COHASSET — During a boisterous and joyful ceremony at South Shore Music Circus on Friday, June 7, 155 students from eight communities graduated from South Shore Technical High School as “a class of true individuals.”
“You have hidden talents that many rarely got to see,” said Principal Mark Aubrey, putting on his trademark cowboy hat to the students’ cheers. “Josia Silva [of Rockland] got the acting bug as a youngster and has been performing ever since, including as an extra on the Netflix show ‘Community’ on a number of occasions … Student body President Cody Campbell [of Rockland] has flown an airplane. … you have grown in so many ways.”
Aubrey pointed to athletic achievements such as the Mayflower League Champion girls’ volleyball team, “a couple” of Eagle Scouts and the growth of “picky eater” Tim Murphy of Whitman into a Culinary Arts graduate moving on to employment in the food industry.
“[His] mom is happy to say he will try almost anything,” Aubrey said.
Others are heading into the military, including Hanson resident Trent Quinn-Percivalle who is joining the Air Force cyber-security team.
Aubrey closed by making a request of them in return for the success SST has helped them accomplish.
“Be ambassadors for our school and the excellent education we provide our students,” he said, urging them to return to speak to shops about life in the trades or in college. “As you step out beyond our doors, please know that we do not want our relationship to end with this evening.”
Student speakers also touched on academic and personal growth during their four years at SST.
Brevity was key for Valedictorian Benjamin Doucette of Abington.
“In this class before you are some of the smartest, bravest and funniest people I have met so far in my life,” he said. “After this ceremony, some of us will stay in touch and some of us won’t. Some of us will use the trade skills we’ve learned, and some of us will go into completely different fields. … We’ve grown a lot, but we still have some growing to do.
Senior Class President Alexis Burke of Hanson also expounded on the themes of personal and academic growth.
“It will be very hard to part ways with a place that has given me so much,” she said. “It was here where I cemented friendships, it was here I got to explore my passions, it was here I learned to be a better person, it was here where I discovered myself.”
Rockland’s Cody Campbell introduced himself to students who may have been “living under a rock for the last four years: I am the student body president for the Class of 2019.”
“Yeah, you are!” a fellow graduate shouted to cheers.
Campbell related how his favorite quote by hockey great Wayne Gretzky — “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
“Speaking from experience, I can say that it is impossible to have a fulfilling life in a shell, afraid to take chances,” he said. “Try something new, make mistakes, fail epically. …I am confident that you will all do amazing things.”
Superintendent-Director Thomas J. Hickey equated the education process as a way of discovering one’s “superpower,” based on the number of popular superhero movies making huge amounts of money — and a teacher’s T-shirt he recently saw which read: “I am a teacher, what’s your superpower?”
Hickey played audio of nearly a dozen seniors discussing what they see as a superpower. Academics, perseverance, art, problem solving, humor, leadership, welding, listening, story-telling and hard work were mentioned.
“You know you have and value and you are confident that you can make an impact on the world around you,” he said. “Continue to discover those super powers, in the workforce, in service to our country, for the love of your family and friends and as a positive influence on your community. The world needs heroes. We need you now more than ever.”
Local SSVT graduates are:
Cameron N. Bagley, Jacob T. Barbato, Erin M. Bizier, Dylan R. Burgio, Alexis J. Burke, Jacqueline E. Clifford, Tucker A. Cobis, Rebecca R. Cooke, Owen M. David, Cameron J. DeStefano, Jeffrey A. Ford, Shane A. Fougere, Jonathan G. Gillan, Josie C. Head, Brendan R. Hogan, John P. Hubbard, Ryan P. Keeley, Liam R. Kernan, Mackenzie E. McGraw, Kyle J. Mishou, Christopher M. Osbourne, Trent Quinn-Percivalle, Noah S. Rodri, Alex J. Spicuzza, Nicole E. Stalker and Samuel L. Stowell of Hanson.
Peter A. Achin, Jacob J. Austin, Justin T. Bennett, Evan J. Cadorette, Kaitlin A. Chatsko, Patrick F. Dolan, Laurel L. Durfee, Maxwell G. Elfman, Casi B. Ezekiel, William F. Keating Glover, Ayla A. Hebert, John B. Jolliemore, Asten N. Knight, Jillian M. Leafer, Cyairra D. Lowe, Kimberly P. McPhee, Nykera N. Mandes, Richard M. Miller, Ashley E. Millett, Kayla E. Mills, Hayley R. Murphy, Timothy M. Murphy, Codey J. Murray, Nicholas D. Podgurski, Kristen E. Saccone, Danielle R. Smith, Aiden M. Toy, Emily L. Vega-Morley, Jade A. Watts, Patrick S. Wilson and Evan M. Young of Whitman.