Sonya Mancauskas
In a 90-minute ceremony moved indoors due to thunderstorm threats, family and friends of Montpelier High School graduates sweated through a ceremony in which Montpelier Roxbury Public School District Superintendent Libby Bonesteel (whose own son would graduate the next day from Mount Mansfield Union High School) told graduates they already have the skills they need to succeed but, also, it’s OK if they mess up.
“Messing up is a big part of the game, and I hope this class knows that,” Bonesteel said.
Not ones to graduate without a gentle inside joke, each graduate placed a piece of bow tie pasta into Principal Jason Gingold’s palm as they crossed the stage and shook his hand, a commentary on the different bow ties Gingold wears each day.
Notable moments included a bagpipe procession from the Catamount Pipe Band, senior Evan Benoit’s rendition of the national anthem, and a group of senior musicians, led by vocalist Gemma Pello, performing “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.
In her speech, senior class president Molly McCall compared Montpelier High School to a fish bowl, explaining how the small environment of the campus has encouraged graduates to grow and adapt throughout high school.
Cooper Bernardini, a student who attended the Central Vermont Career Center, spoke about his participation in the Food Education and Sustainability/Systems Thinking, or FEAST, program, in which he joined a group of students who cooked for senior citizens. He said the experience helped him find enjoyment in school and taught him how to learn from his mistakes.
Olivia Scharnberg encouraged her peers to use the next phase of their lives to grow from new challenges and opportunities. And Owen Sheehan, through a Minecraft metaphor, explained how MHS gave the seniors a foundation from which they now get to build independently.
Additionally, Principal Jason Gingold used his experience as a pastry chef to encourage students to be resilient, and science teacher Sam Bromley used humor to encourage students to follow their passions.
And in one of MHS’s beloved traditions, students and staff members performed “Sail on Solons,” a song written by former guidance counselor Geoff Sather.
When asked if he felt ready to graduate, senior Owen Sheehan said, “I don’t think I feel ready. I honestly don’t know if anyone does, which makes me feel better.”
Sheehan explained how he wished that he had put less focus on grades early in high school and focused more on the learning aspect.
“I think if I went in focusing on understanding what I was being taught … I think I probably would have come away with more from school from MHS,” said Sheehan.
Senior Marie Voisin noted, “I think that I wish I’d known to just let go and move on and be able to … not only care about what other people [are doing] … I wish I’d known to be able to live a little more presently.”
Throughout the year, the senior class has been participating in events planned by English teacher J.K. Connor and Student Attendance Specialist Kathyrn Nunnelly, both senior class advisers.
Connor said she hopes she was able to provide graduates with support as they move into a stage in their lives with newfound responsibility.
As graduates prepare for this next stage of their lives they have a wide variety of plans.
Some students, such as Sheehan and Voisin, are going to study at small liberal arts colleges. Others, such as Olivia Scharnberg, are going to attend larger universities. Some kids know what they are going to study, while others don’t. Some kids are going to work. Some kids are going on a gap year.
But no matter what each student plans, Gingold told the graduates to use the knowledge and skills they learned in school.
“You have spent four years building something important, not certainty, but capacity,” Gingold said. “You’ve learned how to face challenges when the outcome is unclear — that is resilience.”
