SOUTH DEERFIELD — Recalling 50 years ago to the date, outgoing state Rep. Stephen Kulik spoke about what still sticks out to him from his own high school graduation.
It was 1968 and a time with social and political unrest. There was war, assignations, marches for civil rights and “deep questioning of some of the institutions and norms that have formed the basis of our democracy.”
“When I look around in 2018, I actually see many similarities to what was happening 50 years ago,” Kulik, who’s retiring after 25 years serving in the Legislature, told Frontier Regional School’s graduates Friday.
Kulik’s message to graduates was not about what side of the aisle they may sit in politically, but rather about making sure they’re at least in the room.
“Indeed right now, especially at this time, I believe it’s more critical than ever for your fresh perspectives and new voices to be a big part of addressing and solving society’s problems,” he said to the 73 graduates.
He encouraged them to register to vote and, if they stay in the area, participate in Town Meeting, “democracy in its purest form.”
While Kulik’s message was to engage politically and never feel your voice is too small, the student speakers reminded their fellow graduates to cherish the memories of their years here, as it shaped them and their ambitions.
“I know I can say I have a friend in every one of these graduates,” Class President Stephen Worthley said, sporting a king’s crown atop his graduation cap.
National Honor Society Representative Kelsey Jarvis left her classmates with this: “These memories are ones that will remain with us as we go onto bigger and better things,” as the sun set over the football field a day where rain gave way for the warmth of a summer-like day.
Alber Hearing Scholarship, Kimberlie Asseng, Mckenzie Patterson; Marshall Aronstam Memorial Scholarship Award, Isabelle Senn; Barbara Banas Memorial Award, Abigail Zeoli; Stephen M. and Martha H. Barrett Scholarship, Isabelle Senn; Jeffrey C. Bednarski Memorial Scholarship, Marissa Rosa, Brianna Thurber ; Sgt. Gregory Belanger Memorial Award, Joseph Lawton, Lauren Macdonald, Mateo Rull Garza;
George E. Bell, Jr. & Louise S. Bell Memorial Scholarship, Angela Self; Bete Fog Nozzle Hockey Scholarship, Camden Barnes; Greg Bielski Memorial Award, Gabriel Boutte’ Foster; Big Y Scholarship, Abigail Antes, Camden Barnes;
Michael G. Cavanaugh Award, Connor Pettis; Cohn and Company Real Estate Scholarship, Griffin Trott; Conway Festival of the Hills, Gabriel Boutte’ Foster, Jordan Ford-Solomon, Lauren Macdonald, Patrick McGranaghan, Mckenzie Patterson; Conway Sportsman’s Club/Dave Bennett Memorial Scholarship, Lauren Macdonald; Conway Sportsman’s Club/Aaron Staelens Memorial Scholarship, Patrick McGranaghan; William K. Decker Memorial Award, Greyson Young;
Deerfield Chapter Future Farmers of America, Kelsey Jarvis; Deerfield Lion’s Club Memorial Award, Matthew Carlson, Connor Pettis, Brandyn Robinson; Deerfield Lions Club David A. Karcut Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Carlson; Deerfield Police Relief Association Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Carlson; Deerfield Police Relief Association Walter Dacyczyn Memorial Award, Emma Wesoloski;
Deerfield Recreation Department Scholarship, Noah Graves, Emma Wesoloski; Franklin County Bar Association Thomas W. Merrigan Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Carlson, Mateo Rull Garza;
John T. Frigard Memorial Award, Aaron Landry; FRS Character in Athletics Award, Ella Deane;
Frontier Regional School Committee Award, Emily Menard; FRS Teachers’ Association Edna Beattie Award, Sarah Avery; FRS Teachers’ Association Memorial Award, Isabelle Senn; FRS Teachers’ Association Stephen Sanicki Memorial Award, Leah Pion; FRS Teachers’ Association William Steinecke Memorial Award, Lillian Powers; Daniel Gilmore Memorial Scholarship, Kimberlie Asseng, Marissa Rosa; Vi Goodnow Memorial Award, Ella Deane; Attorney George P. Gromacki, Class of 1950 Memorial Award, Matthew Carlson;
Leonard T. Grybko Sr.Scholarship, Gabriel Dickinson; Hale Clapp Post 3295 VFW Scholarship, Benjamin Litskoski, Maxwell Ward; Hangar Pub and Grill/Amherst Brewing Scholarship, Tyler Mayrand;
Matthew Herman Scholarship, Michael Sullivan; Caleb Charles Kinney Memorial Scholarship, Joseph Hildreth, Lauren Macdonald; Charles Mark Foreign Language Scholarship, Kimberlie Asseng, Darian Myers; Timothy Patrick Merritt Scholarship, Stephen Worthley; Kathy Moser Memorial Award, Emily Menard; Nancy Olszewski Memorial Scholarship, Kathryn Daughton, Margaret Parsons Memorial Award, Dakota Cardaropoli; Charles A. Pielock Memorial Award, Nikolas Georgitsa;
Polish American Citizen’s Club Award, Joseph Hildreth, Alec Jordan, Bryce Jordan, Emma Wesoloski; The Recorder Scholarship, Alexis Noga; Anthony Reynolds Sr. Memorial Scholarship, Abigail Zeoli; Laurie Ann Richards Memorial Scholarship, Abigail Zeoli; Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation Scholarship, Brandyn Robinson; Myron “Rocky” Rokoszac Memorial Award, Emma Wesoloski; Rotary Club of Franklin County, Massachusetts, Inc., Isabelle Senn; Mary Ryan Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Carlson; David L. Scott Memorial Scholarship, Joseph Hildreth, Connor Pettis; Roger Dean Scudder Memorial Scholarship, Patrick McGranaghan;
Michael R. Skibiski Memorial Award, Mackenzie Lagoy; John F. Skroski Memorial Scholarship, Selayna Bathurst, Alexa Boyden, Ella Deane, Noah Graves, Benjamin Litskoski, Jared Muzyka, Brandyn Robinson; South Deerfield Women’s Club Scholarship, Noah Graves, Kelsey Jarvis, Mateo Rull Garza; Alice Spindler Award for Excellence in English, Sedona LeBlanc; Sunderland Men’s Club/Lillian Dill Award, Abigail Zeoili; Sunderland Men’s Club/George Pomeroy Award, Ella Deane;
Sunderland Volunteer Fireman’s Association Award, Abigail Zeoli; Sunderland Women’s Club Frances M. Clark Fine Arts Award, Mateo Rull Garza; Sunderland Women’s Club Mildred Goodyear Math, Science and Technology Award, Leah Pion; Sunderland Women’s Club Kimberly Zewski Community Service Award, Abigail Zeoli; Union 38 Teachers’ Association Scholarship, Darian Myers, Lillian Powers; United Congregational Church of Conway Scholarship, Abigail Antes; Mary A. Valiton Memorial Scholarship, Selayna Bathurst, Brianna Thurber; Fred Wells Scholarship, Abigail Antes, Camden Barnes, Matthew Carlson, Bryce Dodosz, Joseph Hildreth, Aaron Landry, Lauren Macdonald, Tyler Mayrand, Alexis Noga, Mckenzie Patterson, Brandyn Robinson, Angela Self, Emma Wesoloski;
Whately Grange, Gabriel Dickinson; Whately PTO Award, Jessup Glenn; Women of the Moose Chapter 316 Scholarship, Mateo Rull Garza; Yankee Candle Scholarships, Kimberlie Asseng, Matthew Carlson, Noah Graves, Kelsey Jarvis, Joseph Lawton, Benjamin Litskoski, Tyler Mayrand, Lauren Macdonald, Jared Muzyka, Marissa Rosa, Mateo Rull Garza, Angela Self, Brianna Thurber, Maxwell Ward, Emma Wesoloski, Greyson Young; Jenie Brozowski Zarimba Memorial Award, Jared Muzyka; Daniela Zinn Memorial Scholarship, Isabelle Senn;
John & Abigail Adams Scholarship, Abigail Antes, Sarah Avery, Selayna Bathurst, Alexandra Boyden, Matthew Carlson, Ella Deane, Gabriel Dickinson, Nikola Dragicevich, Nikolas Georgitsa, Joseph Hildreth, Kelsey Jarvis, Ethan Lafleur, Mackenzie Lagoy, Joseph Lawton Curtis, Sedona Leblanc, Benjamin Litskoski, Tyler Mayrand, Emily Menard, Jared Muzyka, Darian Myers, Hayden Rouse, Angela Self, Isabelle Senn, Katie Thompson, Brandon Trueswell, Maxwell Ward, Greyson Young
*Abigail Catherine Antes, Benjamin E. Arnold, Kimberlie Laura Asseng, Sarah Elizabeth Avery, *Camden J. Barnes, Kara Lynn Bates, Selayna Lauren Bathurst, Akwasi A. Beresford, Sage Camryn Bourbeau, Gabriel Cedar Boutte’-Foster, *Alexandra Jean Boyden, Jacob Daniel Boyer, Madelynn Rose Marie Braverman, Dakota G. Cardaropoli, *Matthew Carlson, Richard Joseph Cohoon, Kathryn Anna Daughton, Gabrielle D. Davis, *Ella Jessica Deane, Dulce A. Diaz, Gabriel K. Dickinson, Bryce, G. Dobosz, Grace Walden Dow, Nikola Dragicevich, Jordan M. N. Ford-Solomon, Misael Espinoza Garcia, Nikolas Georgitsa, Alex B. Gheorghita, Jessup Glenn, Noah D. Graves, Zachary Hamilton, Owen Albert Hickey, Joseph William Hildreth, Michael David Imm, *Kelsey Raskevitz Jarvis, Aleyha J. Johnson, Alec C. Jordan, Bryce H. Jordan, Tyler Michael Kenney, Ethan J. LaFleur, Mackenzie Dorothy Lagoy, Jordan Kay Lamere, Aaron M. Landry, Joseph Lawton-Curtis, *Sedona LeBlanc, *Benjamin K. Litskoski, Lauren Marie MacDonald, *Tyler J. Mayrand, Patrick McGranaghan, *Emily Elizabeth Menard, *Jared R. Muzyka, *Darian Judith Myers, Alexis Jade Noga, Jose Miguel Angel Olvera Aguilera, Mckenzie Jean Patterson, *Andrew Edgar John Paul, Connor P. Pettis, Abigail Pierce, *Leah Gizelle Pion, Lillian Emeline Powers, Coleman R. Price, Grace Cassidy Randall, Brandyn E. Robinson, *Marissa Ariana Rosa, Hayden Leigh Rouse, Mateo Rull Garza, Alyssa Marie Santos, *Angela Rose Self, Isabelle Anna Senn, Michael C. Sullivan, Katie Leigh Thompson, Keeghan Elizabeth Thompson, Brianna Joy Thurber, Emily Jayne Tourigny, Griffin G. Trott, Brandon Richard Trueswell, *Maxwell Vaughn Ward, Daniel Michael Wehry, *Emma Lynn Wesoloski, Stephen Michael Worthley, *Greyson T. C. Young, *Abigail Sage Zeoli, Annalise Celeste Zera
*National Honor Society