Newport
Half of the Newport town common was packed to capacity as friends and family members gathered and the graduates took their seats while the traditional Pomp and Circumstance played.
When class president Katelynn Loring took the podium under the newly refurbished gazebo, she made sure to acknowledge all the teachers the class of 2016 had over the years, who Loring said helped keep them on the right course. She addressed her fellow graduates with confidence that they would all find their way, even if they didn’t know where that is.
“You’re going to go out into the world and wonder what the right path is to achieve success and the honest answer is this: you won’t know,” Loring said. “But I have a strong feeling that you’ll all find your place in the world.”
Both co-salutatorian Rebekah Thibault who transferred to Newport her senior year, and class essayist Jeremy Dewey, who attended Unity Elementary School until his freshman year, cited their warm welcome as a reason for the class to embrace their future because it can be the start of something great.
“If I hadn’t come to Newport, I would have missed out on fire drill selfies, an entire class singing High School Musical songs, pranking teachers on the class trip, and countless jokes that our class has repeatedly brought up every day for four years,” Dewey said.
The other co-salutatorian, Allison Howe, passed on some advice she had been told once: you can do whatever you want in the world, if you’re willing to work for it.
“I encourage you all to take this simple piece of advice with you as you go out into the world and make your dreams come true,” Howe said.
Class valedictorian Tyler Currier explained that while he may be nervous about the future, he feels confident because of the work the class put in, as well as support they’ve received from teachers and family members for twelve years. With a final address to his classmates toward the end of the 90 minute ceremony, he urged them to take the next step.
“Since we’ve made it this far, let’s go out into the world and try to make something of it,” Currier said.
Spencer Mark Almstrom; Eric Danie Bailey, Franklin Pierce University; Lily Mae Bailey, LNA; Kaitlyn Batista, River Valley Community College; Katrina Lynn Batista, RVCC; Jayden Bazell, Full Sail University; Brooke Gene Beaulieu, RVCC; Mary Elizabeth Bennett, Keene State College; Jessica Jean Benware; James Alfred Berry, Empire Barber School; Trevor Dean Boardman, military; Marcus James Callum, Manchester Community College; Dawson Robert Campbell, Johnson & Wales University; Stephanie Lynne Carl, Thomas College; Emma Jean Carroll, Fisher College; Joseph Powers Chadwick; Mariah Page Chase, University of New England; Daniel Joseph Chasse Jr.; Heather Caitlin Chrimes, Keene State; Carolyn Leigh Clarke; Melissa Marie Clivio-Wentrup, University of New Hampshire; Isvara Marie Coutu; Tyler Aaron Currier, UNH; Jeremy Michael Dewey, Clarkson University; Ashley Carol-Lynn Fortune; Jonathan James Fowler, Keene State; Dylan Wade Gardner; Shaylah Lynn Genest; Codie Dennis Gibbs, Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale; Drew Goinsalvos; Christopher Charles Grenier; Morgan Lee Hannigan; Ty James Hebert; Nicholas Michael Henault; Allison Marie Howe, Plymouth State; Hailey Susan King; Kimberly L. King; Emily Ann Koelsch, Southern New Hampshire University; Rainie Lynn Landry, RVCC; Christopher M. Lawrence, Nichols College; Jingwen Lin, Bunker Hill Community College; Katelynn Loring, Northern Arizona University; Tyler Maheu, Wheelock College; Erin Rosalie Mahieu; Evan Scott Maynard; Kayla Marie McBroom, State University of New York – Canton; Samantha McNeel, Mount Ida College; Biship Lee Raymond Miller, New England Culinary Institute; Christopher Robert Mitchler, RVCC; Jacob Mooshian; Stephan Marshall Nix; Vanessa G. Olivares, Johnson & Wales University; Emmalee Heather Osgood, Job Corps; Austin A. Partlow; Tyler Joseph Patry; Lindsay Rose Peacock; Barbara Jean Perry; Rebekah Pearl Mearie Pietras; Emalie Jean Robertson, RVCC; Matthew David Sirigos, University of Maine; Savannah Anne Smith; Bjorn A. Stenberg, Manchester Community College; Austin J. Tapman; Rebekah Mary Thibault, Franciscan University of Steubenville; Alexis Rose Turgeon; Noah Wade; Cameron Mitchell Waterman; Chantal Catheine Watson; Hanna E. Welch; Taryn Jae Wentzell, RVCC; Payton Elizabeth Wilson, Plymouth State.