BATH

As the Morse High School Class of 2018 lined up to march onto McCann Field, they felt an assortment of emotions. In a word?

“Relieved,” said Gavin Fish.

“Good,” said Brandon Molyneux. And: “Ready.”

“Nervous,” said Cyle Gilpatrick.

Gilpatrick was not alone. As Salutatorian

Abigail Minott said in her address, this is what they had prepared for: “Walking in step with the person next to us, and trying earnestly not to trip and fall in front of thousands of people on the most important day of our high school careers. Trust me, it’s harder than it looks.”

Surely, the events to come in the ceremony — the reflective, hopeful and often personal speeches — would be easy in comparison.

Guests packed the bleachers and spilled out to stand on either side or up against fences, vying for a good view and a spot in the shade. Contending with strong winds whose gusts were amplified by the microphone, six students and one teacher spoke about their experiences at Morse High. They urged graduates to pursue their passions, while always considering how they treat themselves and one another.

The trials and challenges of high school were the focus of Minott’s speech. She described the way her classmates have used those challenges to identify their passions.

“Every one of us has spent the last four years trying to figure out who we are, what we stand for, what we value and believe in and who we want to be as people and members of society,” Minott said. “These discoveries rarely come without conflict, but with conflict eventually comes clarity.”

With this newfound clarity, they should always stand for what they believe in, she said, using her mom as inspiration.

Leah Totman, the second honor essay speaker, spoke about freedom of thought and expression, citing instances when her beliefs came under the scrutiny of others. These instances informed her view on how to defend her own individuality and that of others.

“People, including me, have become so quick to judge and insult one another based on a preconceived notion,” Totman said. “This, I suppose, is easier than considering that thoughts and experiences of others, while different, are still valid.

“Freedom of thought is our greatest gift,” she continued. “In my future, I will use this freedom to bring others up and remain aware that other people’s minds are as complex and individual as my own.”

Christina Bowman and Sarah Meyer-Waldo, the third and first honor essay speakers, respectively, shared a different lesson they had learned in high school that they will take with them: How to balance focus on academics with self-care and happiness.

“I realized that if I chase the grades, I’m not going to be able to chase my dreams,” said Bowman. “I think a lot of us have come to this point, and now I feel I’m ready to chase my dreams. We all are.”

Meyer-Waldo was inspired by her late grandmother, who, despite struggling with Alzheimer’s, never overlooked joy and love.

“I’ve realized that I can prioritize school or work without it taking control of my entire life,” she said. “I will always be responsible and driven, but like my Grandma Alice, even when things get tough, or stressors pile up, we always need to remember to smile.”

Along with treating oneself kindly, other speakers stressed the importance of treating others with kindness. Commencement speaker Courtney Bodeen “prescribed” love to her classmates, having learned its healing effects when her father returned from a yearlong deployment in Iraq.

“While we might just be a speck of sand in the wind, even a small grain of sand can get in someone’s eye. Or it can carve out its mark into a stone,” she said. “You can leave your mark. Hate leaves wounds, but love can create art.”

One of the most emotional speeches of the ceremony came from guidance counselor Amanda Nalls, who received the Dr. Patricia Ames Distinguished Teacher Award. Nalls began her speech tearfully, but went on to, like Bodeen, emphasize the importance of seemingly small acts of kindness or connection.

“Class of 2018, when you look back on your time at Morse, I hope that you each have at least one moment over the last four years that was meaningful to you,” she said. “A conversation with a teacher, a great moment with a trusted friend, a shared memory with someone that you’ll take as you leave Morse today.

“As you graduate and move out into the world,” Nalls added, “I challenge you, now more than ever, to make connections with those around you. Find your passion and pursue it, but don’t forget to look around you and notice the impact you make on others along the way.”

Elias Goodrich, valedictorian and class president, reassured his classmates that though this moment of transition is difficult and important, it is just that: A moment.

“We are currently at graduation station, the end of your line at Morse High School. However, one does not arrive at a train station just to stay there …,” he said. “We have obligations, goals, friends, family and a future to embrace. This station just brings us closer to our destination.”

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the valedictorian.

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