Currents in Education
York High School graduates take off
By Melissa Wood
Valedictorian Kevin Higgins addresses his classmates at the 2007 York High School Commencement.
Photo by Kate Rasche
Salutatorian Katherine Lindbom urges her fellow graduates to strive for success by improving themselves and the world around them.
Photo by Kate Rasche
YORK - Although Chris Cassidy is an astronaut, he said he disagrees with the statement made famous by Gene Kranz during the Apollo 13 mission that "Failure is not an option."
Instead, Cassidy told the 161 York High School seniors on the verge of graduating at their commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 14, to have no fear of failure in their approach to life.
"I think failure is an option," said Cassidy, a 1988 York High School alumnus.
Cassidy was a Navy SEAL for 10 years before being selected by NASA for astronaut training in 2004 to become Maine's first and only astronaut.
"Embrace the fact that you may fail and use that to motivate you to go forward," said Cassidy, who also told the students to listen to others and never quit.
Cassidy said he remembers feeling like he wanted to quit during the Navy SEAL training "hell week" until a buddy simply told him to snap out of it - and he did.
"You'll find the strength not to quit with each other," Cassidy said. "It's your job to bring these people on."
The class of 2007 has already worked to bring each other up, coming together this year for a fellow student and teacher in need.
In January, organizers of a bone marrow drive for classmate Jason Durkin expected about 200 people and more than 600 people showed up. In May, a fundraiser for Jack Hoyt raised more than $13,000 for the popular industrial arts teacher who was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in August.
Their support of each other was pointed out by Valedictorian Kevin Higgins, who congratulated his classmates and said graduation is a time for parents, teachers, younger siblings, underclassmen and sports teammates to thank them for their success. And, he said, it is a time to thank each other.
"The people you are sitting next to are the ones who truly appreciate everything you've done to get to these seats tonight," he said.
Salutatorian Katherine Lindbom said in her years at York High School she has known both success and failure, and in her speech cited a 1953 Yale study, which concluded that only 3 percent of people achieve the lifelong goals set around the time of graduation or before. The study also showed that those same 3 percent accumulated more wealth than the other 97 percent combined.
But, she said that after thinking of success in terms of happiness, the study seemed wrong, and that often she found the experience of working toward a goal as fulfilling as actually achieving it.
"Success in life comes from the constant betterment of yourself and the world around you," she said.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione told the seniors to stand proud and that graduation is a time of mixed emotions - for both the students and their parents, who have to let their children go out into the world.
"We will always be their parents. We will always be there for them, and we will always love them," said Scipione, who told students to consider the choices before them carefully and decide which ones are best for them. "The road ahead may be smooth, it may be rocky."
He then announced it was time to issue the diplomas, and the members of the class of 2007 in their caps and gowns - white for girls, blue for boys - stood up and began to form lines to the stage as 161 York High School seniors became the newest York High School graduates.
The members of the York High School Class of 2007 are: Valedictorian Kevin Higgins; Salutatorian Katherine Lindbom; Commencement Scholars, representing, in alphabetical order, the top 10 percent of the class: Susan Barton, Ian Bond, Lacey Cartier, Kristina Clements, Joseph Corsello, Rebecca Enright, Winona Hapgood, Rachel Kasbohm, Anna Lifvergren, Zachary Prugar, Kristin Raymond, Kelly Sheahan, Alyson Sweet, Jennifer Thibault and Gregory Wilson; Honor Graduates, with a grade point average of 90 percent or higher: Blythe Armitage, Ashley Babin, Sibley Blum, Anne Boardman, Cory Borgel, Mary Buckless, Kari Buckley, Matthew Carey, Patrick Cartier, Jessica Cassotis, Erica Churchill, Jolene Ciampa, Thomas Ciampa, Lauren Coupal, Kortnee Cribby, Elisabeth Duquette, Jason Durkin, Sharon Ehret, Kendyll Farley, Michaela Franey, Justin Gallant, Emma Gardner, Emily Goering, Patrick Graham, Kelsey Greenier, Alyssa Hayward, Kelly Heald, Jillian Henry, William Hirst, Timothy Jones, Chelsea Jordan, Caitlin Keating, Larkin Keyes, Olivia Knowles, Ashley Lucas, Ryan MacGlashing, Emily Maddix, Ariel Martin, Lindsey McKenna, Nicholas McMahon, Ashley Mead, Jamie Mercurio, Jacob Moran, Chantal Papa, Stephanie Plaisted, Andrew Potter, Emma Power, Emma Pressey, Alexander Quinn, Brianna Schoen, Kaitlyn Taylor, Morgan Taylor, Chet Tetreault, Mary Kate Tourigny, Samantha Stephens, Christopher Wacker, Matthew Wagner, Lauren Walley, Lindsay Warner, Jenna Yeomelakis, Megan Yorke, Candace Yorston and George Zotos, and Graduates Phillip Alibrandi, Chelsea Andrews, Kyle Banfield, Brittany Barrett, Alexandra Bedard, Alexander Blomquist, Elizabeth Bosteels, Steven Buoncristiano, Cory Caramihalis, Charles Carter, Joanna Chipi, Alex Ciccolinifoley, Corey Clark, Ryan Clauson, John Cooper, E. Peter Corey, Danielle Dauth, Matthew Day, Giancarlo DeSario, Cameron Dillon, Brittany Downs, Sean Ellis, Ben Forrest, Christine Friant, Jillian Galeno, Kristen Gearin, Daniel Graziano, Robert Hampton, Gregory Hanson, Christie Howard, Jonathan Jimenez, Benjamin Johanson, Brent Johnson, Shane Johnson, Eugene Jones, Kelly Landry, Nathan LaSpina, Nicole LeClair, Morgan Leeman, Kelly Longe, David Lorandeau, Katelyn Lydston, Jonathan Marcoullier, Alexander Martin, Chelsea McGowan, James Diamond McGuire, Cameron McIntire, David McKinnon, Christopher Meehean, William Miles, Daniel Moran, Kevin Mucha, Kayla Olek, Kate Palhof, Sarah Parker, Amanda Phalon, James Pidgeon, Shannon Prior, Amarlal Punjaba, Michael Rainville, Christopher Ramsey, Anthony Romano, Thomas Ross, Ryan Sampson, Carlos Sanchez, Patricia Sanchez, Martha Shaw, Michael Spencer, Jhames Steinsiek, Jared Stevens, Kenneth Stitt, John Stump, James Turnbull, Eric Valanzola, Ryan Vokey, Kevin Wacker, Sadie Walsh, Corey Weiner, Zachary Wheeler, Nathan Willette, Kelsey Williams, Nicholas Zagami and Crawford Zetterberg.
