By Killian Maree
For the North Star Reporter
The Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School Class of 2024 graduated in an energetic ceremony under a cloudy sky.
The ceremony, held on Thursday, June 6, began with the students walking through lines of cheering parents and the faculty that had seen them grow throughout their four years at the school. As the cheering subsided, the students took their seats. The music in the opening of the ceremony was provided by Seth Curran, a Tri-County English and music teacher.
Savannah Nosek, a student of the Class of 2024, took to the stage and sang the National Anthem, followed by Callie Schweitzer, the Class of 2024’s Salutatorian, leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Tri-County Superintendent-Director Karen Maguire took to the podium for the introduction to the ceremony. Maguire delivered a creative speech and told an anecdote about scrolling through the social media app TikTok and stumbling upon a web site that told its readers what made one’s house look old and what made it look more modern.
To Maguire’s surprise, inspirational messages written on signs were listed under the category of something that made a house look old. Maguire used these signs throughout her speech, relating them back to how the Class of 2024 is about to experience the real world.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” said Maguire.
Maguire’s speech was followed by a School Committee address from Committee Chair Gregory St. Lawrence. He talked about school life during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was especially hard for teachers and students at Tri-County because of its vocations. St. Lawrence asked the Class of 2024 to remember the courage that they had during the pandemic and to apply that to their life outside of Tri-County.
“How exactly do you learn to weld at home?” joked St. Lawrence.
After this, the student address was delivered by Principal Dana Walsh.
“In my beginnings as a first-year principal, it has been a real pleasure to see this particular class through to the end of your senior year… There is an authenticity and earnestness among you that will speak well for you as you enter your next chapter,” said Walsh.
Next, Dom Crisfani, the president of the Class of 2024, was welcomed to the stand. Crisfani reminded his peers to let kindness be their guide in a world that can feel cold and indifferent.
“We are not the same people we were when we got here,” he said. “We are bigger, we are smarter, we are stronger, and we are prepared.”
Schweitzer was welcomed back to the stage and thanked everyone who has helped the Class of 2024 make it to where they are. Schweitzer then went on to talk about one of her favorite childhood films, “Ratatouille.” Just like Remy the rat in the movie, if the Class of 2024 has the right mentality, they will go on to do great things.
The presentation of diplomas began with Walsh saying that the students had met all of the requirements to graduate from Tri-County. St. Lawrence was asked whether he accepted them as candidates for graduation.
“Hell yeah,” said St. Lawrence, followed by laughs and applause.
Students were then called up by their programs starting with engineering and ending with carpentry, and presented with their diplomas while parents and faculty clapped and cheered.
The ceremony ended with confetti and caps being thrown into the air as “Valerie” by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse started to play.
