TURNERS FALLS — The Turners Falls High School Class of 2017, which graduated Friday, sees themselves as a cohesive unit. The seniors in this year’s class faced a tough year, but students from different cliques and backgrounds all say it brought them closer together.
“You have to find the positive in the negative,” said Jordyn Fiske of Montague Center.
Students at the school grappled with the loss of Assistant Principal Earl McGraw in October of this year. Fiske said that it didn’t matter who you were or if you were friends with each other, the students offered hugs and support for each other.
“Everyone came together, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Tess Hunter of Millers Falls added.
Students said that by able to unite in supporting each other, they came closer together as a group, something that has served them well in the time since.
“I think he would have liked to see that,” Fiske said.
It’s something Principal Annie Leonard sees in the class, too. Leonard said the kids have never let their individual drive take precedence over the need to stay kind to each other.
“I think this is a group of students who appreciate what they’ve learned through the hard parts,” she said.
The seniors said part of what has made their experience memorable and allowed the senior class to bond is the size of the school. It allows everyone to know their peers and know their teachers, too.
“You get to know them as people,” Hunter said.
The teachers, said Emily Watrous of Turners Falls, make time to attend shows, activities and sporting events beyond the classroom and are invested in the school and the kids.
The majority of the students have known each other for most of their lives, and the class has welcomed newcomers to the school. Students like Zach McDaniel, who moved to Turners from Georgia and said he was quickly embraced at the school.
Even the contentious mascot issue didn’t divide the class. The students said they were always reminded by class president Riley Wood that their opinions and demonstrations had to be respectful and appropriate.
And even for those students on different sides of the issue, they said it didn’t matter and it change how they treated each other.
“No matter what, we we’re all supporting each other, we’re all really open minded,” Amilee Jarvis, a Turners Falls resident, said.
And while many in the community felt a deep divide outside the high school, it wasn’t happening with the students.
“It wasn’t separate sides, I was impressed,” School Counselor Beth Fortin said.
The students said the support system and the teachers are the things the will miss most when they’re done. Hunter said she has been amazed by the talents of her classmates and is excited to watch where they go.
“This will not be the last you hear of this class,” she said.
As far as advice for younger students? They said that beyond focusing on studies, students should get involved, have fun, and remember that self care needs to be a priority.
“You have to be your own advocate,” added Alex Soucie, of Turners Falls.
Beyond it all, the students told others to keep going, keep pushing yourself, and to remember to embrace the support system because it’s impossible to do it alone.
“It’s going to feel so good to get that diploma,” Jarvis said.
Reach Miranda Davis at 413-772-0261, ext. 280 or mdavis@recorder.com.