WESTHAMPTON — After a school year characterized by virtual classes, mask-wearing and social distancing measures, Hampshire Regional High School’s graduation ceremony hearkened back to a hard-fought sense of normalcy.
Though the graduation was held outdoors on the school’s soccer field, rather than its usual location at John M. Greene Hall in Northampton, attendees and graduates celebrated the 97 graduates without masks following the state’s recently relaxed social distancing guidelines.
Nevertheless, the ceremony — and the past year — were not what anyone had imagined when most members of the class of 2021 entered Hampshire Regional High School in seventh grade, as several speakers noted.
After “arguably the biggest time of uncertainty all of us have ever faced” towards the end of 11th grade, salutatorian Peter Tse said, the class is once again faced with many unknowns. But by staying true to their passions, Tse said that he and his peers will find success.
“We must stay voracious in our pursuit of knowledge,” Tse said, “like the young students we were and still are.”
Valedictorian Elias Touchette also encouraged his peers to follow their own paths while growing from what they learned together.
“There is a time to fall in line and a time to listen to your own music,” Touchette said. “At Hampshire, we had a chance to do both.”
The celebration did not come without hardship, as many students, teachers and administrators noted before and throughout the commencement. Prior to the ceremony, graduates said that they were surprised and grateful to even have an in-person graduation after a uniquely challenging senior year.
Throughout the year, fluctuations and abnormalities became so prevalent that they nearly felt monotonous, class president Caitlin Reardon said in an interview before the ceremony.
“You almost get numb to all the changes going on,” Reardon said. But at the end of “a very tough year,” the evening’s graduation felt “surreal,” she noted.
Liliana Girard said that challenges posed by the pandemic made the year “a huge struggle,” particularly during the all-remote learning period. But Girard was grateful to spend the end of her senior year back in the school building and to have an in-person graduation.
“I’m just glad it’s all paying off now,” she said.
Graduate Sarah Lawson said she was “shocked” that the class was able to have an in-person ceremony, but relieved to be around friends after “a strange year.”
Faculty and administrators also praised students for their resilience throughout the year, with exiting pricipal Kristen Smidy naming the class of 2021 “the fire class” for their perseverance in succeeding and helping each other.
“Members of this class genuinely want each other to shine brightly,” Smidy said.
As the night came to an end, organizers had one more surprise in store for the class of 2021: After students turned their tassels to signal their graduation, the ceremony ended with a fireworks show next to the field. As the fireworks reached their end, students stood up to dance and embrace their peers as they closed out the ceremony.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.
A special section with more graduation news about the Hampshire Regional High School class of 2021 will be published in the Gazette July 3.