GREENFIELD — All 37 were seated, together on the stage, wearing matching blue caps and gowns.
They were united Saturday as the 2018 graduating class of Four Rivers Charter Public School, but that doesn’t mean the faculty ignored their individualism.
“(You showed) how to teach moderation in politics,” senior advisor Deborah Chamberlain told now-alumnus Matthew Joseph McKay Turner, while he stood in front of the large crowd of parents, relatives and friends.
One by one, each graduating senior stood at the commencement ceremony, their peers seated beside them, while Chamberlain and her fellow senior advisors Andy Patari and Alex Wilson spoke to each of their strengths.
From Aili Rose Wonkka’s Catholic faith, to Sean William Sturmer’s scholarly fascination with vikings, to Xena Victoria Wildman-Hanlon’s pro-immigrant drive, each student’s traits, personality and journey, as described by their advisors, were told to the crowd.
According to Principal Peter Garbus, the Four Rivers Class of 2018 was the largest-ever graduating class in the charter school’s 15-year history.
Several students were given the chance to take the microphone at the commencement ceremony and tell the attendants what Four Rivers has meant to them.
“I didn’t want to be the percent of former foster kids who didn’t graduate from high school,” Wildman-Hanlon said, expressing gratitude. “Four Rivers believed in me.”
“Four Rivers, I’ve changed for good,” Juliet Margola said.
Kieron Schweitzer made sure to acknowledge his classmates at Four Rivers and the influence they’ve had on him.
“No matter what happened to me, I always knew I could go to school the next day and they’d all be there,” Schweitzer said.
Just like they walked up, just like they were recognized, they left the stage on-by-one, but they all did so to the tune of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
Graduates Olivia Adams, Northfield; Joseph “Mac” Almeida, Turners Falls; Tanner Ames, Montague; Elliot Baker, Greenfield; Morgan Bristol, Northfield; Kiernan Crough, Greenfield; Casey Davey; Gill and Greenfield; Virginia Dodge, Greenfield; Dylan Dubay, Erving; Jeffrey Dubay, Erving; Toby Foster, Gill; Joshua Gibson, Greenfield; Micah Goldstein, Colrain; Keegan Hamilton, Hadley; Michael Hill, Greenfield; Vega Johnson-Bouchard, Heath; Tori Koncz, Colrain; Caelan Lamere, Goshen; Jacob Lewis, Bernardston; Juliet Margola, Greenfield; Abigail Milewski, Gill; Marina Mota, Greenfield; Luka Newcombe, Wendell; Taylor Nichols, South Deerfield; Robert “Taz” Oborne, Chesterfield; Shayla Phillips, Greenfield; Milou Rigollaud, Greenfield; Abigail Schlinger, Montague; Audrey Schmale, Florence; Kieron Schweitzer, Greenfield; Rhiannon Stafford-Wolfram, Montague and Conway; Tim Stuart, Whately; Sean Sturmer, Colrain and Turners Falls; Matthew Turner, New Salem; Xena Wildman-Hanlon, Montague; Aili Wonkka, Erving; Henry Worden, Greenfield.
Scholarships
Abigail Milewski, Kiernan Crough and Juliet Margola: Fred W. Wells Scholarship. Vega Johnson-Bouchard: Mary Lyon Foundation Scholarship ($1000). Abigail Milewski: Cohn and Company Scholarship ($500).
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com.