The Future Can’t Wait,
RUHS Grads Are Told
By Sandy Vondrasek

Eli Davis of raintree gives his niece, Amara Calhum-Flowers, a kiss as he prepares to march at the RUHS graduation exercises Saturday. Amara, almost two, is held by her grandmother, Eli's mom, Christine Lewis. (Herald / Bob Eddy)

Randolph Union High School’s class of 2008 was exhorted to step out—and sooner rather than later—to bring "fresh ideas, new ways of being, and solutions for the future" to world they are inheriting.

Speaker Charlie McMeekin of Randolph—who was the class’s ninth-grade humanities teacher—jested that it was appropriate that this was the Class of ’08, as "Oh, wait! Oh, wait!" was the regular refrain he would hear when it was time for a quiz.

McMeekin quickly turned sober, however, adding, "We can’t wait—you are entering a world that won’t wait for you; a world that needs you desperately."

McMeekin offered the 92 graduates a few ideas on how to begin to re-invent the future. A good start, he said, would be to investigate "slogans" that too often pass as unexamined rules of conduct.

This is a good time to question, he said, whether bigger really is better, or whether "He who dies with the most toys" really does win.

The first, McMeekin suggested, could be usefully retooled as "Better is better," and the second slogan might better serve everyone on the planet if the word "toys" were to be replaced by "joys."

"The challenges are huge; I teach because I believe that you are the future," McMeekin concluded.

Student speaker Muriel Garner urged classmates to be "fearless" as they leave RUHS "with a clean slate" and step into their future worlds. Pointing to the support of family and community that they had benefited from while growing up here, she urged classmates "to open ourselves to the community that surrounds us, no matter where we are."

RUHS’s four exchange students of 2008—two of them seniors—each stepped forward to speak warmly of the welcoming community they found during there year here. Each exchanged flags with their respective host siblings. Alice Astegiano of Italy and Mirella Aubry of Switzerland graduated with the class of 2008; Christoph Respondek and Aranzazu Wenckstern, both of Germany, were in the junior class.

After the speeches, students were called forward to receive their diplomas from school board member Andy Becker.

Friday night’s graduation, in a tent behind the school, was briefer than in past years, as all awards and scholarships were presented June 11, at a new event: Senior Awards Night. Those awards are listed below, followed by a list of all RUHS graduates and their plans.

Awards Recipients

RUHS Senior Athletic Awards: Miriam Abu Shuraija, Amanda Angell, Stephen Bent, Andrea Chase, Ashley Chase, Kyle Connolly, David Cooch, May Covington, Michael Dunican, Joshua Ferris, Danielle Galbreath, Amanda Gerstenmaier, Emily Green, Beau Handy, Bridget Harty, Taylor Holt, Thomas Jacobs, Michelle Kaczmarek, Sarah Kresock, David Maxfield, Holly Mugford, Megan Reymore, Gwen Reis, Hannah Scott, Erika Smith, Codi Tabor, David Whitlock, and Kyle Young.

VPA Scholar/Activity Awards: Abigail Hutchinson, Megan Reymore, Erika Smith, and Kathryn Yawney; VPA Award for Exemplary Display of Sportsmanship: Erika Smith; Gary Thurston Memorial Scholarships: Kyle Connolly and Matthew Messier; American Legion Post #9 Thomas Mowatt Memorial Scholarship: Megan Reymore; The Herbert E. and Carrie B. Flint Memorial Scholarship: Carly Allen, Mikala Frenette, Muriel Garner, and Amy Richburg.

RUHS Sports Boosters Scholarships: Andrea Chase, Ashley Chase, Kyle Connolly, David Cooch, Joshua Ferris, Danielle Galbreath, Amanda Gerstenmaier, Beau Handy, Bridget Harty, Thomas Jacobs, Michelle Kaczmarek, Sarah Kresock, David Maxfield, Holly Mugford, Gwen Reis, Hannah Scott, Erika Smith, and David Whitlock; RUHS Alumni Association Scholarships: Alex Easton, Erika Lamb, and Erika Smith.

Eleanor Dickey Drysdale Scholarship: Morgan Brown and Matthew Kissel; Randolph Rotary Scholarship: Morgan Brown and Joe Rich; Society of Women Engineers Awards: Erika Lamb (Honor), Katherine Miller (High Honor), and Erika Smith (Highest Honor); DuBois & King Scholarship: Megan Reymore; RUHS Student Council Scholarship: Muriel Garner; Orange Southwest Educational Association Gift: Holly Mugford.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department: Hannah Scott; Bethel Lodge #35 Ind. Order of Odd Fellows Scholarship: Antonia White; Isabelle Hutchinson Scholarship: Erika Smith; Richard Hutchinson Award: David Maxfield; Daughters of the American Revolution, Good Citizen Award: Erika Smith; Randolph Community Scholarship (DOA): Morgan Brown; Albert P. and Laura L. Paine Award: Edwin Gast.

John Murray Scholarships: Elizabeth Carpenter and Michael Jacques; William Craig Russell Scholarship: Erika Smith; George H. Battles Memorial Scholarship: Michael Jacques; RUHS Music Boosters Scholarship: Holly Mugford; Leslie Osha Memorial Scholarship: Danielle Galbreath; Roger Poulin Scholarship: Amanda Angell; GW Plastics Scholarship: Joe Rich; Louis and Elena Merusi Memorial Scholarship: Bridget Harty; VSAC Honor Scholarship: Kathryn Yawney; UVM Scholars: Morgan Brown and Katherine Miller; St. Michael’s Green Mountain Scholarship: Kathryn Yawney.

JP Gifford Trust Scholarships: Carly Allen, Sarah Dempsey, Abigail Hutchinson, Sarah Kresock, Holly Mugford, Megan Reymore, Joe Rich, and Erika Smith; Clayton Brown Scholarships: Samantha Blakeney, Morgan Brown, Danielle Galbreath, Abigail Hutchinson, Matthew Kissel, Erika Lamb, Matthew Messier, Katherine Miller, Megan Reymore and Erika Smith.

The Frank and Olive Gilman Foundation Scholarships: Kyle Connally, Heather Duprey, Edwin Gast, Amanda Gerstenmaier, Abigail Hutchinson, Matthew Kissel, Sarah Kresock, Erika Lamb, Matthew Messier, Holly Mugford, and Meagan Whitcomb; The Laurence C. Berry, Jr. Book Award: Joe Rich; The Class of 1933 Book Award: Erika Smith; The Silver "R" Award: Amanda Angell, Carly Allen, Morgan Brown, David Cooch, Sarah Dempsey, Muriel Garner, Abigail Hutchinson, Michelle Kaczmarek, Holly Mugford, Megan Reymore, Joe Rich, Erika Smith, and Kathryn Yawney.

The Balfour Honor Award: Abigail Hutchinson.

Graduates

Miriam Abu Shuraija, Lyndon State College; Carly Allen, Nazareth College; Amanda Angell, Vermont Technical College; Jessica Arms, working world; Alice Astegiano; return to Italy, continue education; Mirella Aubry, return to Switzerland, continue education; Stephen Bachand II, working world; Stephan Bent, work and travel; Samantha Blakeney, Vermont Technical College.

Nathan Brien, working world; Joshua Briggs, Lyndon State; Morgan Brown, University of Vermont; Simon Brown, California Culinary Academy; Travis Burns, music/work; Nathaniel Butterfield, Lyndon State; Elizabeth Carpenter, Johnson State College; Krista Carpenter, working world; Amanda Chase, Community College of Vermont; Andrea Chase, VTC.

Ashley Chase, Castleton State College; Anthony Conant, Northwestern; Kyle Connolly, Nichols College; David Cooch, Northeastern University; May Covington, Johnson State College; Sarah Dempsey, Castleton State; Dale Dezan, working world.

Michael Dunican, working world; Daniel Dunn, working world; Heather Duprey, VTC; Alexander Easton, New England Institute of Art; Joshua Ferris, VTC; Mikala Frenette, University of Northern Colorado; Danielle Galbreath, Castleton State; Muriel Garner, Bournemouth University in England; Edwin Gast III, Castleton State; Amanda Gerstenmaier, Southern New Hampshire University; Jonathan Giannino, Norwich University.

Emily Green, Castleton State; April Greenway, Lyndon State; Marah Grout, working world; Beau Handy, Western Kentucky University;

Bridget Harty, Springfield College; Dan Hodgdon, working world; Taylor Holt, Lyndon State; Shari Hook, VTC; James Huff Jr., Advanced Welding Institute; Savannah Hull, North Country Community College; Abigail Hutchinson, UVM; Thomas Jacobs, Eastern Connecticut State University; Michael Jacques, Paul Smith’s College; Michelle Kaczmarek, Lyndon State; Ashley Kill, working world.

Matthew Kissel, Rochester Institute of Technology; Sarah Kresock, Sterling College; Erika Lamb, Bentley College; Kimberly LaPlante, Academy of Hair Design; K. Stephen Larkin, working world; Kelly Lumbra, working world; Rachel MacAdams, CCV; David Maxfield, Norwich; Derek Merusi, working world.

Matthew Messier, UVM; Katherine Miller, UVM; Holly Mugford, UVM; Kevin O'Donnell Jr., working world; Jeremiah Pratt, working world; Moriah Pratt, Lyndon State, Gwen Reis, University of Louisiana; Megan Reymore, Syracuse University; Jaina Rich, Johnson State; Joseph Rich, RIT; Amy Richburg, Norwich University; Hannah Scott, Alfred University; Airiel Sherman, working world; Erika Smith, Nazareth College.

Codi Tabor, Advanced Welding Institute; Tyler Totten, New England Culinary Institute; Seth Tracy, travel; Joshua Vilbrin, working world; Seth Walters, UVM, Elisha West, working world; Meagan Whitcomb, White Mountains Community College; Antonia White, Castleton State; Carrie White, VTC; David Whitlock, Castleton State; Kathryn Yawney, Saint Michael’s College; Kyle Young, Johnson State.

Adult Ed Graduates

Zachary Allard, travel/poetry/politics; Ryan Boardman, Ohio Northwestern University; Elijah Davis, working and armed services; Michael Holbrook, VTC; and Leanna Lyman, plans unknown.