BIDDEFORD — Biddeford High School Senior Class President and Valedictorian Mary Kircher, led her 186 classmates through the center aisle of the high school’s Tiger Gymnasium at 1 p.m. on Sunday where they were cheered on by family and friends. Two hours later, after listening to words of wisdom from classmates and adults who addressed the class, and receiving their diplomas, the 125th graduating class of Biddeford High School had completed their last act as BHS students.

Despite the rainy day, the students’ spirits were high.

In the minutes prior to her graduation, Sarah Tanguay said she was feeling “excited, bittersweet and nervous.”

Ashley Lemelin said she was “really relaxed” and happy to be “going onto to something bigger and better.”

“The reality of graduation hasn’t hit me yet,” said Kathleen Stephens.

The four years at BHS have “gone by really quickly,” said Lemelin. She said her high school experience taught her about herself and what she wanted to be by studying those around her.

All three girls plan to go on to college.

The majority of students will be going on to further their education after graduation, said Student Council & Student Body President Ryan Gavin who was the first speaker. In addition six class members will be entering the military, he said, and many will enter the work force.

During the graduation ceremony, many of the speakers told the seniors to “believe in yourself” and “not let others define you.”

“You are the greatest, greatest students,” said Mayor Joanne Twomey when she addressed the class. “Do not be afraid,” she said to the graduates. “Anything is possible.”

She reminded them that no matter how far they went in their lives, Biddeford would always be their home.

The mayor also seized the opportunity to put in a plug for renovating Biddeford High School, which was a major plank on her campaign platform when she ran for office in 2007.

Twomey apologized to the students that they had to graduate from a sub-standard school and asked for their help as alumni to help sell the school renovation to voters.

A bond referendum to fund the renovation is planned for the November ballot.

Keynote speaker Marc Bourassa, a teacher at Biddeford Middle School, related the story of the ”˜Flight of the Hummingbird,” during which a hummingbird attempted to put out a forest fire with drop after drop of water in order to do what it could. Like the hummingbird of the story, Bourassa’s advice to the graduates was, “Do what you can.”

Michael Chase, founder of the Kindness Center and the other keynote speaker, told students to dream big and put in the effort to follow their dreams. That, he said, will lead to inner peace which will in turn lead to world peace.

In their joint address during the ceremony, Class Valedictorian Mary Kircher, and Class Salutatorian Amanda Reuillard used an ocean metaphor to describe their high school experience.

They compared their teachers to many of the creatures of the sea and their family and friends to dune grass which “keeps us rooted.”

To their classmates, the girls told them not to follow the current but to create a storm of change in order to break down the walls of inhumanity and injustice.

“Now class of 2009, go out and shake the world with your storm of change,” said Kircher and Reuillard.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.