CARIBOU, Maine — Hundreds of friends and relatives filled nearly every seat of the Caribou Performing Arts Center at Caribou High School on Sunday to help celebrate the graduation of 81 students.
Valedictorian Elodie Berube spoke of the “unforgettable journey” she and her peers embarked on through their high school years.
“It was not a cakewalk for me or anyone here,” Berube said. “The most important thing is that we made it through with hard work and determination. We are now ready to pursue our future dreams and make a difference in the world. It’s not going to be easy, but that is the purpose of high school: to teach us what we need to know to make a better future.”
Before receiving their diplomas, members of the senior chorus accompanied by Amy Hunter and Vicki King, performed “Ordinary Miracle,” and salutatorian Kendra Furber thanked all those who helped her along the path to graduation.
“Today we say goodbye to the squeaky desks in room 218, class meetings that lead to more questions than answers, and to our comfortable routine of being in homeroom every weekday,” Furber said. “We thank the elementary school teachers who taught us it’s OK to color outside the lines and have purple zebras, the high school teachers who helped us find ourselves a
Caribou Class of 2017 Marshals Madeline Gudde, left, and Joshua Verhoff lead graduates down the aisles of the Caribou Performing Arts Center as they march to the stage and receive their high school diplomas on June 4. (Christopher Bouchard)
nd a passion, and our families who helped us along the way.”
“Now that we’ve made it to this milestone, we’re all off to the next chapter of our lives,” Furber continued. “Isn’t that exciting and terrifying? That’s what I would call the future — exciting and terrifying. There are so many things you could do: go scuba diving, wrestle a crocodile, lay on your couch watching Netflix. The possibilities are endless.”
Furber concluded by emphasizing the important, yet often difficult, task of appreciating the present and living in the moment.
“We should stop waiting for the future to happen and live each day as it comes,” Furber said. “In all those good or bad moments, there are a lot more average ones in between that could be cherished. Live in the moment and take one day at a time. I wish for all of us to have great futures, for some of us to fall in love, for some to have families, and to make great names for ourselves.”
Before presenting diplomas, Regional School Unit 39 Superintendent Tim Doak encouraged students to pursue post-secon
Nearly every seat in the Caribou Performing Arts Center at Caribou High School was full during the June 4 Class of 2017 graduation ceremony, during which 81 high school students received their diplomas. (Christopher Bouchard)
dary education, saying it is the “greatest financial investment in your life.”
“You will be the workers, leaders, and innovators who will help set the bar for the future,” Doak said. “Spend this time over the next few days with your parents and family, because they are the ones you will want to thank for all they did for you this past week, the past year, and into your future.”
