'Prove your specialness'

The threat of rain descending down upon the streets of Springfield didn’t prevent tearful parents and grandparents, cap-throwing future scholars and young people who will imminently serve in the United States military from gathering in celebratory jubilee in the Riverside Middle School gymnasium in honor of the graduating class of 2017.

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2017-06-10 / Front Page 'Prove your specialness' Retiring educator urges Springfield seniors to make their mark By KELSEY CHRISTENSEN kchristensen@eagletimes.com Madeline Macie caught in an embrace following the Class of 2017’s graduation ceremony at Riverside Middle School on Friday. — KELSEY CHRISTENSENMadeline Macie caught in an embrace following the Class of 2017’s graduation ceremony at Riverside Middle School on Friday. — KELSEY CHRISTENSENSPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The threat of rain descending down upon the streets of Springfield, Vermont didn’t prevent tearful parents and grandparents, cap-throwing future scholars and young people who will imminently serve in the United States military from gathering in celebratory jubilee in the Riverside Middle School gymnasium in honor of the graduating class of 2017. After the familiar and emotive notes of pomp and circumstance quieted, 2017 Salutatorian and Class President Alex Warner welcomed retiring English teacher Ed Wilkins to the stage, who will be concluding his 35-year tenure of service to Springfield schools to the chagrin of students and colleagues. “Making eye contact with him makes you assume that you are already friends, even if never having met him, because of his teddy bear-like persona and constant heart warming smile,” Warner said of keynote speaker Wilkins. “Just be careful not to confuse him for our 26th president Theodore Roosevelt.” Wilkins, in his final act as Springfield High School English teacher, strided confidently and warmly to the stage, where he welcomed the graduating class to consider the role of stories in their life — whether bedtime stories from childhood, or the stories one analyzes in literature curricula — as they prepare to embark on their own, new stories. “Enjoy this day. Soak up the love and honor that people will show you, but start to think also about what will make you unique,” Wilkins said. “It’s time for you to go into the world outside Springfield High School and prove your specialness. Live deeply, dare greatly, love mightily, and dream boldly. Now, go and write your own extraordinary story.” After Principal Belinda Hawthorne awarded scholarships and awards to distinguished graduating pupils, Valedictorian Emily Antonivich assumed the podium and addressed the class. Antonivich highlighted the various barometers for success, and invited her cohort and their families to celebrate a diverse range of accomplishments. “There is little doubt that high school is a challenge for nearly everyone in some way, whether it be a struggle to identify with a social group, a fight to understand algebra, or personal battles that no one else can see,” the valedictorian said. “Tonight, let’s celebrate our diverse experiences and attributes before we embark on the next step in our lives. We will take our own paths and face new challenges, perhaps even bigger than overcoming senioritis. I want to wish you all the best on your new adventures, and encourage you to approach the world with kindness, empathy, and an open mind as we set out to make new friendships and connections.” Before the procession of gown-cladden graduates and the apparently obligatory performance of Green Day’s “Good Riddance,” vice president to the class for three years, Ericka Schoff, presented the senior class gift: two microwaves, to combat the high-volume lunch traffic. “There have been countless times [at lunch] when I’ve wondered how barbaric it would be to eat my burrito frozen,” Schoff mused. As graduates filed out of the gymnasium for the last time as students, it was evident that Wilkins’ suggestion to the class to prove their specialness is not one which will go ignored or disobeyed.