GREENFIELD — As 85 Greenfield High School seniors marked the end of their high school journeys, they were urged to always carry with them the curiosity and determination that led them to Saturday morning’s commencement.

Valedictorian Maree Ellis Benitez asked her classmates to reflect on the growth they have all gone through since beginning high school at the beginning of the pandemic and to take those lessons and use them as a guide in their journey to “foster our innate thirst for knowledge,” regardless of where life takes them.

“I implore you to embrace your inquisitiveness and perseverance with open minds and open hearts, to never lose sight of the wonder that comes from exploring new ideas, pushing the boundaries of our minds and changing ourselves to be better,” Benitez said. “Our environment will change but our approach will remain the same. With a torch of curiosity in our hands and determination as our shield, let’s make our mark in the world.”

Commencement speaker and Associate Principal Gina Johnson reminded students about the importance of self-confidence and their decision making.

“Please don’t underestimate your significance or the power of your choices. Your choices will create your destiny,” Johnson said. “All the hard things you have endured are the building blocks to your greatness because this is not it, there’s so much more to come. Whether you’re choosing to go to work, college, military or explore the world, do it with a belief in yourself.”

After receiving their diplomas, students shared high fives and took turns moving their tassels from right to left as they marked the end of high school journey.

Before that celebratory moment, Johnson told the graduates that there will be difficult moments in life, but those fleeting moments of defeat can be washed away by the response.

“Yes, there will be days when you feel broken, but remember, that it’s not about the knockdown, it’s about the get up,” Johnson added. “I implore you every day to seize the moment.”

Graduates

Makenzy Anne Ahearn, Joymar Lyanis Alvarado Toro, Antaine Anhalt, Bryce A. Avery, Sean X. Babineau, Maree Ellis P. Benitez, Amber Morgan Bergeron, Nola Lynn Betances, Carly Elizabeth Blanchard, Jacob Niles Blanchard, Alina D. Bocharnikova, Khalil Lamar Brown, Jackson James Caron, Ja’rell Antoine Charles, Eliza Kate Chattman, Arianna Marie Chavez, Petru Cojocaru, Rebecca Covalenco, Katherine Yamileth Dominguez Romero, Deven A. Dubie, Eric Duong, Lily Duong, Cameron Hannah Eckstrom, Samira M. S. Fakira, Joshua Ferrara, Joshua Todd Filiault, Keagan David Fisher, Ainslee Rae Flynn, Ava Mary Fortin, Brodie Robert Gagne, Annexis Marie Garcia, Joshua Garcia, Morvens Skey Georges, Oscar Gonzalez, Zachary T. Gray, Jaydon James Grazick, Elias Xavier Grossett, Natalie Anne Grunwald, Hugh E. Hart, Joseph Heindrick Jean, Conner J. Johnson, Mozz Kanzler, Jack V. Knechtel, Preston Lee LaFleur, Josiah Michael Lawlor, Jasmine Paige Lovell, John Edward Marchefka, Virginia Marin, Quinn James Mass, Nyasiah Janay Maynard, Oona Ann Q McCreven-Gottschalk, Alice R. Menko, Jessica Mihailicenco, Gabrielle E. Orta-Roman, Marina Rose Osit, Daniel B. Peña-Chadee, Jacky Pierre, William Joseph Pierre, Ethan Joseph Poirier, Oliver Jack Postera, Edna Marie Pratt, Layla June Prescott, Jacob Richard Provost, Virginia Lilia Rahubenco, Jason J. Ramos Otero, Michael Angelo Ramos, Eric James Rider, Zacharias Josea Rivera, Sebastian Michael Roe, Addison Virginia Rotkiewicz, Sage L. Rudder, Isaiah Desean Salaam, Heskey Samu, John F. Sayers, Luke S. Scotera, Mia Sally Snedeker, Kyari Rose Tanner, Rossilene Tessier Jasmin, Tristan William Toomey, Kunga Demay Tridytsang, Steven J. Viveiros III, Ethin Ashton Whitmyer, Lio Riley Wiles, Lydia Hodgdon Wood, Truly Anne Wright

Graduation Night Awards

HONORS: Amber Bergeron, Jackson Caron, Rebecca Covalenco, Samira Fakira, Joshua Ferrara, Jaydon Grazick, Mozz Kanzler, Jasmine Lovell, John Marchefka, Virginia Marin, Alice Menko, Daniel Peña-Chadee, Layla Prescott

HIGH HONORS: Jacob Blanchard, Lily Duong, Zachary Gray, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Oliver Postera, Virginia Rahubenco, Sebastian Roe, Addison Rotkiewicz, Sage Rudder

HIGHEST HONORS: Antaine Anhalt, Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Ainslee Flynn, Natalie Grunwald, Conner Johnson, Quinn Mass, Jessica Mihailicenco, Marina Osit, Luke Scotera, Mia Snedeker, Tristan Toomey, Lydia Wood

Blanker Memorial Award: Quinn Mass; Principal’s Service Award: Carly Blanchard, Frederick W. Porter

Memorial Awards: Carly Blanchard, Jackson Caron

Class Night Awards

Smith College Book Award: Alex West; Saint Michael’s College Book Award: Adiana Clough and Shane Toomey.

Honor Cords: Art -Samira Fakira, Mozz Kanzler Business: Natalie Grunwald, Sage Rudder Culinary: Lio Wiles English: Bryce Avery, Quinn Mass, Marina Osit English Language Learner: Joymar Alvarado Toro, Eric Duong Exceptional Learning: Cameron Eckstrom, Joshua Filiault; Film Studies: Joshua Ferrara, Jaydon Grazick Foreign Language: Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard, Quinn Mass, Lydia Wood; History: Ainslee Flynn, Conner Johnson, Lydia Wood; Mathematics: Bryce Avery, Natalie Grunwald, Lydia Wood; Music: Ava Fortin, Conner Johnson, Quinn Mass, Sebastian Roe; Industrial Arts: Deven Dubie; Physical Education/Wellness: Carly Blanchard, Josiah Lawlor; Science: Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Luke Scotera.

The US President’s Educational Gold Awards: Antaine Anhalt, Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Lily Duong, Joshua Ferrara, Ainslee Flynn, Zachary Gray, Natalie Grunwald, Conner Johnson, Quinn Mass, Jessica Mihailicenco, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Marina Osit, Oliver Postera, Virginia Rahubenco, Sebastian Roe, Addison Rotkiewicz, Sage Rudder, Luke Scotera, Mia Snedeker, Tristan Toomey, Lydia Wood

The US President’s Educational Silver Award: Amber Bergeron, Jackson Caron, Eliza Chattman, Rebecca Covalenco, Deven Dubie, Samira Fakira, Ava Fortin, Annexis Garcia, Jaydon Grazick, Mozz Kanzler, Preston LaFleur, Josiah Lawlor, Jasmine Lovell, John Marchefka, Virginia Marin, Alice Menko, Daniel Peña-Chadee, Ethan Poirier, Layla Prescott, Kunga Tridytsang.

English Department Book Award: Marina Osit; Foreign Language Department French Book Award: Alice Menko; Foreign Language Department Spanish Book Awards: Quinn Mass, Marina Osit; Mathematics Department Book Award: Quinn Mass; Music Department John P. Sousa Award: Luke Scotera; Phys. Ed. &Wellness Department Book Award: Jackson Caron; Science Department Book Award: Sean Babineau; Dalton Chemistry Award: Luke Scotera; M. Ross Burns Book Award: Carly Blanchard; History Department Book Award: Jackson Caron; Library Research Skills Book Award: Gabrielle Orta-Roman.

Tristan Molongoski Achievement Award: Eliza Chattman; American Legion Scholarship: Quinn Mass, Oliver Postera; American Legion Award: Sean Babineau, Ainslee Flynn American Legion Auxiliary Certificate Girls State Award: Ainslee Flynn; Thomas Suchanek Athletic Scholarship Fund: Amber Bergeron, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Ainslee Flynn, Keagan Fisher, Ava Fortin Varsity Trophy: Jackson Caron; Sears Roebuck Trophy: Carly Blanchard; GHS Field Hockey Award: Ainslee Flynn; The Stephen Golosh Memorial Football Award: Keagan Fisher; Gary Stacy Memorial Softball Scholarship: Ainslee Flynn; Greenfield Tennis Association Scholarship: Rebecca Covalenco, Lydia Wood; GEA Scholarship: Quinn Mass, Luke Scotera; Greenfield Kiwanis Club Awards: William A. Carlson Scholarship Awards: Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard,Petru Cojocaru, Ainslee Flynn, Quinn Mass, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Addison Rotkiewicz; Daniela Zinn Memorial Scholarship Award: Quinn Mass; David M. Petrin Memorial Awards: Bryce Avery, Jacob Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Ainslee Flynn, Ava Fortin, Oliver Postera; Aaron Franceschi-Green Memorial Award: Marina Osit; Silver G Awards: Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard, Joshua Ferrara, Ainslee Flynn, Quinn Mass, Layla Prescott, Addison Rotkiewicz, Tristan Toomey, Lydia Wood Student Council Scholarship: Sean Babineau, Carly Blanchard, Ainslee Flynn, Quinn Mass, Tristan Toomey; Massachusetts Student Council Commonwealth Awards: Carly Blanchard, Ainslee Flynn; George G. Jonelunas Scholarship: Bryce Avery, Quinn Mass; Jennie L. Bascom Fund: Maree Ellis Benitez, Petru Cojocaru; Class of 1977 Scholarship Award: Joshua Ferrara, Sage Rudder; Nancy Mauri Robertson Memorial Award: Eliza Chattman; Gail Steinbring Memorial History Award: Lydia Wood; Weymouth Science Fund Award: Bryce Avery; Louis J. Bush Science Award: Maree Ellis Benitez; Jonathan W. Malloy Memorial Award: Carly Blanchard; Scott K. Woodcock Memorial Award: Carly Blanchard, Ainslee Flynn; Gary Bitzer Memorial Music Award: Kunga Tridytsang; G.H.S. Memorial Music Awards: Ava Fortin, Conner Johnson, Quinn Mass, Sebastian Roe, Luke Scotera; Barney & Evelyn K. Michaelman Awards: Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Amber Bergeron, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Jackson Caron, Eliza Chattman, Petru Cojocaru, Rebecca Covalenco, Deven Dubie, Lily Duong, Joshua Ferrara, Keagan Fisher, Ainslee Flynn, Ava Fortin, Zachary Gray, Natalie Grunwald, Conner Johnson, Josiah Lawlor, Virginia Marin, Quinn Mass, Jessica Mihailicenco, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Marina Osit, Daniel Peña-Chadee, Oliver Postera, Edna Pratt, Sebastian Roe, Addison Rotkiewicz, Luke Scotera, Mia Snedeker, Tristan Toomey, Steven Viveiros III, Lio Wiles, Lydia Wood; Greenfield High School Award: Ainslee Flynn A.K. Warner Fund Scholarship: Jacob Blanchard, Joshua Ferrara, Marina Osit; Abigail and John Adams Scholarship Awards: Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Jacob Blanchard, Jackson Caron, Petru Cojocaru, Joshua Ferrara, Ainslee Flynn, Ava Fortin, Zachary Gray, Natalie Grunwald, Conner Johnson, Mozz Kanzler, John Marchefka, Quinn Mass, Marina Osit, Oliver Postera, Sebastian Roe, Luke Scotera, Lydia Wood; Wells Trust Awards: Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Amber Bergeron, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Jackson Caron, Eliza Chattman, Arianna Chavez, Petru Cojocaru, Rebecca Covalenco, Lily Duong, Keagan Fisher, Ainslee Flynn, Ava Fortin, Zachary Gray, Natalie Grunwald, Conner Johnson, Virginia Marin, Quinn Mass, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Marina Osit, Daniel Peña-Chadee, Oliver Postera, Sebastian Roe, Addison Rotkiewicz, Luke Scotera, Lydia Wood; Haskins Scholarships: Maree Ellis Benitez, Tristan Toomey Dr. Sarah Kemble Memorial Scholarship: Bryce Avery, Carly Blanchard; Ethel Raymond Orcutt Scholarship: Marina Osit Bill Massey Memorial Award: Petru Cojocaru, Gabrielle Orta-Roman; Greenfield Lodge of Elk #1296 Sandri,Ulrich, Russell Scholarship: Daniel Peña-Chadee; Greenfield Lodge of Elk #1296Henry J. Burns Memorial Scholarship: Addison Rotkiewicz Massachusetts Elks Association Scholarship: Sean Babineau; Russell H. Kimball Memorial Scholarship: Natalie Grunwald; The McCarthy Brothers Bond Scholarship: Carly Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Joshua Ferrara, Ava Fortin, Conner Johnson, Oliver Postera, Addison Rotkiewicz, Lydia Wood; Joan D. Richardson Award: Lydia Wood; Sally T. Richardson Award: Natalie Grunwald, Gabrielle Orta-Roman; Adam Ouimette Memorial Scholarship: Addison Rotkiewicz, Luke Scotera; Greenfield High School Basketball Boosters Scholarship: Amber Bergeron, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Oliver Postera; Graduation Program Design: Lio Wiles.

Academic Awards:Antaine Anhalt Library Internship, Graphic Design Bryce Avery Advanced European History, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish Maree Ellis Benitez AP Physics, Advanced European History Carly Blanchard AP Biology, AP Spanish, Wellness Jacob Blanchard Wellness Alina Bocharnikova Painting Jackson Caron Weight Training, Exploring Computer Science Eliza Chattman Academic Support Arianna Chavez Algebra 2, Modern World History Deven Dubie Manufacturing Lily Duong Environmental Ecology, Precalculus, Exploring Computer Science Cameron Eckstrom Work Experience, Functional Math Samira Fakira Painting, Chemistry Joshua Ferrara Tech Design Joshua Filiault Social Skills, Work Experience, Functional Math Keagan Fisher Weight Training Ainslee Flynn AP Spanish, Wellness Ava Fortin Wellness, Band, AP Spanish Zachary Gray AP Biology Joseph Heindrick Jean Algebra Conner Johnson Advanced European History, Graphic Design, Band Jack Knechtel English 11, Biology, Algebra 2 Josiah Lawlor Weight Training, Construction John Marchefka English 12 Quinn Mass AP Calculus, Band, AP Spanish, Wellness Alice Menko Library Internship, Oceanography, Printmaking and Mixed Media, English 12 Jessica Mihailicenco Ceramics Wheel Gabrielle Orta-Roman Library Internship, Culinary, French 5 Marina Osit Yoga/Training, Oceanography, AP Literature, AP Spanish Ethan Poirier Graphic Design Oliver Postera Culinary, Wellness Edna Pratt Culinary Layla Prescott Wellness, French 4 Michael Ramos Reading, Social Skills Eric Rider RISE Zacharias Rivera Weight Training Sebastian Roe Band, Spanish 4 Sage Rudder AP Statistics, AP Spanish Luke Scotera Yoga/Training, Band, AP Spanish Tristan Toomey AP Biology Kunga Tridytsang Band Lio Wiles Painting Lydia Wood AP Literature, AP Spanish, Wellness Truly Wright Academic Support

National Honor Society: Bryce Avery, Sean Babineau, Maree Ellis Benitez, Carly Blanchard, Jacob Blanchard, Petru Cojocaru, Rebecca Covalenco, Lily Duong, Joshua Ferrara, Ainslee Flynn, Zachary Gray, Natalie Grunwald, Virginia Marin, Quinn Mass, Jessica Mihailicenco, Gabrielle Orta-Roman, Marina Osit, Oliver Postera, Sebastian Roe, Addison Rotkiewicz, Virginia Rahubenco, Sage Rudder, Luke Scotera, Tristan Toomey, Lydia Wood.

Student Council Awards: Antaine Anhalt, Sean Babineau, Carly Blanchard, Ainslee Flynn, Quinn Mass, Layla Prescott, Tristan Toomey.

Key Club Awards: Sean Babineau, Carly Blanchard, Eliza Chattman, Ainslee Flynn, Natalie Grunwald, Quinn Mass, Layla Prescott.

Athletic Awards: Three Letter Winners: Bryce Avery 3 Golf, Maree Ellis Benitez 4 Softball, Amber Bergeron 5 Basketball 4 Softball, Carly Blanchard 5 Soccer 3 Basketball 4 Softball, Jacob Blanchard 5 Soccer, Jackson Caron 5 Cross Country 5 Outdoor Track, Petru Cojocaru 3 Soccer 3 Tennis Deven Dubie 3 Baseball, Ainslee Flynn 5 Field Hockey 4 Softball, Ava Fortin 4 Cross Country 4 Outdoor Track, Brodie Gagne 3 Ice Hockey, Zachary Gray 3 Outdoor Track, John Marchefka 3 Golf 3 Baseball, Daniel Peña-Chadee 5 Soccer 3 Tennis, Layla Prescott 3 Outdoor Track, Addison Rotkiewicz 3 Volleyball, Luke Scotera 3 Golf, Tristan Toomey 4 Outdoor Track, Lydia Wood 3 Tennis.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.