Wahconah Regional High Graduates Reminded to Embrace Future
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| Principal Aaron Robb asked guardians to imagine when their student made them proud. See more photos here. |
DALTON, Mass. — During the Wahconah Regional High School commencement on Sunday, graduates were advised to embrace the future, reflect on their past, and apply the lessons learned to navigate the path forward.
Families, friends, and faculty gathered in the high school gym to honor 124 graduates and celebrate their accomplishments.
During his speech, Valedictorian Aidan Garcia reflected on his last day of school during which Principal Aaron Robb announced that the "high school seniors are now dismissed from school forever."
He said it was at that moment the reality of their high school journey being over became real. Upon this realization, seniors felt a range of emotions. Some felt sad that they were leaving behind a place that had brought them many friendships and successes.
He said others were excited about never having to take a test again, and many felt relieved to finally receive their diploma and be able to pursue their plans.
With this famous dismissal came good news, a heavy medal, and a unique task for Garcia: the valedictorian speech.
At that time, Robb explained to Garcia that the speech is about the future. With this in mind, Garcia wondered how he could speak about something that "we can all anticipate but also have no clue about?"
Garcia said the beauty of this is that "it is all up to us," and there is time to figure out their future, "make new friendships and explore the world."
"Whether it's work, the military, college, trade school, or any other avenue after graduation, we all are in charge of our futures," he said. "We decide how we find success, and we decide what we do with the time in between."
Recalling the words of Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, Garcia quoted: "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future."
Garcia reminded his peers to look to their high school experiences to understand their future.
"We must look backward and see that things worked out. Our teachers served as beacons along the way, we thought critically about getting to this point, and we spent time with our amazing families," Garcia said, thanking his mom and dad.
"Since we are all here graduating today with some idea of our future, then we all must be doing something right and I know that the same will be true in the future."
Everyone's future and experience will be unique, he said. He said when looking back on his time at Wahconah, he won't remember the "writing and grinding Calculus that got him to this podium."
"I will remember the ski races, late-night trips to get Ayelada, the pasta dinners, concerts, and the friendships that grew in between the dots," he said. "Make sure that you always have time to enjoy it."
Salutatorian Sarah Thornton highlighted the circumstances that made her class' time at Wahconah unique, including life during the pandemic and the delay of the new building's opening.
Thornton initially did not want to include the pandemic in her speech because it had been mentioned in salutatorian speeches for the last four years. However, she felt compelled to do so because it has been a significant part of their lives.
Due to these circumstances, these graduates were only able to spend two years in the new building.
Thornton said that not only did they have to adjust to online learning their freshman year, but they also had to spend their sophomore year in the old building. They then had to adapt for a third time in their Junior year when transitioning to the new building.
Despite this, these graduates learned a lot during their time in high school, she said.
"It's shown us the love of friendship but also the hate. The power of dedication but also the toll and the joy of taking risks but also the sting of disappointment," she said.
She said when asked to write a speech about the class of 2023's years at Wahconah, she struggled because everyone graduating today had different feelings and experiences.
"In the end, each of us was shaped differently by our time at Wahconah. Some people found lifelong friends, and some may never talk to anyone here again. Some found their passion in life–what they want to do or who they want to be, and others are still deciding," Thornton said.
"We are all going in our own direction, and it would be impossible to capture or explain what Wahconah has been to each of us in the time that I have for this speech."
Whether their experiences at Wahconah were painful or joyful, we are all moving on, she said.
"Looking at this graduating class, I don't see an athlete, or a musician, or an artist, or an academically driven person. I don't see our graduating class for what we were in high school. I see a group of people ready to start the next part of their lives with a blank slate. Our lives are just beginning," Thornton said.
"Even though our reflections are all different, one thing bonds us together: we are the Wahconah Regional High School class of 2024. And although our years at Wahconah were anything but ordinary, we survived them together."
Class President Elliot Fletcher left his class with advice–to cherish their last four years but look to the future rather than the past.
"We need to be able to look towards the future, and we can't do that if we are still looking over our shoulders at the past," Fletcher said. "That doesn't mean for a second that you shouldn't cherish your time spent here, but don't let it consume you."
Robb spoke and reminded the class that the graduates are not only graduating from Wahconah but also from Central Berkshire Regional School District.
He thanked the district officials and school staff for the work they have done for the graduates and thanked the guidance department, highlighting how the work that the guidance department does gets more complicated every year.
Robb had the graduates give a round of applause to their parents or guardians who cared for them, provided for them, and were there for them throughout their journey.
Robb told the parents and the graduates to close their eyes and "think about a moment over the course of the last 18 years or so where your graduate simply made you proud. It doesn't have to be a specific accomplishment."
He gave the graduates and families one last assignment to do upon the ceremony's completion.
"When you rejoin one another, I challenge you to say out loud to one another what you were just thinking about with your eyes closed. Say it out loud to each other right away when you are reunited with one another," Robb said.
"Don't wait until later tonight. Don't wait until tomorrow or next week, and for God's sake, don't text it. Say it right away. Don't waste that moment. Promise yourselves that you will do that.
Robb reminded the students that they still have 90 percent of their lives to live and urged them to fill it with hope and wonderful moments.
Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said she has fond memories of some of the graduates from when she was principal at Becket Washington Elementary School.
She said these graduates have defined themselves as "as eager to learn and experience life through your learning journey and more importantly your desire to help others. And quite honestly time flies."
Quoting American guitarist and singer-songwriter B.B. King, she reminded students that the beauty of learning is that nobody can take it away from them.
"You have put your trust in us as educators, and throughout your journey, you have remained our North Star," she said.
The 2024 graduates of Wahconah Regional High School
*National Honor Society
+National Business Honor Society
Robert Albano
Brayden Astore
Daniella Barry*
Ryan Beaulieau
Hanna Becker
Jacob Belanger+
Abriana Bernier
Alexandra Bills*+
Brady Breitmaier
Garrett Brockway
Hannah Burrows
Aiden Bush
Kayla Chabot
Colby Chapin
Jacob Cooper
Eliza Crow
Noah Desrochers
Julianna Diver+
Emily Doyle*
Jason Drosehn
Joshua Emerson
Benjamin Englyshe
Daniel Epe
Emmett Esko
Norah Esko
Owen Farley
Kaya Farrington
Alorah Fenn-Zelinsky
Zachary Flaherty*
Elliot Fletcher
Christopher Fones
Xander Forward
Damian Francis
Lilah Frissell-Filiault
Adelyn Furlong*
Liam Furlong*
Sasha Fyfe
Isabelle Gale
Olivia Gamberoni*
Aidan Garcia*
Maia Gilbert
Bumblebee Gillespie
Riley Gladu*
Mia Goddeau
Sebastian Goodrich
Gabrielle Goonan
Jack Gray
Sawyer Hayes
Avia Heflin
Lily Hinton*
Jonathan Howard
Elena Iovieno*
Eva Jacinto
Israela Journette
Sean Kays
Isabelle Keegan*
Landon Kiernan
Riley Kilmer
Bella Knowlton
Rumi Kuklewicz
Olivia LaCombe
Vincent Lanphear
Kaedyn Lavalle
Bridget Long
Tristan Longdyke
Jaxyn Lyman
Ryan Marauszwski*
Olivia Mason*
Taylor Mason*
Ava Massaro
Gianna McCasland
Katelyn McCormack*
Evan McLaughlin
Patrick McLaughlin*
Alexis McNally
Braedyn Melle*
Olivia Mikaniewicz
Nathan Miller
Kailynn Moriarty
Syndney Moriarty*+
Jacob Musko
Thea Nhim*
Eliana Norton
Marshall Noyes
Zachary Nyhan
Aiden O'Connor*
Sara-Louise Oakes*
Ryan Padelford*
Amber Passetto
Emily Perrone
Noah Poirier*
Madison Radhs
Dorian Ramirez+
Julia Renderer*
Alivia Rickert
Nickolas Rimbold-
Ellinger
Olivia Roberts*
Skylar Rosier
Tyler Rougeau
Kqwan'nell Roy
Amaya Rusher
Isabella Santos
Mitchell Scalise*
Vincent Scalise*
Zackary Sefchick+
Payton Shippee
Cindy Slade
Bryce Smith*
Lily Stasiowski
Claire Steinman*
Alex Sternerup
Cody Sullivan
Hannah Talora
Sarah Thornton*+
Jacob Thomas
Rachel Torrey
Kyle Valenti
Marc Vincelette
Beau Walton*
Logan Warden
Theo Wildrick*
Braylon Willey
Marissa Wilson
Tags: graduation 2024, WRHS,
