LCS graduated 21 seniors on June 13

    LIMESTONE — The highly anticipated graduation of 21 seniors from the Limestone Community School became official on June 13. Shortly after moving their tassels from right to left, caps tossed with abandon into the air and, following Murphy’s Law, one inevitably bounced off the head of a graduate before reaching the floor. While the air of the event was that of excitement and joy, there were underlying hints of nostalgia and trepidation.

    “I feel like ages have gone by since I first came to Limestone High School,” said Valedictorian Parker Rossignol. “Limestone gave me a lot of chances to do things that I might not have been able to do in other schools. I got to play more than one varsity sport, I learned a new language, and I had the opportunity to tutor children who needed help. Being involved in civic organizations gave me the opportunity to travel and learn in a different way from academics. These groups taught me about the rewards of friendship, hard work and team work,” he added.
    Judie Levasseur addressed the graduates in a speech that she warned deviated from the stereotypical “address to graduates speech.” She started off by asking the graduates to hold an imaginary piece of string, and then asked the parents of those graduates to use their index and middle fingers to hypothetically cut the last remaining strand of the umbilical cord.
    “The umbilical cord is sort of like string cheese,” she explained to the audience, who responded with laughter. While her analogy was humorous, it seemed to contain some truth. Levasseur described every stepping stone in the development of the students as taking away strand after strand of the umbilical cord. Receiving their high school diplomas signified the breaking of the final strand.
    There were numerous scholarships given to more than half of the graduating class of 21 students.
    Stacy Bernier received funds from the Viola Robbins Scholarship, the American Legion of Van Buren, the Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship, the Sandra Cyr-Doris Thompson Memorial Book Grant and the Stan Libby Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Education Association.  
    Jessica Bradley received a scholarship from the Leo and Yvonne Michaud Memorial Trust.
    Chelsea Campbell received funds from the Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship and the Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
    Danny Cote received scholarships from the Viola Robbins Scholarship and the Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
    Echo Crouse received funds through the George and Clara Morris Scholarship, Xi Alpha Theta Sorority, the Homer Ward Memorial Scholarship though the Limestone Rotary Club and the Stan Libby Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Education Association.
    Brandon Hopkins received scholarships through the Limestone Class of 1952, the Limestone Masonic Lodge Scholarship, the Limestone Alumni Scholarship, a large ROTC scholarship through Husson College and the Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
    Barry King received scholarships through the George and Clara Morris Scholarship, the MELMAC Richard W. Tyler Principals’ Scholarship, the Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship and the Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
    Desiree Mattoon received funds through the Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship and the Stan Libby Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Education Association.
    Christian Parent received scholarships through the Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship and the American Legion of Van Buren.
    Kellie Peers received scholarships through the Viola Robbins Scholarship, the Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship and the Reginald Edgecomb Jr. Memorial Scholarship.
    Parker Rossignol received scholarships from the Viola Robbins Scholarship, the George and Clara Morris Scholarship, the Limestone Masonic Lodge Scholarship, the Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship, the Sen. George J. Mitchell Scholarship, the Limestone Alumni Scholarship, and the Prescott Thorton Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
    Judith-Eve Westfall received a scholarship through the Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship.
    With thousands of dollars in scholarship funds being awarded to more than half of the graduating class, things look promising for the class of 2009.
    “Once we step out of this room, we all have new choices to make and I hope that one of those choices is to reach out toward your aspirations and grab hold of them,” Rossignol told his peers during his speech. “We are the new generation; we have the opportunity, if we choose to take it, to bring peace and prosperity. So no matter what you choose to become, the future depends on what we do in the present,” he concluded.