Bethel
“I believe that everyone should be standing in the spot where I am right now,” she told friends and family members gathered in Whitcomb’s gym. “We have all learned from our accomplishments and we’ve gained advice and information that will benefit every one of us.”
She recognized that collective learning by offering words of wisdom from a selection of her 19 classmates: “Believe in yourself,” she said, quoting Sierra Manning.
“Focus on the good,” “Stay true to yourself,” and “Jump into the future in a manner of throwing caution to the wind,” she added, listing off the suggestions from other seniors.
Harrington added her own words of advice, recounting foot troubles that left her on crutches on-and off for much of high school.
“You have to remember there are always someone a lot worse off than you and eventually life will get better and the obstacles you are facing will soon become a faint memory in the past,” she said. “Never let your obstacles get the best of you.”
More than 300 family members and friends celebrated the unique variety of talents in the class and the unity of the seniors sitting in chairs at the front of the gym.
“I can’t write down all the memories we’re going to cherish from the time we spent together. I can’t ever describe everything we’ve been to each other,” Salutatorian Shai Palmer told the class.
“We’ve been working toward this day for years, but somehow I never really believed it would come.”
Seven seniors sang Leon Bridges’ So Long and Elijah Ransom and Andrew Davis-Velerde joined in on Pomp and Circumstance, marching in at the front of their class with bass and alto saxophones.
“Take time to enjoy your success, whatever that may be,” said keynote speaker and physical education teacher Tim Perreault. “You’ve all had some sort of success in the last four years and everyone getting here today is an example of your success.”
He noted he was surprised when he was asked by seniors to give the graduation address. “I figured you must have waited too long to get a good speaker so you picked me,” he said, drawing laughs.
“Then I thought, ‘well, I just turned down an invitation to be a chaperone for your class trip, so maybe this was your way of getting back at me.”
Perreault encouraged the seniors to dedicate themselves to hard work to find success in whatever field they choose to pursue.
“During the last four years you have been building the foundation for whatever your future holds,” he said. “Whatever you do, do it to the best of your abilities. Never settle for less from others or yourselves. To be successful, you must want to be successful.”
Various administrators and community members recognized seniors with financial awards from the community for further education. The awards totaled $34,074, said Principal Owen Bradley, $76,875, including the scholarships that are renewable.
“The generosity of the community is so heartening,” he said.
The class moved their tassels to a standing ovation.
“Please keep working to fulfill your hopes and dreams,” Superintendent Meg Powden urged the class.
The 20 graduates exited to I Will Remember You by Sarah McLaughlin, then circled back to the stage for high-fives from the crowd and hugs from family members and friends.
Nickolas Bennett, work; Andrew Davis-Velarde, gap year; Jenna Harrington, University of Vermont; Grace Hodgdon, Community College of Vermont; Jillian Hutchins, gap year; Lindsey LaPerle, Johnson State College; Seth Larson, GW Plastics; Jacob Lazo, Vermont Technical College; Shannon Ludwig, Castleton State College; Sierra Manning, gap year; Zoe McCormack, Johnson State; Shai Palmer, Emmanual College; Jeremy Quillia-Blanchard, White Mountains Community College; Elijah Ransom, VTC; Nicholas Scott, White Mountains CC; Joshua Stone, work; Spencer Taylor, U.S. Army; Matthew Townsend, Lyndon State College; Rita Villar; Nicholas Webb, work.