Dorsey encourages FF grads
to think, communicate, learn
FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Twenty-nine seniors graduated from Fort Fairfield High School on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2015.
Class President, Marisa Clark delivered the opening address. She described the class of 2015 as one that she feels has developed familial ties over the years in school. “Though some have moved away and we have gained some new kids, in the end we are still the class of 2015, a class who has become so incredibly close, to me they are like family,” said Clark.
“Our parents have always wondered what their child will do with their lives. The most important thing to remember, however, is that our future remains in our own hands, it is not going to be handed to us, instead it is what we want to make it.”
Clark introduced her best friend since kindergarten, Kendra Ireland, as class salutatorian.
Ireland expounded on the simple philosophy of interconnectedness as the key to success and acknowledged the Clark family as part of the reason for her own, personal success. “I’ve learned two important lessons: it’s entirely up to you to steer your life in the direction you wish to go and usually it’s best not to burn bridges; people matter, connections matter. Strong ties with others will lead you to a life of happiness and purpose,” she said.
“My parents raised me to be a person who strives for excellence and is determined to become a better person, student and worker than yesterday. Without the Clark family, I would not be where I am today. Those who know them understand their selfless and giving nature. With them I have gained a second family, memories and valuable lessons that I will hold for the rest of my life. Marisa has become more of a sister to me than a best friend.”
Robbie Watson then gave a speech as the class valedictorian. Watson has been very active in school both in academics as well as athletics. “We have a very athletic class and our senior year has been a great year for sports. Winning the Eastern Maine boys basketball championship really brought our class and the school together,” said Watson. “However, we are not only an athletic class but an intelligent class. If you look at where our education is taking us you will see that we have people who are going to study business, sciences, engineering, medical subjects, English, electrical construction and more. We also have a few graduates entering the military.”
Watson advised his classmates to pursue their own dreams, not the dreams of others. “Don’t choose a major or career path because others say you should, but really choose what you would love doing for your entire career. Be passionate about what you choose to do with your life.”
Colonel Bob Dorsey (U.S. Air Force, Retired) delivered the commencement address. He stressed the need to be able to think independently and communicate as the keys to success in life. “The last 12 years have given you the basics and hopefully you’ve learned three things in these years that I think are very important. The first is learning how to learn; more importantly, how you learn because we all learn differently. Some can learn by reading it, some by doing it, some have to be shown and some have to actually fail in order to learn.”
“The second key thing is learning how to think. This is the information age. Employers know that you can Google a subject and get pretty smart on it in a few minutes. It’s not what you know, it’s what you do with that information that counts. They’re looking for folks that can solve problems, create a better, faster, more efficient way to get something done or come up with a totally new idea that hasn’t been done before. They want folks that can think under pressure.”
“The third key thing to learn,” Dorsey continued, “is how to communicate with co-workers, friends, family and even your adversaries. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not with your thumbs.”
Scholarships totaling $135,000 were awarded to various graduates; $61,000 from the local community and $74,000 from county and state sources.
The top 10 students of the class were also recognized: Caleb Daigle, Kimberly Gill, Melissa Hotham, Kendra Ireland, Megan Jellison, Megan Kennedy, Sarah Owens, Robert Watson, Steven Wentworth and Paige Worcester.
