SOUTH DEERFIELD — With so much happening in the world — a pandemic, wars and countless other issues at home and abroad — it’s natural to want to block out the noise, but Congressman Jim McGovern urged the 96 Frontier Regional School graduates Friday evening to resist the urge because the world depends on the next generation.

Drawing from his friend, the late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, McGovern urged the outgoing class to “make good trouble.”

“What I’m here to say to you class of 2024: you need to deal with it.  You need to help us fix these problems, you need to help make the world better,” said McGovern from Frontier’s football field. “I urge all of you to be troublemakers in the spirit of John Lewis. Make good trouble and fix not only what’s wrong, but always strive to make things better. Doing good is not only the right thing to do, it is incredibly satisfying, and it will ensure a more satisfactory and fulfilling life for each and every one of you.”

For a class that began high school in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, there could be no better opportunity.

“Technology has shrunk the world in ways that none of us could have imagined, yet so many of us feel distance; and the challenges we face are only growing more complex,” McGovern said. “That’s where each of you come in. We need you to be on the front line of our biggest challenges, whether it’s battling climate change or curing diseases or developing new technologies, writing thought-provoking stories or creating beautiful artwork.”

In his remarks, Class President Chanhee Son also urged his classmates to embrace the challenge of entering their next stage in life.

“Remind yourself not to get too comfortable because even if we’re at the end of one finish line, we’re staring at a new chapter, but instead of facing endless pages of Cornell notes, we are face to face with taxes, paying our own bills, overwhelming inflation and gas prices and having to go to doctor’s appointments alone,” Son joked.

Entering this new world will present all sorts of trials in life, but, Son emphasized, he and his peers have the abilities and tools to create a path to success.

“As we depart from this place, it is inevitable that each of us will face our own challenges,” Son said. “Always remember that the opportunity to forge a new path yourself through it, is always there … We, too, are capable of extraordinary and spectacular things.”

Graduates

*Gabrielle Marie Adams, Brayden A. Arsenault, Samuel Ayrapetyan, *Zoe Madina Ballou, Nazirae Rachelle Barnett, Madeline Rose Battisti, Madeline Bennett, Kyasia Berry, Mackenzie Ann Bishop, Gracie Brouillet, Ian J. Burt, Alexs Cameron Carey, Jack S. Carey, Matthew M. Chmyzinski, Emma Coleman, *Thaddeus A. Conner III, Andrea Louise Michelle Corliss, Benjamin Aaron Coulsey Jr., Tyler J. Cusson, *Caroline Rose Deane, *Kate Elizabeth DeMaio, Benjamin R. Desmond, Cameron Leah Dorval, Aleksandar Dragicevich, Aiden Dredge, Julia Claire Dufresne, Wyatt C. Edes, Leah Marie Edwards, Hunter Everett, Nicholas P. Fasulo, Wyatt Finch, *Anthony Fines, *Robert Stanley Fuqua, Andrew Garappolo, *Molly Diane Gates, Emma Kathryn Graveline, *Leah Keyes Gump, Jacob C. Han, Aidan Michael Heffernan, *Iris Hill, *Maebrie Anne Hoff, Hailey Lynn Hitkoski, Samantha F. Keller-Stowe, Kateri A. Laflamme, Tayanna Desneige Lamore, *Logan Martha Loncar, Jason Lu, *Hannah Linnea Mackin, *Amory Mark Maxey, *Madison J. McCarthy, Michelena Angelica McCarthy, Luke Daniel McCoy, Magdalene McDermott-White, *Madison Morgan McKemmie, Edward N. Mieczkowski, *Una Charlotte Millette, *Patrice Rose Moriarty, Aurel Sona Nalbandian, Andrew O’Sullivan, Rosco J. Palmer, Abigail Grace Patterson, Melanie Violet Paterson, Ian M. Paulin, *Christopher D. Penza, *Tenzin Phelgay, *Aliana Mae Pierce, *Nicole Marie Plasse, Brooke J. Preston, Max Theodore Cook Rajballie, *Hashini Ratnatunge, River Rodrigues, *Jenaily Ivette Rodriguez, Hunter J. William Russell, Ryan Lee Safford, Thelonius J. Sargent, Alexander Schreiber, Jamal W. Shah, *Sukhmapreet Singh, Tenzin Tseyang Smith, Gabriel M. Solodky, *Chanhee Son, Jasmine Soto-Diaz, Max J. Spruyt, Jack E. Storm, Brianna Marie Storozuk, Myles Justice Thomas, Aidan D. Valderrama, Donovan Peter Vichi, Jacob Benjamin Ward-Hateau, *Julia Mary Grace Walkowicz, *Zoe Rita Ware, Aiden John Weis, Tyler Phillip Willey, *Jillian Alicia Worden, Kaisac K. Yath.

 * indicates National Honor Society

Scholarships

Alber Hearing Scholarship, Gabrielle Adams, Hashini Ratnatunge; Amherst Chamber of Commerce- Cooley Dickinson Hospital Healthcare Scholarship, Tenzin Smith; Anonymous Scholarship, Leah Gump; Marshall Aronstam Memorial Scholarship Award, Hashini Ratnatunge; Ashfield Fall Festival Scholarship, Alexander Schreiber; Logan Matthew Aucoin Scholarship, Hunter Everett; Barbara Banas Memorial Award, Andrea Corliss; Martha H. Barrett Memorial Scholarship, Zoe Ware; Jeffrey C. Bednarski Memorial Scholarship, Emma Graveline, Gabriel Solodky; Sgt. Gregory Belanger Memorial Award, Benjamin Coulsey; George E. Bell, Jr. & Louise S. Bell Memorial Scholarship, Jillian Worden; Big Y Scholarship, Aliana Pierce; Michael G. Cavanaugh Award, Wyatt Finch; Class of 1969 Scholarship-In Memory of Michael “Mike” Ferriter, Molly Gates, Leah Gump, Jillian Worden; Conway Festival of the Hills Scholarship, Leah Gump, Logan Loncar, Amory Maxey, Patrice Moriarty, Abigail Patterson, Conway Firemen’s Auxiliary Scholarship, Ian Burt, Logan Loncar, Patrice Moriarty; Conway Sportsman’s Club Scholarship, Ian Burt, Logan Loncar; Deerfield Lion’s Club Memorial Award, Jillian Worden; Deerfield Lion’s Club David Karkut Memorial Scholarship, Madison McKemmie; Deerfield Police Walter Dacyczyn Memorial Award, Michelena McCarthy; Deerfield Police Relief Association Scholarship, Emma Graveline; Deerfield Recreation Committee Award, Jillian Worden; Edwin C. Demara Endowed Scholarship, Thaddeus Connor; Carol DiIorio Memorial Award, Robert Fuqua; John T. Frigard Memorial Award, Julia Walkowicz; Frontier Regional School Committee Award, Leah Gump; FRS Teachers’ Association Edna Beattie Award,  Gabrielle Adams, Andrea Corliss, Brianna Storozuk; Future Farmers of America Scholarship, Hashini Ratnatunge; Daniel Gilmore Memorial Scholarship,     Leah Gump; Vi Goodnow Memorial Award, Gabrielle Adams; Attorney George P. Gromacki, Class of 1950 Memorial Award, Nicholas Fasulo, Hale Clapp Post #3295 VFW Scholarship, Aiden Dredge, Tayanna Lamore; Matthew Herman Scholarship, Michelena McCarthy; Louise Law Memorial Scholarship, Gabrielle Adams, Tenzin Phelgay, Jillian Worden; Caleb Charles Kinney Memorial Scholarship, Thaddeus Conner III, Hashini Ratnatunge; Charles and Paula Mark Scholarship, Caroline Deane; Peter Marsters Memorial Fund, Alexander Schreiber; Don Maynard Scholarship, Gabrielle Adams; Timothy Patrick Merritt Scholarship, Robert Fuqua; Joseph Morawski Memorial Award, Tyler Cusson; Kathy Moser Memorial Award, Zoe Ballou; Nancy Olszewski Memorial Scholarship, Michelena McCarthy; Charles A. Pielock Memorial Award, Jenaily Rodriguez; Polish American Citizens’ Club Scholarship, Benjamin Desmond, Molly Gates, Madison McKemmie, Abigail Patterson; The Recorder Scholarship, Madison McCarthy; Retired Educators of Massachusetts-Franklin County Chapter Ethel Raymond Orcutt Scholarship, Jillian Worden; Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship, Benjamin Desmond; Myron “Rocky” Rokoszak Memorial Award for Academics and Athletics, Hannah Mackin; Myron “Rocky” Rokoszak Memorial Award, Kate DeMaio; Mary Ryan Memorial Scholarship, Kyasia Berry; Thomas J. Scanlon Sr. Memorial Scholarship, Molly Gates; David L. Scott Memorial Scholarship, Molly Gates, Brianna Storozuk; Michael R. Skibiski Memorial Award, Chanhee Son; John F. Skroski Memorial Award, Molly Gates,  Hailey Hutkowski, Brianna Storozuk; South Deerfield Women’s Club Scholarship, Thaddeus Conner III, Robert Fuqua, Hashini Ratnatunge, Jillian Worden; Sunderland Men’s Club – Lillian Dill Scholarship, Christopher Penza; Sunderland Men’s Club – George Pomeroy Award, Robert Fuqua; Sunderland Women’s Club Frances M. Clark Fine Arts Award, Robert Fuqua; Sunderland Women’s Club Mildred Goodyear Math, Science and Technology Award, Tenzin Phelgay; Sunderland Women’s Club Kimberly Zewski Community Service Award, Hashini Ratnatunge; Mary A. Valiton Memorial Scholarship, Gabrielle Adams; Van Valkenburg Scholarship, Alexander Schreiber; A.K. Warner Fund, Madison McCarthy; Fred Wells Scholarship, Zoe Ballou, Thaddeus Conner III; Whately Grange Scholarship, Molly Gates; Women of the Moose Chapter 316 Medical Field Scholarship, Jillian Worden; Yankee Candle Scholarships, Benjamin Coulsey Jr.,Thaddeus Conner III, Aiden Dredge, Robert Fuqua, Molly Gates, Leah Gump, Madison McCarthy, Madison McKemmie, Patrice Moriarty, Christopher Penza,Tenzin Phelgay, Aliana Pierce, Hashini Ratnatunge, Jillian Worden; Jenie Brozowski Zarimba Memorial Award, Una Millette; Daniela Zinn Memorial Scholarship, Hashini Ratnatunge; John & Abigail Adams Scholarship, Gabrielle Adams, Samuel Ayrapetyan, Zoe Ballou, Madeline Battisti, Madeline Bennett, Ian Burt, Caroline Deane, Kate Demaio, Sasha Dragicevich, Nicholas Fasulo, Robert Fuqua, Leah Gump, Jacob Han, Iris Hill Maebrie Hoff, Tayanna Lamore, Hannah Mackin, Amory Maxey, Madison McCarthy, Michelena McCarthy, Una Millette, Patrice Moriarty, Christopher Penza, Tenzin Phelgay, Aliana Pierce, Max Rajballie, Thelonius Sargent, Alexander Schreiber, Tenzin Smith, Gabriel Solodky, Chanhee Son, Jacob Spruyt, Donovan Vichi, Julia Walkowicz, Zoe Ware, Jillian Worden