With much fanfare, a vuvuzela and a song, the Wiscasset High School Class of 2014 said goodbye and hello during the Thursday June 6 graduation.

Almost all of the speakers reflected on the good and bad of the past four years, all while looking forward to the future.

Class President and Valedictorian Briana Goud started the evening by thanking the people whom she said made the last four years possible.

“We thank everyone who has supported us, especially our parents, for everything they have done for us these past four years,” she said. “Our class has been described as one that will 'never be forgotten nor replaced.'”

Michaela Trudeau's speech focused on how the good and the bad of the past four years combined to make a memorable experience.

“Tonight is the night we have been dreaming of for the past four years, the same four years that have been long and short and of course good and bad,” she said. “Four years ago, as scared and as curious as we were, we entered through the doors to start our freshmen year.

“Now look at where we are today: We are leaving this school behind and venturing into a new chapter of our lives.”

Brooke Howard spoke of her tenure at Rosewood Stables and how that experience, and a young mustang named Mika, helped shape her experience at Wiscasset High School.

“Some days I would get so frustrated I would consider dropping everything and walking away,” she said. “But then I would think about how far we had come together, all the hard work we had both put in, and that was what pushed me through the frustrating days.

“I learned what can happen when you set goals and pursue your passion.”

That perseverance also extended to the classroom, where Howard and her classmates learned that quitting never solved a problem.

“I'm telling you this story because I used these skills and values throughout my years in high school,” Howard said. “In school there were also times that were very frustrating; times I wanted to just burn all my school work and not do anything. But then I realized that's not going to get me anywhere, just giving up.

“The only way I am going to get somewhere is if I set some goals, focus and work hard.”

Fellow speaker Nate Austin regaled the crowd with a year-by-year break down of the Class of 2014's journey through school, and one student's seemingly unending quest to get to Wyoming.

Austin said when the time came to look back at his time in school, it was already too late.

“It's kind of funny and kind of sad, really; your entire school career you look forward to leaving, and you always have so much to do that you don't have time to remember and appreciate it until it's all over,” he said. “Some of us will go onto college, the armed forces, vocational schools, and others will join the work force. Although we didn't really know who we were until high school, we have all grown up together over the past 14 years.”

Graduation Speeches

Briana Goud’s Senior Welcome Speech

Good evening. My name is Briana Goud, and I am president of this year's senior class. Welcome to tonight's graduation ceremony. We thank everyone who has supported us, especially our parents, for everything they have done for us these past four years. Our class has been described as one that will “never be forgotten nor replaced.” We are something special!

Being on this stage tonight is just one of the many chapters in our lives that we will experience. We could not be any happier than how we feel being on this stage tonight. To everyone in the audience, we thank you for being here to celebrate this important step in our future.

Michaela Trudeau’s Senior Essay

Family, friends, teachers and administrators: Can you believe it? We are graduating! Tonight is the night we have been dreaming of for the past four years. The same four years that have been long and short, and of course good and bad. Four years ago, as scared and curious as we were, we entered through the doors to start our freshman year. Now look at where we are today: We are leaving this school behind us and venturing into a new chapter of our lives.

As we ventured through the years we all faced the bad times and the good times. Some of the good times are the moments we will remember for the rest of our lives. However, the bad times are the ones we want to forget about. Those moments showed us who our true friends are, and made us who we are today: strong willed, determined and independent. As a whole we have come together through athletics, clubs, class trips and fundraisers to get to where we are today: sitting on this stage waiting to get that piece of paper.

I have found it takes that kind of teamwork to survive anywhere in life. I know our experience is limited, but every problem that we have overcome has been because someone has been there to help us. My own support net ranged (and still ranges) from my parents to my friends, depending on the kind of trouble or accidents I've had and how severe they are. Personally there have been a few people in my life who have always been there for me no matter what and I know they always will be. Not many families can truthfully say how close they are, but I am so blessed to have my family. My mom has been there to help with all of my school activities, like soccer, the class fundraisers that only a few of us showed up to, and she was always there cheering me on. Both my dad and mom have been there to support me through everything; I could have never have gotten here with out you. Having Lauren, my sister, as my best friend is the best thing I could ask for. Just like all siblings we have our moments of fighting over clothes or who gets shotgun when we go shopping with mom, and of course we have had our pointless fights. Through all of our "moments" I know that she will always be there for me, and I will always be there for her, no matter how far away we are or how busy we get in life. Ever since Lauren left for college, her schedule has been hectic and the opposite of mine. I’m not going to lie; it stinks not having my sister home. Before she left for college I never really appreciated how much she did for me when she was home, and now that she's gone most of the time, I now really understand how much I need my older sister. Thank you, Lauren for being my best friend and helping me through everything and coming home from college when I need you most.

So what's next? I will be going to college as will many of my classmates. Some of us have chosen to go into various branches of the armed forces to help keep our country safe home and abroad; others may get right to work. Each and every one of us have earned the right of passage of graduating high school. As we cross this stage for the last time and get our diplomas, we are entering a new world of challenges, life long friends and accomplishments.

Before we all leave and go our separate ways I want to leave everyone with a piece of advice. You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation, trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, or would've happened — or you can just leave the pieces on the floor behind you and move on and actually mature with life. Congratulations, Class of 2014!

Brook Howard’s Senior Essay

Good evening, family, friends, and classmates. Tonight, I would like to share a story with you, a story that's very special to me, because it helped me get to where I am today.

This story takes place at a local barn, Rosewood Stables. Almost every day for about three years, I was there. From eight in the morning until about four or so in the afternoon; I fed horses, cleaned their stalls, taught riding lessons to a variety of students, and received riding lessons from the owner of the barn, Amanda. I taught disabled and able-bodied people of almost every age. The more I started teaching, the more I realized how happy it made me to put a smile on my students' faces. I always knew that if they were having a bad day, I could turn it around by the end of their lesson.

When I adopted my first horse in 2010, it all started to click. My horse Mika came to a short 15 hands, glowed with a gorgeous chestnut brown coat, and came from the wide open fields of Oregon. Being a mustang, she never had any interaction with humans other than when she was captured and taken away from her herd. Everyday I worked with Mika, and everyday I set goals for us. For a while my goal was just to walk up to her and pat her. Then I began walking up and trying to get a halter on. Before I knew it, I was brushing her with a halter on, and getting ready to take her into the round pen to start training.

There were days I thought I would never be able to get a halter on her, or brush her, or ride her. Some days I would get so frustrated I would consider dropping everything and walking away; but then I would think about how far we had come together, all the hard work we had both put in, and that was what pushed me through the frustrating days.

It was about a year later to the day that everything came together. I was in the round pen with Mika doing some ground work when I took her lead rope off, and walked away from her. What happened in that moment is something I’ll never forget. She was walking behind me, following me. Right there in that instant I experienced the true reward of hard work. I learned what can happen when you set goals and pursue your passion. In a year’s time Mika went from not letting me even walk up to her, to having enough trust to follow me around the round pen. From that day on I have truly believed that without those things (working hard, setting goals, and pursuing your passion), it is impossible to make your dreams come true.

I’m telling you this story because I used these skills and values throughout my years in high school. In school there were also times that were very frustrating, times I wanted to just burn all my schoolwork and not do anything. But then I realized, that's not going to get me anywhere, just giving up. The only way l’m going to get somewhere is if I set some goals, focus and work hard. Which is exactly what I did, and what I continue to do. What I want everyone to know is: no matter who you are or whatever obstacles you face, you can achieve your goals. They may seem so far away, and they might be, but you can do it. Because hard work pays off, which is why we are here today. Thank you.

Nate Austin’s Senior Essay

Here we are, this is it, wow. You know, it's funny, most people here tonight are probably only thinking of the past four years; how we've grown up in high school, how we've changed, how we've grown to be who we are today, but this is so much bigger than that. This didn't start four years ago, it started 13 or 14 years ago.

The year is 2000. Some of us are just meeting for the first time, it's the first day of preschool. Little do you know that the quiet or obnoxious kid across the room is going to be your best friend; it's all so new and scary, but you're ready.

Next year, 2001, kindergarten. I'm sure we can all remember Mrs. Baston or Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Abbot or Mrs. Freeman. We'll also probably never forget those big plastic buckets that meant the world to us, the ones full of playground toys. It was a long first year for some of us, but we did it.

2002, first grade. Now we start the "number" part of school. You can't talk about first grade without the name Jackson. Even if you had Mrs. Footer or Ms. Pie, you will always remember Dr. Seuss day with Mrs. Jackson. Or maybe you remember the butterfly project where we raised caterpillars until they metamorphasized and then let them go.

2003, second grade. We're in a different wing now, one just for the second graders. If there is anything I think of when i think of second grade, i t's either my struggle to understand the concept of paragraphs, or those amazing kids' games we had on those computers. I'm still proud of beating Coin Critters.

2004, third grade. Nick Smelcer has just started talking about possibly moving to Wyoming. We're sad to hear this, but hey, it happens. Many of us spent the next two years i n the same classroom together with Miss Wright, some had Mrs. Bell, others had Ms. Hintz. I never had Ms. Hintz, but I can't help but to remember always hearing about the ice cream her class got before the end of the day while I was after school waiting for second bus.

2005, fourth grade. Miss Wright is Mrs. Beal now! Cool! And wow, this is our last year of primary school, oh well, we get to be middle schoolers next year!'I can't believe we still have 8 years left though. I always loved our holiday parties, but one thing we'll never forget is taking the MEAs for the first time; well, we'll probably try to forget that, but what we will always remember is MEA Recovery Day. It involved a breakfast in the morning, blanket forts, movies, and baked goods, it was amazing. 

2006, fifth grade. We're actually starting to grow now, also, we want nap time; it's too early for school. We are middle schoolers, complete with movement to different classrooms, or at least science, unless your homeroom teacher taught the science you had that semester. Miss Townsend, anatomy, Mrs. Emery, biology/chemistry, and of course Mrs. Grey, with astronomy. I'll never forget the name we made for the skeleton in Ms. Townsend's room, Skully Earl.

2007, sixth grade. We will never forget our homeroom teachers, Mrs. March, Mrs. Emery and Mrs. Clark. We also will never forget those awful, awful English books that we had to write, I know I never will. Nick Smelcer is still talking about moving to Wyoming. I remember we did this project where we had to memorize a children's story. I did Rumplestiltskin, and then read it to kindergarteners. I do not like being in front of crowds, it was terrifying, but it ended up being great. I'm sure we’ll also never forget the one day it took until lunch time to get the NWEA tests working and ready to take.

2008, seventh grade. We finally get to have this “Mr. Cossette” and “Mr. Hammond” everyone has been telling us about. There is so much to remember from seventh grade: we had the Edgcomb kids coming in, awkward dances at the Rec., Paper ball trench warfare, or even memorizing the "Being verbs" in Mrs. Cailers class (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, do, does, did, have, has, had, may, might, must, can, could, shall, should, will, would). If there is one phrase ever ingrained in my memory, it’s “Play it.” While most in the audience won't get it, for those that do, four square was the recess game. Though a few competitive spirits sometimes took it a little far, I'm only slightly ashamed to say, I was one of them.

2009, eighth grade. Three words: Eighth. Grade. Lounge. It was the best thing in the world to be able to do your work in the lounge in the hall, especially during the bug project when someone's bugs rotted into a toxic stench. Nick Smelcer announces that he will be going to Lincoln Academy next year, but chances are good he's moving to Wyoming over the summer. Eighth grade was great, we had more freedom than ever, we had time to have fun with friends, we had more time to be teenagers. Yep, we’re teenagers now, we try to play it off like it’s no big deal that our age ends with “teen,” but it totally is.

2010, we're freshman now, we’re finally high schoolers. Many of our friends have moved away to different states or schools, many have them have become completely different people ... it seems pretty bittersweet and kind of lonely at first, but then you start playing catch and sports with the upperclassmen (perhaps you even try to "out-plank" one of them, but honestly, who could ever beat Ryan Segovia’s bus plank). This new schedule is pretty cool too; we only have to take English for half a year! On the topic of classes, many of us took photo 1, Web 2.0, drawing and painting, ceramics, and many other classes with Miss Sutter and Mr. Block without even knowing it was their last years there. Freshman year held some good memories, but we are really tired of going to school, and we still have three years.

2011, sophomore year. Pfft, freshmen, sure we were freshmen just three months ago, but we're going to complain about them nonetheless. We have this new schedule now, it is awful, whose idea was it to have six classes a day, and then all eight on Friday? Also Mr. Carlson is the principal now, that's cool, and another thing, my eighth grade French teacher is the vice principal?! Yeah, it was pretty great. Sadly, Mr. Schwehm, along with Mr. Riser, left us, but not before Mr. Schwehm topped Ryan Segovia's bus plank, by planking the roof of the school, it will forever be the winning plank.

2012, junior year. This red and black day schedule is pretty cool, Mrs. Taylor is now the principal and Mrs. Poppish, our freshman year principal, is now the vice principal. Is the schedule and principal ever going to stay the same? The two things we think of when we think of junior year are the “Scarlett Letter” essay and SATs. Yeah, those were pretty bad, but at least we were ready for the “senior essay.” I started doing track my junior year, I guess Nick Smelcer had started doing track when he got to high school, that's what he said when I saw him at a track meet ... he also said that after high school he planned to go to college, and that while he was there, his family would probably move to Wyoming.

2013, senior year. This is it, We have early release days now, so much for having the same schedule two years in a row, at least we have the same principal. Mrs. Ricker joined late last year as vice principal. So much has happened, whether it's been saying good-bye to Ms.Templeton, hello to Mrs. Adolphson, or scrambling to meet all of our graduation requirements, it has all gone by so fast.

Only now, while writing this speech, am I able to really reflect on my school career. It's kind of funny and kind of sad really, your entire school career you look forward to leaving and you always have so much to do that you don't have time to remember and appreciate it until it's all over. Some of us will go onto college, the armed forces, vocational schools, and others will join the work force, and although we didn't really know who we were until high school, we have all grown up together over the past 14 years.

There were always good and bad times, that's just how it is, but I have to say, I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for them, and I couldn't be any more proud and happy for everyone in the class of 2014. Good job everyone, we did it.

Cass Carr’s Senior Essay

This week we walk across this stage and get handed a single sheet of paper that will change our life for the better. But before that happens, I have a story I would like to share with you tonight.

We start our story off in 1999 where a 4-year-old boy was just told he can not have the toy he wanted ever so badly, and just like any other 4-year-old boy he went out and applied at the local McDonald’s. Obviously, I'm kidding. He cried all the way home; this was until he realized there could be a way for him to get the toy; this realization was if he got an allowance for doing chores at home, what to could he get doing chores at a neighbor's?

The answer turned out to be so much more then he could comprehend at that young age. This boy went over to his neighbor's house and asked this elderly gentleman who he called Mr. Paulvenio if he needed any odd jobs done so he could buy this new toy. Mr. Paulvenio said he could find something and to come back tomorrow. The next morning the boy went over and started raking leaves.

When he was done, Mr. Paulvenio gave the boy $2. Now I know what you're thinking, $2? Who would work for $2? The answer is someone who is so determined that settling for less is not in his vocabulary, well at this point there's not a lot in his vocabulary. After a few times of working for Mr. Paulvenio, the boy had enough to buy the toy and he did. The boy really liked the feeling he got when he, all by himself with his hard earned money, paid for the toy.

Now, because the boy got what he wanted, you might think he would stop, but no he kept going back day after day. The days turned into weeks and weeks into months and now the year is 2005, four years after he started working and with more money than an 8-year-old knows what to do with he unfortunately found out he had to move away from his job. So I will fast forward a few years. The year is now 2011, and now it's time for a real job and of course mom and dad helped out with this. His mom and dad were able to get him a job where they worked at The Taste of Maine. Now we fast forward again the year is now 2013 and he just got his license and he wants a car that he paid for 100 percent himself.

He was able to use his dad's truck, but he wasn't happy not having one of his own. At 17 he is able to work with the big boys now. He works more than 45 hours a week at 2 jobs and was able to get a car he could call his own before school started for his senior year. So as you can see, this drive for one toy brought out a work ethic,that was already in this boy, that would carry him throughout life.

Now if you can't already tell, this boy is myself and yes, this really happened. I currently have two jobs and I live and pay all my bills on my own. My next goal is to come out of college without debt. So, if there is one thing you remember about my speech, remember that you can reach any goal whether it is to complete a bucket list or get that new toy, you can do if you put in the work. My classmates and I have put in the work to be here tonight, from the late night studying, to the principles of democracy government meetings, to meet our last graduation deadlines. So thank you ladies and gentlemen. As for the class of 2014 congratulations on this one big milestone we have all reached on our path to many more.

There is just one last thing I would like to say, “#wedone.”