Members of the Alconbury High School class of 2007 receive a round of applause after turning their tassels Friday at the Peterborough Cathedral. (Ben Murray / S&S)
Members of the Alconbury High School class of 2007 receive a round of applause after turning their tassels Friday at the Peterborough Cathedral. (Ben Murray / S&S)
Alconbury High School seniors, led by Douglas Bagnall, march down the central aisle at the Peterborough Cathedral Friday at the start of their graduation ceremony. (Ben Murray / S&S)
Alconbury High School graduate Bradley Yates receives his diploma from principal Gael Coyle. (Ben Murray / S&S)
Charlotte Randolph, left, hugs a classmate on the green in front of the Peterborough Cathedral Friday following the Alconbury High School graduation ceremony. (Ben Murray / S&S)
Graduates of the Alconbury High School class of 2007 toss their caps in the air following the Friday evening graduation ceremony. (Ben Murray / S&S)
PETERBOROUGH — Students at the Alconbury High School graduation ceremony Friday night expressed both apprehension and excitement over everything from the next 10 minutes to the coming decade as they received their diplomas at the Peterborough Cathedral.
The 27 members of the Class of 2007 stood in green and gold robes in the center of the vaulted church as school officials and fellow students reminded them to live life fully and be proud of their accomplishment.
“We will be faced with the luxury of choice, with an endless number of roads before us,” salutatorian Marissa Cloum said to the gathered crowd of about 120.
The graduates heard from Isles District Superintendent Ronald McIntire during the ceremony, who spoke of the students’ need to be ready to enter an ever more global society as they move on from Alconbury.
Twenty-one of the 27 are headed straight for four-year colleges, principal Gael Coyle said, while the others are slated to go to various other schools and programs.
“Ready or not, here life comes,” McIntire said.
The atmosphere at Friday’s ceremony was relatively measured, with few tears and students’ excitement contained mainly to smiles between friends during the procession.
But emotion spilled over in front of the cathedral following the ceremony, when the Alconbury students flung their caps in the air and shared a round of hugs.
It had been a long road for many students, valedictorian Kathryn Floyd said during her speech, but ultimately a rewarding one.
“We’ve all worked so hard to become the people we are today, and guess what: We turned out awesome,” she said.
