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BHS graduates celebrate ‘the last passage of our childhood’

ast Saturday, the senior class of Bedford High School made history.

They were the first class to graduate on what Principal William Hagen described as a “glorious day.”

Indeed, there was nothing but sunshine as family and friends gathered at the BHS Bulldog Stadium to commemorate the 2012 graduating class. The ceremony opened with the presentation of colors and words from Hagen.

“The red line, which outlines the entranceways of the high school, represents challenges each of us at BHS go through,” Hagen said. “This graduating class embraced these challenges from the very start. They set the standards for what it means to be a bulldog.”

Hagen went on to list the many accomplishments BHS has made during the year – accomplishments that include being named as one of the Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report, being rated the No. 2 high school in New Hampshire, and earning a nomination for the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award, National Merit Scholar recognition, Interscholastic Sportsmanship Award and 14 state championship titles. This year’s graduating class is the third class to leave BHS.

Superintendent Tim Mayes also addressed the graduating class with one last homework assignment.

“Think of the person who has helped you the most and say thank you,” Mayes said.

Mayes also said that in talking with other school administrators throughout New Hampshire, there are three words he repeatedly hears in describing this year’s graduating class: “Humility, respect and confidence.”

“Never lose these qualities,” Mayes said. “It’s not what you achieve; it’s how you conduct yourself in the journey that matters.”

The ceremony also included words from two BHS graduates, Leadership Award winner Rachel Liff and class President Ryan Wilson.

“This is the last passage of our childhood,” Liff said. She went on to joke, “Although mine ended with the last Harry Potter film.”

Liff’s speech focused on author John Green’s line “We only have so long to play in the dirt and ask questions of rivers,” to which Liff countered, “I respectfully disagree. We will continue to ask the questions of why and how. It’s just instead of asking ‘What’s that big thing with water over there?’ we’ll ask ‘What’s the pH balance?’?”

Liff went on to address the many “stereotypes about Bedford kids” and explained what she believed her graduating class was all about.

“This is the most
inquisitive-natured, adventurous, active, busiest group of people I know.” Liff said. “We are not the people you want to anger. We speak up for our school, whether it’s at the Statehouse or fundraising. The possibilities are endless.”

Liff received one of 18 grants across the country for Special Olympics work in New Hampshire. She is also a member of New Hampshire Honors Society.

Wilson cited a recent graduation speech made by an English teacher from Wellesley High School in Massachusetts, in which the teacher told his students “they weren’t special.”

“Although I think he made a point, it was not delivered right,” Wilson said. Wilson then addressed the present social and economic turmoil of the U.S.

“The challenges that face our generation are like nothing our species have been through before,” Wilson said. “We have a wonderful opportunity in front of us, with no one to lean on but each other. Our own peers will help change the world, and that is amazing.”

According to Hagen, this year’s graduating class received $30,000 in scholarships.

“On behalf of our senior class, we would like to thank our community,” Hagen said. “Your lives are enriched by the ones you touch. I am confident you will make a positive mark on our world.”

The ceremony also included performances by the BHS chorus, which sung “I Will Find My Way Back Home,” and the BHS jazz band, which played “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the diplomas and a reception.

“This is not about finality,” Wilson said. “This is a commencement. It is about new beginnings. To quote Abraham Lincoln, ‘The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.’?”

Katelyn Dobbs can be reached at 594-6549 or kdobbs@nashuatelegraph.com.