LIMESTONE, Maine — The Limestone Class of 2010 threw their caps in the air like celebratory projectiles after officially becoming graduates of the Limestone community school on June 12.
While class marshals Jasmine Cote and Dylan Morgan may have lead their classmates ceremoniously into graduation with “Pomp and Circumstances,” the Class of 2010’s first steps into the world as high school graduates was to the beat of their own class song, “Nothing But a Good Time” by Bret Michaels.
The graduates certainly have good times ahead of them but graduation speakers cautioned that life can sometimes be anything but.
Dustin Morgan, an ’06 graduate of the Limestone Community School himself, had a somber but optimistic message for the graduates.
He spoke of the global recession and countries going bankrupt, described perpetual war and nuclear proliferation, and painted a picture of enormous problems looming over the world.
“Things may not seem bright, but it’s okay,” he said, promising that there is hope. “You are entering a world of uncertainty and bumps; I know that this seems very daunting and not very inspiring, but I promise that there is some good news.”
“That world that I spoke of is your parents world; it doesn’t have to be yours,” he added. “You have the ability and the right to change it.”
Class valedictorian Salvadore Portera, Jr. also encouraged his classmates to change the world.
“Simple clichés like ‘do your best,’ ‘do unto others’ and ‘play nice’ — those seem to be the first things that we forget, but don’t forget this,” Portera said. “The world is ours for the taking, but that doesn’t mean that the world is simply for us to take it; the world is ours to protect, ours to own, and ours to fix.”
As the Limestone Class of 2010 go on to make their mark on the world, 10 of the students received scholarships to help with their academic endeavors.
Nate Berube received the Carl Langley Scholarship in the amount of $8,000, a George and Clara Morris Scholarship and the Phil Adams Scholarship from the Limestone Rotary Club.
Isaac Bickford received a George and Clara Morris Scholarship, a Viola Robbins Scholarship and a Leo and Yvonne Michaud Scholarship.
Jasmine Cote received a George and Clara Morris Scholarship and a Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
Caitlin Good received a Scholarship through the County Federal Credit Union, a Stipend through the Xi Beta Alpha Sorority and a Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
Rylee Lieghton received a Viola Robbins Scholarship, a Belva and Harry Morris scholarship, a George and Clara Morris Scholarship and a Stan Libby Memorial Scholarship.
Dylan Morgan received a Viola Robbins Scholarship, a Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship, a George and Clara Morris scholarship, a Dawn Barnes Memorial Scholarship, a Presidential Achievement Award, a Bernard Osher Scholarship, a MELMAC Richard W. Tyler Principals Scholarship, a Limestone Alumni Scholarship and a Phil Adams Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club.
Audrey Pictou received a Viola Robbins Scholarship, a Limestone Class of 1952 Scholarship and a George and Clara Morris Scholarship.
Salvadore Portera received a Viola Robbins Scholarship, a Richard and Bette Getchell Mann Scholarship, a Limestone Masonic Lodge Scholarship, a Stan Libby Memorial Scholarship, a $5,000 Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship, a Homer Ward Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club and a Bragg Full Tuition Waiver valued at over $25,000 from the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
Victoria St. Pierre received a Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship, a George and Clara Morris Scholarship, a Limestone Masonic Lodge Scholarship, an Aroostook County Association of Government Accountants Scholarship, a Limestone Alumni Scholarship, a Homer Ward Memorial Scholarship through the Limestone Rotary Club and a Reginald Edgecomb Jr. Memorial Scholarship.
Though he graduated earlier this year in order to join the Marines, Limestone 2010 Graduate Ty Tracy also received a Belva and Harry Morris Scholarship and a George and Clara Morris Scholarship.
