BRUNSWICK

During the opening of the Brunswick High School Class of 2017 graduation ceremony, student Julia Baumgarte said her classmates were at a simultaneous ending and beginning of an important chapter in their lives.

On Friday, 171 students were awarded diplomas at Watson Arena as they finished their time as BHS students.

Valedictorian Anna Webster said high school allowed them to pursue their interests. Webster added that whether somebody chooses to attend college, enlist in the military, start work or take a gap year, it is important to build on their interests and discover what they love to do.

Principal Shanna Crofton recalled an outstanding memory of the Class of 2017 that highlighted the students’ culture. Crofton said it began when she heard what sounded like thunder in the hall. When she went to investigate, she heard students shouting words that to her, sounded like gibberish. The explanation was they were learning Romanian from a Moldovan exchange student.

Although disruptive, Crofton wondered how one could get mad when students were so excited about learning.

The principal said the class as a whole is kind and accepting of others. Although invested in their own successes, the students are also interested in the success of others. As a class, the 2017 graduates have dedicated a total of more than 15,000 hours of community service, she said.

Rather than find a unique, meaningful piece of advice for his fellow classmates, Salutatorian Finnegan Woodruff shared a song he wrote. Joined by a friend playing guitar, Woodruff played the violin to the rhythmic clapping of his classmates.

Baumgarte, in her address, said whether it be winning writing and art awards, a championship in sports, becoming an EMT, spending three days in the wilderness, or working as a line chef in a fast-paced restaurant, the Class of 2017 possesses talent. “I look forward to what this class offers the world,” she said.

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