THETFORD, Vt. — Though masks were few and far between at Thetford Academy’s graduation ceremony on Friday to celebrate its 59 seniors, the COVID-19 pandemic still made its way into all three of the student speeches.
“When we arrived in 2018, we thought our job was just to be high school students, to do what we needed to do to get to today,” said graduating senior Mackin Briglin. “But how do you do that job when all the rules change?”
In front of hundreds of family, friends, teachers and supporters gathered on Thetford Academy’s front lawn, Briglin listed some of the ways his classmates did their jobs, including kitchen-table classrooms, FaceTime study sessions, online club meetings and learning to run for miles and miles while wearing a mask.
Despite the pandemic’s challenges, Thetford Academy and its Class of 2022 found ways to come together.
“You make new connections in a world that’s driving people apart,” he said.
Briglin also mentioned a number of student achievements during the pandemic, such as winning the state championship in track and field, building robots to compete in world championships, taking online college classes and working at high-profile area businesses such as Hypertherm and Fujifilm Dimatix.
Class president Taylor Farrell kicked off the outdoor ceremony by talking about some humorous things she was grateful for, like dinosaur chicken nuggets and mummified hot dogs but also the opportunity to return to in-person assemblies.
“From every late night of homework to (Thetford Academy) honors celebrations, no matter what challenges you faced or milestones you reached in your high school academics, we all deserve to be proud to be here today,” Farrell said.
Between speakers, Thetford Academy held a flower presentation, where each senior was given two flowers — one blue and one white, to match the colors of the graduation gowns. The grads-to-be then fanned out into the crowd, seeking two people who’d given them special support and encouragement over the years. The seniors presented those people with the flowers, and more often than not, they got hugs in exchange.
After rain and gray skies earlier in the week, the weather for Friday’s graduation was cool but comfortable, with a smattering of jackets and sweaters among the spectators. Clouds hung out overhead, but bands of sun painted the green hills that served as a backdrop to Thetford Academy’s 203rd commencement.
Graduate Julia Martin focused on friendship in her speech.
“The friends that I have created over the years have been a large part of my life and I don’t think that I will ever be able to truly show how much they mean to me,” she said.
The pandemic made building friendships harder, but Martin described this past year as a welcome opportunity to create new memories through a cornhole tournament, or a trip to a water park.
“Even though I might not be the closest with everyone in this class, I just have to say keep the friends who are close to you, and don’t be afraid to make more,” Martin said.
Classmate Katie Waterman echoed the importance of friendship in an original song she sang to the tune of Anatevka from Fiddler on the Roof:
“Thetford Academy, Thetford Academy, close-knit, welcoming Thetford Academy, where I know everyone I meet.”
As she continued, Waterman’s lyrics added a note of uncertainty as the 59 graduates prepared to venture out into a larger world:
“Soon I’ll be a stranger in a strange new place, searching for an old familiar face, from Thetford Academy.”
Matt Golec can be reached at mattgolec@gmail.com.
Benjamin Kyle Acker; Cayden Adele Benjamin; Kiran Linehan Black; Samuel Gaspare Bosco; Taylor Riley Bricker; Mackin James Briglin; Augustus Hostetler Byrne; Caitlyn Ainsley Clough; Ezekiel Blue Colburn; Faith Jozlynn Crowe; Bryar Matthew Daniels; Tobin Hudson Durham; Louis Ireland Dybvig; Taylor Lynn Farrell; Tucker Andrew Gaffney; Joseph James Guyer; Hunter Elizabeth Harris; Kai Francis Harris; Madison Elizabeth Hatch; Anna Pierce Hebb; Autumn Rose Horniak; Ethan Allen Howe; Charlie Steven Jenks; Elliott Robinson Jones; Fritz Waitsfield Junker; Seung Gyu Kim; Gretta Rose Kopper; Jennifer Lynn LaPlume; Mason Cole LeFevre; Charles Nicholas Langshaw; Kaitlyn Elizabeth MacPhee; Ryan Mark Malloy; Ethan John Marshia; Julia Roberta Martin; Jack Richard McCabe; Krystal Mae McKinney; Andrew Addison Merritt; Emma Mildred Moore; Nathan Karl Neubaue; Rose Arleen Novotny; Liam James Patterson; Madison Grace Powers; Gordon James Reo; Kaydence Lynn Rich; Elijah Sevastian Rodriguez; Maddy Ann Rooney; Maria Rossi; Olivia Rae Sayers; Mary Mae Sithavady; Jessica Lynn Smith; Macey Jane Smith; Chantel Elizabeth Swasey; Jesse James Sweet; Brennan Bliss Vaughan; Katherine Dawn Waterman; Lily Claire Welch; Tate Bennett Whiteberg; Daniel James Wolstenholme; and Logan Scott Wurtz.