FAIRFIELD — Principal Pamela Swett hugged all 175 graduates of Lawrence High School before they received a diploma and handshake from Superintendent Dean Baker.
Swett advised the members of the class of 2012 on Friday night to not sweat the small stuff and to take care of minor problems so that bigger concerns would take care of themselves.
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“It’s the basics that matter,” she said to a standing room only crowd in the muggy gymnasium.
“Smile. Say thank you. Be kind to others. Choose to see the best in the world,” she said.
“Make mistakes. Learn from them. And most of all, make a difference.”
Swett said she hoped when the graduates looked back on high school they remembered the exceptional, magical moments.
Art teacher Lynn Bustard thanked salutatorian Courtney Bowen for making a lasting impression on her.
Bustard said the gifted Bowen listened, applied new knowledge and was the type of student that educators loved to teach.
“I put your sketchbook at the bottom of the pile so I would have something to look forward to,” she said.
Class President Maxwell Kenney said he and his classmates had spent 17 percent of their lives in high school, and it was time to rise and change the world.
“We never did fall into the rhythm of high school,” he said. “We made our own.”
Valedictorian Hannah Chavis said the inside jokes, sights and sounds of high school, like the click of Mrs. Swett’s heels on the tile floor, are among the memories that tie classmates together.
Chavis said her mother frequently told her that she didn’t care about grades, she only wanted Chavis to try her hardest.
“That made me try my hardest,” Chavis said.
Chavis told her peers that they were responsible for their success.
“If you want a fabulous job, you have to work for it,” she said.
Fifty-five of the 175 graduates achieved an average of 90 or higher at Lawrence.
Class marshals Thad Chamberlain and Erika Morin led the class into the gymnasium, while the high school band, directed by Loren Fields, played the processional.
Beth Staples — 861-9252
bstaples@centralmaine.com
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