The rain held off and there was even some sunshine as the largest senior class in close to three decades graduated from Franklin County Technical School on the school’s football field on Thursday, May 29.
In his speech, FCTS Superintendent Richard Martin recalled the cold winter day when icy overnight rain created a pond with a thin layer of ice on the school lawn. He pulled up to the school early that morning to find about 20 seniors hauling kayaks out of trucks and paddling across the newly created pond, racing each other, jumping into the water like it was a summer day and just generally having a great time.
Upon seeing the students, rather than being irritated, Martin laughed, clapped and marveled at their unity and camaraderie. He saw in that moment more than just a group of seniors having a good time. He saw much more.
“Because that moment wasn’t just funny – it was real,” Martin said. “It was spontaneous, spirited, and full of life. It was you. That morning said everything about who this class is: creative, adventurous, close-knit, and completely unafraid to make the most of a moment – even if involves a kayak in the middle of winter.”
Martin said the 152 seniors had achieved excellence in academics and in their vocational programs, as they’ve served the community by building homes, caring for patients, repairing engines, cooking meals, designing software and taking on other projects.
“But your greatest achievement might be something deeper: your unity,” he said. “You’ve supported one another. You’ve laughed together, faced challenges together, and grown together. You’ve modeled what it means to be a team, to be a community, to be a family.”
Principal Brian Spadafino noted that the graduates had realized their potential in the four years as students. He said that whether the graduates were heading directly into the workforce, continuing on to college, or going into the military, that had come out of Franklin County Tech with employability skills, discipline and a strong work ethic.
“In a world that is constantly changing, one thing remains certain: the value of hard work and integrity,” Spadafino said. “At FCTS you’ve learned to show up, to solve problems, to work with others, and to persevere. These are not just skills, they are the foundation for a life of success and meaning.”
Salutatorian Danielle Walker said she her speech was only four paragraphs long because “for the first time in my life, I had no clue what to say next.” She recruited some of her fellow seniors what they would say if they were to give the speech. One of the students, Dakota Santos urged his fellow graduates to live life to the fullest.
Walker quoted Santos as saying, “How you find success is now in your hands. Your choices, your actions, all lead you down the road you end up driving through. You now have opportunities in your hands other kids your age may not have, or never will have. Don’t let any of it go to waste.”
In her closing remarks, Walker paraphrased the title character from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Walker said, “remember to always take the chance to look around every once in a while. I’ve been told that life moves fast, you have to make sure not to miss it.”
Valedictorian Caleb Hall told his classmates that finding purpose and fulfillment in life is based on why a person pursues their goals, not what they do.
“Ask yourself, what do you live for?” Hall said. “You set these goals – earn a degree, build a family, chase a career, find satisfaction. All for what? I promise you, if you do not find the answer to this question, you will find yourself starved of real, deep and lasting purpose even in the highest level of success and achievement. So, I implore you, find your answer, your purpose, what and who you live for.”