Sixty seniors walked across the stage Friday during the Mascenic Regional High School’s 2022 graduation ceremony, stepping into adulthood and a world of possibilities.
Superintendent Chris Martin said the walk to accept their diplomas was the “first step into an independent adult life.”
“What will you do with those opportunities? Perhaps the person sitting next to you is going to be the researcher that cures cancer. That’s possible, you know,” Martin said. “This is a cycle of care you are now joining as a high school graduate and as a responsible adult in society. You got this.”
Valedictorian Josiah Barthelmess said their graduation marked a new beginning.
“Today is the day that any of the titles, labels and personas we’ve been given over the years by ourselves or others can be left behind, no longer be carried on our shoulders. The slates are wiped clean. I don’t know what will happen between us in the future. Friendships may grow distant, or they could withstand the test of a lifetime. When we wake up tomorrow, our paths will diverge, and I know many of us can’t wait to leave this high school and pursue college, trade school, go straight into our careers, enlist in different branches of the military or just see where life will take us,” Barthelmess said. “Your path is your choice, no longer dictated by others.”
Whatever their next move, Barthelmess encouraged his classmates to take more care on the journey than worry about the final destination. And when they got there, Barthelmess said they shouldn’t forget to pay forward all the help they’ve gotten along the way.
“I encourage us all to adopt a heart of servitude, turn to those around you and extend your hand in aid. Be the blessing you wish you had while working toward your achievements. Act as a steppingstone to those who may be where you once were standing, right here on this day. Live to inspire, live to lead others, and may your character speak for itself at the end of it all, because that’s what really matters, your character, at the end of the day,” Barthelmess said. “Live your life in a way that when your journey has taken its full course, it is your character that defines who you are.”
Salutatorian Finneas Rogers also acknowledged the people and experiences that had brought their class to the graduation stage, and the upcoming responsibility each of his fellow classmates would have to make their next step alone. After jokingly saying that he’d love to share a few fond memories, if he hadn’t forgotten of them, Rogers said it wasn’t the specifics that mattered, but the sum of the experience.
“I may not remember things like what I had for breakfast, but is that breakfast not still inside of me, fueling my every action? Five or 10 years from now, none of us will remember every little detail – all the conversations we’ve had and the things we’ve learned, and the inside jokes we’ve shared with friends here at Mascenic. But will those experiences not still be a part of us, having shaped the very core of who we’ve become as individuals?” Rogers said.
Rogers said it was up to each of them to decide how to carry those experiences forward.
“I’m not going to pretend I have any perfect or marvelous advice that’s going to fix everything for everyone. What’s special about today is now is your chance to make that decision for yourself. So go out there and do whatever it is that you want. Or don’t. As I said, I won’t make that decision for you,” he said.
Class president Cameron Smith said whatever choices they made, he had full confidence the Class of 2022 would make the world a brighter place.
“This class has one of the biggest hearts you will ever see. They care about one another and always have each other’s backs, no matter what petty feud may be going on. They want everyone to succeed and have the same opportunities they did, even if it comes at their own expense,” Smith said. “Tomorrow holds a whole new world of possibilities. Tomorrow you can chase those dreams; tomorrow you can find out who you want to be. It’s time for all of us to show the world what this strong, spirited class can do. As we get to the final chapter of our story, look forward to the sequel, where we have free range to create your own story.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.