10. “Astonishing” VIDEO: Audrey Burns sings “Astonishing” from “Little Women the Musical” during the Mt. Ararat High School Class of 2013 graduation Reached 1,471/ June 10

TOPSHAM

After a seven-day stretch of rain, Mt. Ararat High School Principal Craig King said it was not lost on anyone the sun had come out for 181 seniors who lined the bleachers to his right, waiting to get their diplomas June 9.

“I think that we’re living a metaphor, and that the sun is going to shine on these young people and they’re going to do a lot of wonderful things in their future,” King said.

On June 9, they hugged one another, shook hands with King and school board Chairwoman Joanne Rogers, received their diplomas and, as is the tradition, threw their blue caps up into the air.

But first, they heard some words of reflection and advice from their classmates.

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Valedictorian Adeline Schneider told them, “So many of people’s actions are dictated by what is ‘acceptable,’ and what is expected of them.

“Living by other people’s expectations is clearly an unfulfilling way to do things,” she said. “This isn’t a call to arms, or a plea to rid yourself of the shackles of institution. Sometimes what you want lines up perfectly with what’s expected of you, and that’s wonderful. But where those two things don’t line up, sometimes separating yourself from those expectations is the best thing you can do.”

There’s no one path to happiness, Schneider said, and told the class of 2013, “it is what it is, and you are who you are. We can all be happy, whatever road we take, or happen to find ourselves on. That’s enough.”

“Let’s go do it.”

As the students got ready to take a trip to North Conway, N.H., Hannah Moutal said the reality of having graduated will sink in when the students don’t see each other anymore.

That’s the scary part for her, she said.

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Then Audrey Burns sang “Astonishing,” from “Little Women the Musical.”

And it was. Here is readership data for the top 2013 news posts on Facebook from The

Times Record. Our Top

10 listing this week and next is guided by mostread Facebook posts as measured by “reach.”

By reach

10. “Astonishing” VIDEO: Audrey Burns sings

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“Astonishing” from “Little

Women the Musical” during the Mt. Ararat High

School Class of 2013 graduation Reached 1,471/ June 10 9. First day of spring POST: “Happy First-Full-

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