BATH

As family, friends and alumni gathered to celebrate the commencement of 144 Morse High School seniors on Sunday afternoon at McMann Field, what resonated about this year’s graduates was their strong sense of community — regardless of a four-year experience.

“No matter where we go, or what we may do in life, we are and always will be a part of this truly special community here at Morse,” said senior Thomas Brown, a former private school student who transferred to Morse two years ago.

Brown shared his experience of being a “Shipbuilder” and how it differed from his previous school.

“For me, it (private school) did not provide the full experience I was looking for. It was clearly lacking in one powerful thing — community,” he said. “What I found here at Morse was a sense of true community and belonging.”

High honor student Kimberley Crowley agreed, despite her brief time at Morse.

Crowley moved from Oregon the summer before beginning her senior year at Morse.

“I’ve witnessed so much care, thoughtfulness, good humor and kindness from nearly everyone I’ve met,” she said. “Some might think that moving before your senior year is a death sentence, but I think it was the contrary.”

Before leaving for Maine, she said a peer had humorously advised: “Smart idea — pick the furthest state and run.”

“I couldn’t help but have the feeling that I was running toward something,” she said, in reflection of those words.

Senior Stephen Tapia arrived in Maine two summers ago from Colombia, and drew laughs from the crowd as he shared his first encounter with snow, Maine accents and his experience at Morse.

Tapia, who is a well seasoned athlete, expressed his appreciation for the school’s cross-country team, swim team, tennis team and music club, all of which “helped me to become a part of the community.”

By overcoming language and cultural barriers, Tapia said he learned to become “an American and a strong adult.”

His advice to his fellow classmates was this: “Never, never stop trying because dreams are not just dreams. They are reality in someone else’s mind. If you see yourself as the best you can be, you will be unstoppable. That’s what dreams are about.”

At the ceremony, English teacher Louise LaMarque Main was awarded the Dr. Patricia Ames Distinguished Teacher Award, an honor given to a teacher who has been recognized for “consistent, passionate and committed work in the classroom” since 1986.

Although a Brunswick graduate, Main confessed that she “bleeds blue and white” and that “Morse High School is my home.”

Main challenged the graduates to make the world a better place, quoting from “Success,” a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bessie Stanley, which says a successful person is someone “who has left the world better than she found it, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a rescued soul … this is to have succeeded.”

Sound advice for these graduates as they continue to reflect back on their Shipbuilder experience and move forward in life.

Balthasar Von Huene, class valedictorian, epitomized the experience in this way: “Our traditions add a unique personality to a school made great by a dedicated faculty, a talented student body, tireless community support and that indomitable Shipbuilder spirit.”

dkim@timesrecord.com