HODGDON, Maine — A small group of 18 seniors marched through Hodgdon’s gymnasium one final time Friday evening during the 90th graduation ceremony at Hodgdon Middle High School.
Principal Stephen Fitzpatrick presented two additional scholarships to Victoria Morris and salutatorian Kora Lambert in the amount of $1,500. He also presented valedictorian Dylan Jurson with the school’s “All-Around Student” award.
“How about that in terms of starting this celebration?” he said. Fitzpatrick added that his wish for the graduating seniors as they transition into their next adventures was to live a life
In her salutatorian address, Kora Lambert touched on the importance of being “grateful.”
“By definition, grateful means feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness,” Lambert said. “To me, it means appreciating all of you who have helped us along the way. Not all of our journeys have been the same, each and every one of us has needed some kind of help in the last four years.”
First honor essayist Dylan Jurson discussed the importance of building strong resumes that includes both work and activities to showcase a wide array of talents.
“I learned from my mom that if I didn’t work hard now, that it might negatively impact my goal in life,” he said. “I feel like I have accomplished this (strong resume) through my efforts in sports, my jobs, my classes and more.”
SAD 70 Superintendent Scott Richardson piggybacked on this concept in his address to the seniors.
“The Class of 2019 has much to offer the world as they graduate,” Richardson said. “We have much to celebrate as we look at the experiences and memories of this class.”
Richardson stated this year’s class of graduating seniors included future nurses, electricians, plumbers and teachers. Seven of the seniors accumulated 139 college credits through the school’s dual eligibility program, amounting to a savings of $31,692 in tuition.
Valedictorian Katherine Ledger encouraged her peers to use the stresses they have overcome through high school to forge a new path for the future.
“We are all able to look back at our time at Hodgdon Middle-High School and move forward onto bigger and most likely more stressful things, such as college, military, vocational training or joining the workforce,” Ledger said. “High school has allowed us to learn how to cope with stress and keep it to a manageable level. Graduating is a great example in showing us that all stress is temporary and will eventually pass sooner or later, and that if we work hard and persevere, we can make it through to the other side.”
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- Hodgdon’s graduating seniors showed off their creativity with designs on top of their mortar board caps at Friday’s graduation ceremony. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
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- Teacher Jason Little, right, pauses long enough for Austin Sennett to take a “selfie” with with him at Friday’s graduation ceremony in Hodgdon. Eighteen students received their diplomas during the ceremony. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
