, St. Lawrence University; John D. Taylor, UNH; Carter T. Ten Haken, UNH; Morgan L. Tewksbury, work; Michael J. Thornton Jr., Plymouth State; James-Ryan Thorpe, Keene State; Emma D. Tichner, University of Vermont; Tavian R. Tobin, Plymouth State; Hugh M. Townsend, Southern New Hampshire University; Walker M. Tuttle, Gordon College; Isabelle C. Walker, Plymouth State; Madelin E. Walker, University of Massachusetts-Boston; Mikala E. Wentworth, Keene State; Austin C. Whaley, Calvin College; Bryan A. White, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; Rachel M. Witkowski, West Texas A&M University; Sonja G. Wolke, St. Lawrence University; Caroline E. Wren, Colby College; Morganne E. Young, Coastal Carolina University.