PORTLAND

Freeport High School celebrated 117 students Sunday morning at the Class of 2017’s graduation ceremony at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.

In her address to classmates and the assembled audience of family and friends, Senior Jordan Randall recounted her class’s 12- year journey to this moment, from the nerves of the first bus ride in Kindergarten, to awkward adolescence, to coming into their own.

“Whether is was in the stands during pep rallies, or on the sidelines of sporting events, everyone could tell the class of 2017 was present,” she said, describing their gregarious and loud nature.

What’s more remarkable though, Randall said, is the diverse personalities that make up the class, and how those differences are embraced.

“No matter what your hobby or interest, you are embraced, instead of ignored,” she said.

Class President Max Doughty also highlighted the kindness of character of the 2017 class, saying his peers are some of the most caring and motivated people he has met, and he was proud to be the president of such a class.

“Class of 2017, we have experienced a lot together, in the beginning, we were just a group of freshman from three different towns, divided up into many small groups,” he said in his address. “The years quickly passed by and as a class, we experienced everything together — spirit days, playoff runs, one act finals, state championships, a school renovation. And along the way these things allowed us to mature and become closer as a class.”

He said Freeport High School gave his class numerous opportunities to make names for themselves, whether through athletics, academic achievement, plays, or community service or being part of the student section at the basketball games.

“Now as we move out into the real world, many of us have already made our family, friends, teachers and peers proud,” he said.

Doughty urged his class to get out into the world and do something remarkable that Freeport, Durham and Pownal will remember them for in decades to come.

Student Simon Handelman’s message to the audience was clear: Freeport High School did its job creating a foundation for which its students could move forward and craft their own future.