Chelsea Grads Told To Find Love

In the Ordinary & Cherish Their Luck

By Emily Marshia

An unintentional theme rose out of last Friday evening’s sun-cloaked graduation ceremony in Chelsea—one about relishing the school and its community for what can be experienced there, simply because of its small size and secluded location.

Valedictorian Nathan Dowlin addressed his peers, his family, and his neighbors casually, but sincerely.

"I think transitions are always beneficial," he noted, acknowledging the simultaneous excitement and trepidation that come with graduation. He shared that he will take poignant lessons from his time at Chelsea School, where he was able to have "better relationships with adults," and "be treated as an individual." He said he found a niche where he could excel and flourish.

"Remember how lucky we are to live in this community," he concluded.

Guest speaker Anne Stephens, who teaches English and philosophy classes part-time at the school, began by sharing that she has always loved teaching. Now she finds herself saying, "I love teaching at Chelsea," a distinction that deeply grounds her in her vocation.

"I love learning about my students’ lives, like that they have strong relationships with their grandparents or that they are comfortable and creative in the out-of-doors," Stephens said. She left the 27 graduates with a final thought on love.

"We tend to think of love as an intense, emotional experience," she began, then challenged them to think of love as something that can be sought and found "in the everyday…in the ordinary…in the given…in the small, green world in which we are so fortunate to live."

Paul Callens, who has been a math teacher at Chelsea for 18 years, lightened the mood as the second guest speaker. He focused on time and word play, testing the funny factor of several jokes on the audience. Callens spoke of the juxtaposition between the adages "haste makes waste" and "opportunity only knocks once."

In a special surprise performance, a group of elementary students, joined by Maria Lamson and accompanied by music teacher Abby Haywood, performed the "Chelsea Song," an original piece composed by Haywood upon her arrival to teach in Chelsea. The song was originally performed at the spring concert where it received rave reviews and requests were made to have it become a part of the graduation ceremony.

Graduates were adorned in traditional caps and gowns with an extra splash of color added by a tie-dyed sash draped around each of their necks. When the class was told they could not wear tie-dyed gowns, the parents paid tribute to their children’s desire for individuality by giving them each a colorful sash. The parents wore them as well, which made it easy to identify the proud families in the audience.

Also different this year was a change in the policy recognizing valedictorian and salutatorian. The new policy names all students with a cumulative average of 95% or higher as valedictorians and all students with a cumulative average of 92-94.99% as salutatorians. This year’s valedictorians were Nathan Dowlin, Leif Amber, and Mary Childs. This year’s salutatorians were Branden Emery, Albert Childs, and Laura Upham.

Awards

The following awards were presented during the ceremony: Frank & Olive Gilman Scholarship Foundation Award: Zebulon Allen, Leif Amber, Jesse Blondin, Nick Capobianco, Albert Childs, Mary Childs, Jill Cray, Nate Dowlin, Branden Emery, Calvin Hoyt, Joe Laston, Laura Upham, and Shauna White; Arthur Scott Memorial Trust, Joe Laston and Shauna White; Chelsea Alumni Association Scholarships: Albert Childs, Branden Emery, Nate Dowlin, and Laura Upham.

Also: Orange County Sheriff’s Department Scholarship, Shauna White; L.B. & Bertha Bowen Charitable Trust Scholarship: Leif Amber, Calvin Hoyt, and Lindsey Smith; and Friends of Chelsea Award. Jesse Blondin and Lindsey Smith. Blondin also received the Elizabeth Richter Memorial Scholarship and the Frances B. Ladd Business Award.

In addition: Chapin Award, Billy Lyon and Jill Cray; Balfour Award and the Melvin Somers Math Award, Nate Dowlin; Harry Goodwin Memorial Award and the Sons of Veteran Scholarship, Mary Childs; F. Ray Keyser Trophy and Ideal Senior Award, Albert Childs; Hilary Spires Memorial Poetry Award, Jill Cray; George Washington Masonic Lodge #51 Award and an anonymous scholarship, Brandon Emery; and Principal’s Award, Lindsey Smith and Ronald Leno.

It was also noted that Laura Upham had completed the Vermont Academy of Science & Technology (VAST) program at VTC. Next year, Chelsea will be represented by three students in that program: Jordan Lyford, Althea Spencer, and Marisa Osgood.

Graduates

The member of the CHS Class of 2007 are Zebulon Allen, Leif Amber, Jesse Blondin, Nick Capobianco, Albert Childs, Mary Childs, Jill Cray, Joshua Descoteaux, Mathan Dowlin, Branden Emery, Calvin Hoyt, David Larrabee, Joseph Laston, Erik Lembke, Ronald Leno, William Lyon, Sean McCarthy, Trevor Metcalf, Brittany Moses, George Osgood, Nathaniel Paronto, Jessica Ricker, Lindsey Smith, Lindsay Tucker, Laura Upham, Brittany Walters, and Shauna White.

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