Presque Isle High seniors graduate in several small ceremonies

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle High School’s series of graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020were truly of their time — from the team of janitors who wiped down surfaces between sessions to a common theme from speakers that the class would emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before.

Unlike many high schools across the country, Presque Isle High opted not to hold a virtual graduation ceremony. Principal David Bartlett said he wanted to keep a sense of normality for a class that had experienced so many of its senior events canceled or postponed.

Instead, 128 seniors graduated nine at a time in alphabetical order over several identical ceremonies over two days — June 5 and 6. Under current Maine guidelines, only 50 people or fewer are allowed to gather. Even with far fewer faculty members attending than usual, each of the mini-ceremonies came close to that limit.

Students — all wearing custom-made facemasks with a Wildcats logo on it– lined up to grab their diplomas from a table. They only removed the face coverings to take a picture with their new accolade and SAD 1 Superintendent Ben Greenlaw.

The ceremony featured several addresses — most of which were pre-recorded over video — as well as a musical performance by Kacie Jo Chapman.

Chapman sang a heartfelt rendition of “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves. The song — about the positivity that can emerge from darkness — was a fitting tune for the end of a school year with many difficult times.

Class president Paige Emily McHatten said graduating seniors had every reason to be bitter about the pandemic’s effect on their senior year. They had been “cheated” of many senior staples they had long looked forward to as underclassmen.

Yet, she said the struggles had only made the senior class more resilient. The tough moments had only provided further wisdom to guide them in the future.

And the class had acted selflessly in a time when it was easy to be selfish, she said. McHatten said many students had taken vital roles at nursing homes and grocery stores, assisting the public with food and medical needs as they faced down an unseeable virus.

“We are one of the few classes to graduate during a global pandemic,” McHatten said. “But, we are also one of the few classes to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and ask the universe to throw another punch at us.”

Class speaker Allison Rose Himes provided a similarly optimistic tone in her address. She listed off the many common experiences of the 2020 class, from trying not to get lost in the vast high school as freshmen to the “mindless” hours required to get through driver’s ed.

Himes and other Presque Isle High students would never have thought that Friday, March 13 — the last day of classes before Gov. Janet T. Mills’ civil state of emergency — would be their final time together.

Their lives had changed rapidly. But as they head to adulthood, Himes said the class should be motivated by their triumph over adversity.

Achieving greatness is not always an easy task, she said. Himes emphasized that taking risks is often the primary path to success.

“You will lose, you will embarrass yourself, you will suck at something. There’s no doubt about it,” Himes said. “But never be discouraged and never look back.”

Bartlett provided the closing remarks, in what was the only in-person address of each ceremony. He said he had long thought about his graduation speech since becoming principal last year, but never thought it would be under such circumstances.

Yet, he said the past few months had provided a valuable lesson that many do not get the chance to learn as young people: that life can throw things at you that are entirely out of your control.

“Nobody can fix this,” Bartlett said. “Not your parents, not your teachers and not the leaders at your school.”

He said the class’s collective struggles had led to collective perseverance that had brought the Class of 2020 closer together in new ways.

“I’ll always be proud of being principal of Presque Isle High School,” Bartlett said. “But, I already know that when I look back at my career in education, I will be most proud to have had the privilege to be the principal of the Presque Isle High School Class of 2020.”