CARIBOU, Maine — Six students received their diplomas for graduating the Alternative High School on June 9, 2016 during the 6 p.m. ceremony in the Caribou Wellness Center.
After a pledge of allegiance led by graduates DeAnna Anderson and Desirae Belanger, Alternative High School Director Dan MacDonald opened the ceremony and introduced the speakers.
“Any program is only as good as the people working in it,” MacDonald said. “The Alternative High School is no exception. The continued high quality and success of this program is a direct reflection of the dedication and commitment of the teachers, so it is with great admiration and gratitude that I would like to acknowledge the hearts and souls of the Alternative High School: Erica Raymond, Bill Gehring and Jessica Smith.”
“Today is a big day for all of our graduates who have worked so hard to reach this point in their lives,” MacDonald continued. “But we are doing more than celebrating a completion of high school. Today, we are celebrating overcoming obstacles, ignoring stereotypes, and achieving set goals. The graduating seniors of alternative education have achieved success on their own terms and with their own distinctive styles, and I would like to commend each of them on their accomplishments.”
MacDonald introduced guest speaker Margaret Hart and student speaker Megan Mullenix. Hart had graduated the Alternative High School in 2013 and spoke of her life after graduating, as well as her experiences at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
Mullenix thanked staff and peers and offered inspirational words to her fellow classmates.
“This school is a safe haven for people who are just different than the general population,” Mullenix said. “Our time here will define the rest of our lives and I don’t think there is one person in this school who will speak one bad word of it. As much as it is at the forefront a place of education and learning, it’s so much more than that.”
“I will give a very decent chunk of the credit to the staff here,” continued Mullenix. “They truly define this program and we’ve grown to love them all as friends. So much so that we, the Class of 2016, asked our former English teacher Peg to come back and see that we had actually kept our assets in class as well as celebrate that we did it, we graduated.
“To my fellow classmates, I’m going to encourage you today to not forget the lessons we’ve learned here, the ones that will matter to us for the rest of our lives. We just have to keep moving forward towards our goals, keep enjoying the journey, and keep working hard and doing our best to really and truly live. We’ll part today and go our separate paths onto the big bright futures ahead of us, but we’ll always have our time here to look back on and remember,” she said.
