Ashland Hornets ready to leave the nest
By Quinn Graves
Student Intern
ASHLAND — It was a cold and rainy June 8 as the 19 members of the Class of 2013 were preparing for their commencement ceremony, but inside Ashland District School was a warm atmosphere of students, friends, and family eagerly awaiting the graduation to begin.
Contributed photos/Quinn Graves
SHEA CRAIG presents flowers to her mother Vilma during the “Dedication to Parents” segment of the June 8 commencement exercises at Ashland District School as her father David looks on.
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VALEDICTORIAN Tyler Levesque, left, and salutatorian Alex Chasse each presented speeches during the Ashland District School commencement ceremony June 8.
ASHLAND GRADUATE Garret Walker is congratulated by his mother Cindy Soucier following the ceremony.
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT — Kayla Coté and Shea Craig lead the class in the singing of “New Soul” by Yael Naim.
The morning was filled with the presentation of diplomas, a dedication to parents, a slideshow of the graduating seniors, the presentation of over $90,000 in scholarships, and speeches that left the graduating seniors and onlookers alike with something to think about.
The day began with Salutatorian Alex Chasse offering a good look at an everyday problem students face. “School is full of hardships and challenges,” he said. “with (everything) going on, it’s a miracle we all seem to pass.” He urged his fellow students that good time management is the key to success and he advised them to “create a schedule for yourself and stay faithful to it.”
Valedictorian Tyler Levesque got real with his fellow grads, letting them know that success isn’t always measured in the outcome. “Whether you’re working your first shift at a new job, playing in a basketball game, or doing your homework,” he said, “if you do your best, people will notice.” He admitted this doesn’t mean everybody will be successful at everything they try, but everyone is good at something. “We all need to use our strengths to get a step ahead,” Levesque said.
A piece of advice he imparted on his peers was to “do what makes you happy.” He talked about his County roots, and how, though given the opportunity to leave the area for college, he chose to stay. “I love this community … this community that is here, right now, watching us graduate and supporting every one of us … We all need to make the choices in life that best suit us and make us happy. I choose to one day give back to the town of Ashland.”
Keynote speaker, Easton Town Manager and Ashland HS alumnus Jim Gardner, gave an inspirational speech that all students can relate to, talking about the importance of dreams in life.
“First, you must have a dream of where you want to be in life,” he said. “We have all been dreaming of one thing or another throughout our lifetime, but now we have come to a time in life where our dream can turn into our future … as far-fetched as this dream may seem, never believe you cannot capture your dreams.”
His second point was about determination. “Follow the instructions of life and it will lead you to success,” he said.
“Third, stay dedicated to your dream,” Gardner advised, “There will be many obstacles that must be overcome to be successful. By staying dedicated you will find ways to cope, analyze, and defeat those issues that stand in the way of accomplishing your dream.”
Gardner left the listeners with a request, “I ask one last favor … please always be yourself,” he urged. “You see, being someone else in life is a position already taken by another person.”
Diplomas were conferred by SAD 32 Superintendent Gehrig Johnson, School Board Chair Sheila Lyons, and Principal Christopher Hallett to cap off the ceremony.
