A sense of community filled the Tabernacle during the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School graduation ceremony, as teary-eyed students and parents congratulated one another, celebrating the accomplishments of the graduates.
“It’s just a special moment for anybody here. The sense of community on this Island is just fantastic,” Shirley Wilbur of Oak Bluffs said as she waited to watch her granddaughter, Emily Turney, 18, graduate. “She’s part of the National Honor Society and a star on the softball team, but she’s a star as a person,” Ms. Wilbur said. Ms. Turney will attend Adelphi University in the fall.
“It’s an event,” Mike Cassidy of Edgartown, said. Mr. Cassidy was there to watch his daughter, Samantha Cassidy, class of 2018, sing with the Minnesingers during the ceremony.
Teachers embraced students as they handed out their diplomas. Underclassmen cheered incessantly, hitting drums and screaming for their schoolmates. Grandparents proudly snapped photographs of their grandchildren while parents hugged one another, clutching bouquets as they watched their sons and daughters achieve a major milestone in their lives.
Five young men huddled together in a sea of purple — one in bright sunglasses and three wearing scarves with the flag of Brazil. When asked what’s next, Jullyo Lima, 19, of Edgartown, said, “Gap year across the country. That’s the plan.” Mr. Lima’s final destination is California.
Class essayist Emma Riemer, 17, of Oak Bluffs, will attend Boston College in the fall. At the ceremony, she spoke of the importance of living in the present as a means of looking toward one’s future.
“We must remember,” Emma said to her class, “that today is the day to work toward those dreams.”
Emma is a member of a military family. Her father, Robert Riemer, is the officer in charge of Station Menemsha. Prior to moving to Oak Bluffs, she had attended seven different schools. When asked what’s most unique about the Island school, Emma said, “The sense of community. They’re the most motivated people I’ve ever met — to be in that environment and around that drive.”
As they spoke, many students described the future with excitement. It was a day of celebration, a day to bask in their accomplishments.
“It’s the culmination of 13 years in school, and I think it’s incredible to have this moment when you can walk across the stage and know that you’re completely moving on and beginning a new chapter in your life,” Arden Bezahler, 17, of Vineyard Haven, said. “It’s taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. I know life is going to throw hurdles, but this is the biggest one that we’ve all gotten past so far, and it’s really exciting that we can all, as a class, be here together.”