By Samantha McCarthy–For the North Star Reporter
North Attleboro High School celebrated its graduating Class of 2025 on June 8, with this year’s ceremony striking a major difference—this year’s graduation exercises were completely student-led.
Masters of Ceremonies Michaela McCarthy and Peighton Gagne led the celebration, with multiple student speakers sharing their most valuable lessons learned throughout their time at NAHS.
Salutatorian Adrian Nguyen’s speech shared an inspiring message about true happiness, saying, “We only have one life to live, and we shouldn’t be wasting that chance living out someone else’s fantasy. Happiness cannot be bought with gold medals or validation. It is a choice you have to seek out for yourself.”
Nguyen posed a series of questions to the graduating class: “What kind of person do you hope to become? Do your goals in life reflect your own wants, or the ones of others? Is there anything in your life that you can truly call yours?”
Nguyen’s speech was followed by Valedictorian Aanshi Agrawal, who shared the importance of taking risks in life.
“We spent years learning the importance of being realistic and making practical choices, and sure, that has its place, but sometimes we’ve gotten so good at being careful that we’ve forgotten how to dream big,” Agrawal said.
Alongside these messages from the student speakers, graduates got to soak in the last bittersweet moments with their peers with choral and band performances.
Class Treasurer Abraham Guir announced the class gift, which is the remainder of their funds being donated to the KyleCares Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes mental health awareness.
NAHS Principal Peter Halivand spoke fondly of the graduating class and offered a word of advice his father shared with him.
“Never let your studies get in the way of your education. At first, that sounds contradictory. But what he meant is this – your education is much more than the subjects you study,” he said. “It’s the full experience of learning who you are, how you relate to others, and what kind of life you want to build.”
The class motto, presented by Class Secretary Ellie Regan, “The thing about new beginnings is that they require something else to end,” carried the tone of the ceremony. Throughout the speeches delivered, many voices stressed the importance of accepting change as it comes.
“Today our class is helping shape a cultural shift, embracing expanded roles and responsibilities that reflect our readiness to leave, to be independent, and to succeed beyond the walls of high school,” Gagne said.