NORTHFIELD — The 63 graduating seniors, in their individually decorated caps and gowns, were chatting anxiously among themselves when the Pioneer Valley Regional School Band started “Pomp and Circumstance.” In the audience, at least a few family members and friends might have cried a little.
Commencement speaker Ariel Lareau, a PVRS English teacher, called her students knights in shining armor, warrior princesses, clowns, troubadours, sages wise beyond their years, philosophers, child spirits, historians, good Samaritans, heroes, queens and sorceresses — “characters in the epic and eternal story.”
“It is a time of excitement,” Lareau said, “but also of uncertainty. It feels like the end, but it is just the beginning.”
“Consider there are more possible plot lines in your story than the one you initially tell yourself,” she said.
Salutatorian Adrian Wilson said in his speech how he wrote valentines to all of his classmates, and thanked a number of them individually for the relationships they had shared. Valedictorian Rebecca Rodgers shared the quote from Walt Disney that she had written on her cap: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
“Go with courage,” she told her classmates, “because I know you all have it in you to achieve your dreams.”
Jared Ackerman, Theodore Cronyn Award, Pioneer Valley Regional School Scholarship.
Shelby Avery, George A. Warner Award.
Cara Brennan, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, DAR Good Citizen Award, Northfield Fire Dept. Floyd M. Dunnell Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Sharon Schena Volleyball Scholarship, Abigail Stratton Award, Abigail Stratton Scholarship, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Amber Brownlee, Outstanding Achievement A.P. Psychology, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Elementary Statistics.
Alden Campbell, Owen Clarke Foundation Award, Achievement in Visual Art.
Madeline Care, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Student of the Month for April, Thomas J. Hurley Nurses’ Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Mary Ellis, Outstanding Achievement in A.P. Government & Politics: US, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, Governor Phil Hoff Vermont Honor Scholarship.
Margaret Rachel Embree, Excellence in English 12, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery.
Brendan Emond, Excellence in Life Skills, Newt Guilbault Little League Scholarship.
Christopher Emond, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship.
Krishana Facto, TAB Senior Leader, Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Pioneer Valley Kennel Club, Most Improved in Chorus.
Darren Fisher, Outstanding Achievement in Money Management, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery.
Bria Fitzgerald, Student of the Month for September, Pioneer Valley Regional School Instrumental Music Award, Andrew R. St. Hilaire Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Jillian Gadreault, Fortnightly Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Kaylee Gibson, Outstanding Achievement in AP English 12, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Student of the Month for December/January, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, Excellence AP Environmental Science, Kathryn Bassett Memorial Award, Big Y Scholarship, Fortnightly Scholarship, Massachusetts Elks National Most Valuable Student Scholarship, Northfield Fire Dept. Floyd M. Dunnell Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club: F. Sumner Turner Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Rebekah Goodwin, Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation Scholarship.
Aiden Gries, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship,John A. Hogan Memorial Scholarship of the Pioneer Valley Regional Education Association, Massachusetts Elks Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club: Walter F. Asseng Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Mackenzie Griffin, Excellence in Chorus, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Cathy Hawkins-Harrison Music Service Award: Chorus, Evelyn G. Lawley Award, Abigail Stratton Award.
Matthew Grover, Grover/Barnes Award.
Jacob Hubbard, Excellence in Physical Education.
Justin Hubbard, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Excellence in Band, Fortnightly Scholarship, Greenfield Lodge of Elks Scholarship Duane A. Nelson, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Fred R. Whitcomb Scholarship.
Eli Koester, Student of the Month for November, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, TAB Senior Leader, Alice, Eric, Oscar Anderson Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Alexandrea Kubaska, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Art, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Foundation for Educational Excellence: Robert S. Coy Art Award.
Elizabeth Lambert, Excellence Elementary Statistics, Alice, Eric, Oscar Anderson Scholarship, Sarah Kemble Scholarship Award, Women of the Moose Scholarship.
Cole Leighton, Owen Clarke Foundation Scholarship, Northfield Kiwanis Club: Jonathan (Jake) Mayberry Scholarship, Rotary Club of Franklin County Scholarship.
Jordan Loughman, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Bernardston Veterans’ Organization Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Hannah MacLeod, Amber Bernier Award.
Colby Maynard, Outstanding Achievement A.P. Biology, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Bernardston Kiwanis Club Scholarship, Leonard Eastman Award, Tyler Family Memorial Award, George A. Warner Fund Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Anna McClure, TAB Senior Leader, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Dana McRae, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Band, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, TAB Senior Leader, Moral Courage Award in TAB, Anita L. Pike Memorial Scholarship, PVRS National Honor Society Scholarship, Warwick Community Scholarship, Lucy Wilder Memorial Humanitarian Award.
Syrus Nicolson, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Harold A & Elizabeth C. Newton Scholarship.
Adrian Paul, Student of the Month for October, Excellence in Photography, Kathy Bonnett Memorial Award, Orange American Legion Post 172, Warwick Community Scholarship.
Cody Podlesney, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Knights of Columbus Greenfield Council 133, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Kayti Powell, Outstanding Achievement in Money Management, Excellence in English 12, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Pioneer Valley Regional School Scholarship.
Andrew Pratt, Outstanding Achievement in Money Management, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Excellence in Nutrition & Foods, Excellence in Architecture Design, Leonard Bruno Memorial Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Tommy Newton Community Spirit Award.
Hannah Ray, Foundation for Educational Excellence: Richard Martin Theatre Award, Outstanding Achievement in Chorus.
Emily Raymond, Makenzie Goode Memorial Athletic Scholarship, Ethel F. Jackson Memorial Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Jeremie Rivera Ortiz, Excellence in English as a Second Language, Owen Clarke Foundation Award, Abigail Stratton Award.
Rebecca Rodgers, Dean Beaudoin Memorial Scholarship ,John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Silver “P”Award for National Honor Society, Foundation for Educational Excellence & The Greenfield Co-operative Bank Scholarship, French Club Scholarship, Alfred Orlens Citizenship Award, Principal’s Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Excellence in Envirothon, Outstanding Achievement in French 5.
Spencer Ross, Excellence in English 12, PVRS Student Council Scholarship
Alexander Wahlstrom, Excellence in Envirothon, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Student of the Month for February/March, Kevin J. Courtney Scholarship, Ned Green Scholarship, Grover/Barnes Award, Cathy Hawkins-Harrison Music Service Award:Band, Thaddeus M. Ostrowski Memorial Award, Abigail Stratton Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship, Gerald & Edward McGowan Memorial Award.
Karl Wheeler, Cohn & Company Real Estate Scholarship, Jason Peters Memorial Scholarship, Abigail Stratton Award, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Wade Williams, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Excellence in Environmental Science A & B, Outstanding Achievement Advanced Materials Technology, Alice, Eric, Oscar Anderson Scholarship.
Adrian Wilson, Outstanding Achievement in Money Management, Excellence in AP Language and Composition, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship for MCAS-ELA and Math Mastery, Outstanding Achievement in Calculus, Outstanding Achievement in Spanish V, Stephen F. Balk Award, Better Business Bureau’s Barbara J. Sinnott Scholarship, Fred W. Wells Fund Scholarship.
Logan Zumbruski, Outstanding Achievement in Architecture Design, Owen Clarke Foundation Award, Principal’s Most Improved.
Jared Andrew Ackerman, Shelby Lynn Avery, Cara Sean Brennan, Amber Elizabeth Brownlee, Alden Liane Campbell, Madeline Louise Care, Tristan Lee Dresser, Mary Mei Ellis, Margaret Rachel Robinson Embree, Brendan Conrad Emond, Christopher Michael Emond, Krishana Sabra Facto, Darren Joseph Fisher, Bria Marie Fitzgerald, Jillian Lee Gadreault, Kaylee Marie Gibson, Rebekah Anne Goodwin, Emily Jewel Graton, Aiden Kane Gries, Mackenzie Leigh Griffin, Matthew Cory Grover, Payten Amedee Herzig Doherty, Alexis Raven Hoague, Daylan Henry Hoff, Jacob Kenneth Hubbard, Justin Michael Hubbard, Isabel Stratford Johnson, Jacob Michael Kelton, Makenzie Rose Kilgour, Eli Edward Koester, Alyksandr Merritt Kostecki, Alexandrea Marie Kubaska, Austin Steven Kubaska, Elizabeth Ann Lambert, Cole Robert Leighton, Cody Robert Letourneau, Jordan Renfrew Loughman, Hannah Kathleen MacLeod, Colby Maynard, Anna Grace McClure, Ni’Kole Brittani McConley, Dana O’Reilly McRae, Michael James Menard Jr., Syrus Jason Nicolson, Adrian Joseph Paul, Heather Leigh Peck, Cody James Podlesney, Kayti Dawn Powell, Andrew James Pratt, Hannah Autumn Ray, Emily Kate Raymond, Jeremie Rivera Ortiz, Rebecca Ann Rodgers, Spencer Daniel Ross, Oceanna Tae Santoro, Nicholas Tyler Spinner, Alexander Joseph Wahlstrom, Bradford James Webster, Karl James Wheeler, Wade Hunter Williams, Adrian Joseph Wilson, Makayla Alura Wood, Logan Michael Zumbruski.