By Tracy F. Seelye, Express editor
editor@whitmanhansonexpress.co
HANOVER – Authors are often advised to write about what they know. It turns out to be good advice for students writing commencement addresses.
For South Shore Tech culinary student Emma Mattuchio, one of the top three students in the graduating Class of 2024 leaned on her kitchen experience to illustrate the importance of hard work, and valedictorian Elizabeth Bartholomew reflected on her gymnastics competitions to relate some of the lessons sports have taught her.
As Emma spoke, the wind on the bright sunny morning took a stray graduation balloon aloft, and made for delightful temperatures.
“Working closely with [Culinary Arts Teacher Charles] Doucet, whether in shop or preparing for a culinary competition, has taught me that sometimes it really is the journey that matters more than the destination,” Mattuchio said. Sometimes things will not go the way we want them to. You may not have gotten into that college you really wanted to go to, an award went to someone else, or your cookies came out burnt.”
She learned that, rather than dwelling on the negative, it’s more productive to take a positive approach.
“Think of how many new friends and memories you will create at that other college, how proud you should be for even being considered for that award, or how delicious the cookie dough was when you snuck bites between scooping the cookies,” she advised. “Don’t let the outcome overshadow the journey, as the process itself has a lasting value.”
Bartholomew’s lesson struck a similar chord.
“Gymnastics is a sport where you are constantly judged, and where every error you make receives a deduction,” she noted. Gymnasts strive for perfection, but as we’ve all heard before “nothing is perfect.” While constantly being told that you’re making mistakes can feel disheartening to some, it’s rather inspiring to me. When I’m aware of an issue, I can work on it until I fix it, and I take this same approach outside of the sport.:
She advised classmates to think of perfection as a complex spectrum; made of many parts.
“Focus on individual parts, like a gymnast pointing their toes, straightening their legs, and keeping their head up,” she said. “You all have the opportunity to make alterations in how you present yourself, and working towards improving small things is far more effective than just trying to “be perfect.”
Experience itself is a good teacher, and in that respect the SST Class of 2024 is well-equipped. Assistant Principal/Director of Vocational education Keith Boyle said that the 123 senior class cooperative educational participants (of 180 total SST participants) – 80 percent of the graduating class.
Boyle said it was the largest number of co-op seniors in the school’s history.
“Together, our co-op students have collectively worked over 65,000 hours throughout the school year,” Boyle said. “This is an outstanding effort that has resulted in earning more than $1.1 million.”
The senior class has also earned more than 400 industry-recognized credentials, all of which provides those students with a significant advantage as they embark on their future careers, Boyle said.
The students going on to college are attending a “wide array of competitive and prestigious colleges” and those entering the workforce “are well into a career in their trade, Principal Sandra Baldner said.
Salutatorian Luke Tierney vouched for the value of that experience.
“These hands-on experiences not only expanded our skill sets but also instilled in us the values of dedication, innovation, and collaboration,” he said. “As we reflect on our journey, it’s evident that our grade exceeded with our vocational abilities, setting us up as one of the greatest graduating classes in SST’s history. … Our time here has equipped us with the tools to face the future with confidence and determination. The hands-on experience and practical skills we’ve gained through our vocational education are invaluable assets that will serve us well in any endeavor we pursue.”
It was a message that echoed Superintendent/Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey’s address:
“High school graduations are typically a place where you would expect to hear a speaker tell graduates something about ‘entering the real world’ – but that would not be entirely accurate for this ceremony,” Hickey said. “The South Shore Tech experience, by design, immerses our students in the real world long before they put on a cap and gown at graduation. It does not mean our graduates possess all the answers but, Class of 2024, you have experience – life’s great teacher – to draw upon as you continue in the real world and make ongoing life choices.”
Following addresses by Vocational Student of the Year Kaylin Hicks, the presentation of vocational awards and diplomas, the wind carried off the heavy aroma of the ubiquitous victory cigars as confetti poppers sent silver, gold, and black scraps of mylar fluttering around the grounds.
“As you leave this school, you carry with you more than just technical skills. You carry the lessons of teamwork, the importance of reliability, and the value of continuous learning. These attributes will serve you well, no matter where life takes you,” Hicks told her classmates. “Remember, the journey does not end here. Education is a lifelong endeavor. The world will continue to change, and new technologies and challenges will arise. Your willingness to grow and evolve will be the key to your future success.”
As Bartholomew had said:
“Whether you decide to continue in your trade, join the military, attend college, or try something new, I know you’ll use the lessons you’ve learned throughout your time at SST. Each one of us has the chance to balance the obstacles life throws at us, swing to success, and flip unfortunate situations around. So whatever skill you’re looking to master next, you’ve got this!”