TOPSHAM

From the senior chorale vocalizing the iconic lyrics of John Lennon to the words of the speakers, imagining possibilities was the undercurrent running through Mt. Ararat’s graduation ceremony on Sunday.

Brad Smith, the retiring superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 75, encouraged graduates to “dare to dream — and sacrifice to make those dreams come true.”

“Explore new places, meet new people, try new things,” Smith advised in his opening remarks. “Pursue a life that leaves the world better than you found it.”

Morgan Johnson asked the audience to imagine a 5-year-old girl who knew after her first day of school she wanted to become a teacher. Recounting what she learned each year of her education, Johnson stressed that “the number one thing teachers teach us is how to learn.”

“Learning is something we do every day of our lives,” she said, “but if we do not know what to do with that information, we will not grow.”

And the 5-year-old girl? Well, Johnson’s now 18 and still knows what she wants to do with her life — become a teacher.

Peter Mao encouraged his fellow classmates to try new things, noting that “failure doesn’t imply your approach or methods were wrong.”

He related a story about gambling advice that said if you bet $1 on whether a coin would land heads or tails and lost, double your bet — and keep doubling it — until you win. And then quit, “because you’ll come out at least $1 ahead.”

“Sometimes you just have to try over and over again,” Mao said, “until the law of averages kicks in and pays off.”

Emma Hahesy’s goal when she started high school was to be the top student in her class. And she reached that goal, noting the hard work she put in to accomplish it — even if it meant skipping out on going to an athletic event or school function in lieu of doing an assignment.

But, she told her fellow classmates, “while I’m grateful for the opportunities I have because of that, I don’t want to continue to work so hard on one thing that I miss out on others.”

“I’d start taking things a little less seriously,” Hahesy said, “and I suggest you all do too.”

She wasn’t, she clarified, talking about not working hard, but about putting things into perspective.

“Let’s go out into the world thinking about the things that make us happy and want to get out of bed in the morning,” Hahesy said, adding that when they get older they shouldn’t want to see the stress and pressure they’ve put on themselves, but “we should want to see we’ve lived full and happy lives.”

Common among the graduates was a feeling of readiness to tackle the next chapters in their life.

“I am excited, I just feel ready,” said Alishia Braley, headed to University of Southern Maine to study social work, before the ceremony. “I’m crazy glad to be getting to this point.”

“I’m definitely ecstatic,” added Mya Geery, off to study history at Southern New Hampshire University. “I always new I’d graduate, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon. High school has definitely flown by really fast.”

The sentiment was the same afterward, as well.

“It feels good, it has been a long ride here,” said Gideon Wheeler, who will study survey engineering at University of Maine at Orono in the fall.

Wheeler was one of four seniors presented with special awards at the ceremony, receiving the Eagle Award, presented to a student who is an optimist, one who approaches school with a constructive, positive attitude.

Also receiving special awards were Shelby Moore, presented with the Summit Award for remarkable improvement; Fiona Thi Hoang, who received the Venture Award for leadership skills and positive influence; and Micheala Mae Flibotte, with the Senior Service Award for outstanding contributions to the school’s academic and civic life.

Allen Graffam — senior class adviser, longtime music teacher and graduation exercises organizer, among some of the hats he’s worn — was given special recognition by the class officers. They noted the many contributions he’s made not just to their class, but to the school during his years, thanking him for all he’s done. Graffam, who is retiring this year, received a standing ovation from students and the audience.

Hearing Sunday’s expressions of the importance of self-education, perseverance and living full and happy lives — amplified by overflowing optimism — made it easy to imagine bright possibilities for the future.

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