SoRo High School
Graduates 50
By Randy Leavitt

Last Saturday at 10 a.m., the great white tent standing on the town green in South Royalton was crowded with people of all ages—all friends and family waiting to show there love and support to the group of graduates who would soon walk under the granite Arch of the Handy Memorial dressed in gowns of "green-and-gold" and mortar boards with swinging tassels.

This was the second tent to stand in the same spot this year and the second graduation of the annual "duet" of graduations to grace the South Royalton green. This time, June 14, the crowd was waiting for the graduates from the South Royalton High School, Class of 2008—and what a day it was for tents, and speeches and graduates in school colors.

After Caleb Atwood, president of the senior class, welcomed everyone to the graduation, salutatorian Karen Bascom spoke to the crowd about needing to look for inspiration in all things. She brought a kazoo with her to the podium, showed it to all and said, "without breath, without inspiration, it was just a piece of plastic. With the right amount of inspiration, with breath, it could fulfill its destiny."

Then she played it, and invited her class to move into the world and look for inspiration in everything they do. She ended by suggesting that they "don’t forget to breathe."

Bascom was followed by class valedictorian Lucas Sanford-Long, who thanked everyone—family and teachers, and his classmates—and spoke of taking responsibility and trying to figure out what’s next. He also "brought down the house" later by playing his highland pipes.

The keynote address was given by Louse Barreda, a former teacher at South Royalton High School, who recently retired after 25 years of teaching English there. She was also the director of the theater program for those years and also helped make the graduation programs run smoothly.

Barreda chose to face the graduates, as well as the crowd, while delivering her speech. She said that she knew if she didn’t talk directly to them, they would talk to each other.

"They would!" she assured everyone.

After much laughter, Barreda began to speak of her own adventures, post-South Royalton High School, and urged the graduates to seek their own adventure with passion.

Lauren Farnsworth sang Bob Dylan"s "Forever Young," accompanied on guitar by her father, Dave Farnsworth. Dylan’s words, "May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung, and may you stay forever young," held a special significance for the graduates.

Awards

Orange-Windsor Teacher's Assoc. Award, Lucas Sanford-Long; Rebekah Scholarship, Cassandra Hamwey; Hartland Lion's Club Scholarships: Herman Brooks, Heather Burbine, Jim Ballou, Miles Ellis. Ken Marcus, Dustin Parker; Rising Sun Lodge Scholarship: Karen Bascom and Cody Welch; and Royalton Civic Club Scholarships: Dustin Parker, Karen Bascom, Travis Whitcomb, Heather Burbine, Lucas Sanford-Long, and Melissa Cole.

Class of 1973 Memorial Scholarship, Dustin Parker; Bethel Rotary Club Awards: Lauren Farnsworth and Brian Obuchowski; The Climate Committee Senior Scholarship: Travis Whitcomb and Heather Burbine; Vt. Law School Scholarship, Caleb Atwood; Andrea Tibbetts Scholarship, Dustin Parker; South Royalton Women’s Club Scholarship, Dustin Parker; SRHS Student Council Scholarship, Heather Burbine; and the Rosemary McLaughlin Memorial Scholarship, Kasi Kill.

Odd Fellows #74 Scholarship, Karen Bascom; Christiana C. Burnett Memorial Scholarship: Megan Widli and Karen Bascom; Alumni Assoc. Scholarships: Tiffany Irish, Jane Manby, Tessa Porter; Cody Welech., Karen Bascom, Cassandra Hamwey, Lucas Sanford-Long, Melisaa Cole, Heather Burbine, Travis Whitcomb, Carter Walker, Dustin Parker, and Lauren Farnsworth; Vt. Honor Scholarship, Lucas Sanford-Long; and Earl Durkee Scholarship, Jacob Timian.

The Parent/Teacher Organization Scholarship, Dustin Parker; Gifford Medical Staff Scholarship, Heather Burbine; American Legion Post #51 Scholarships: Miles Ellis and Cody Welch; G.W. Plastics Scholarship, Lucas Sanford-Long; Thelma Ainsworth Scholarship, Cassandra Hamwey; Better Homes Community Club Scholarship, Karen Bascom; Daniel Baird-Wesson Scholarship, Joseph Kinnarney; Community Club of East Barnard Luna Moore Scholarship: Lauren Farnsworth and Melissa Cole; and Retired Science Teacher’s Memorial Award, Jane Manby.

Vermont Assistance Corp. Scholarships: Brandy Bedard, Emily Brock, Dustin Parker, Travis Whitcomb, Emily Brock, Melissa Cole, Callie Jozefiak, Erica Lesmeister, and Travis Whitcomb.

Graduates

Caleb Atwood, University of Vermont; Karen Bascom, Colgate University; Brandy Bedard, Johnson State College; Kaleb Bingham, employment; Alexandra Blakeman, Castleton State College; Rosanna Boule, employment; Emily Brock, Chatham University; Heather Burbine, University of New England; Matthew Cancglin, employment; German Castillo, back home to Mexico for college; Zachary Colburn, employment; Melissa Cole, Sacred Heart University; Kala Crawford, employment; and Jaime Donoghue, Community College of Vt.

Miles Ellis, James Madison University; Lauren Farnsworth, gap year to volunteer in Africa and South America, then Colby College in fall of 2009; Jordan Flint, Johnson State College; Cassandra Hamwey, Lyndon State College; Alexandra Honkala, Roger Williams University; Tiffany Irish, Green Mt. College; Callie Jozefiak, Castleton State College; Brittany Kenyon, employment; Kasi Kill, Community College of Vt.; Joseph Kinnarney, gap year, then Ohio Technical College in fall of 2009; Sven Larsen, employment; and Erica Lesmeister, college, undecided.

Michele Loomis, Community College of Vt.; Eric Lorette, employment; Jane Manby, gap year to volunteer in Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Chile, then George Washington University in fall of 2009; Tyler Manning, employment; Tyrell Manning, employment; David Mattern, Lynchburg College; Justin Nott, employment; Brian Obuchowski, Vt. Technical College; Dustin Parker, Castleton State College; Andrew Picken, employment; Tessa Porter, University of New Hampshire; and Ashley Rogers, employment.

Paul Russell, employment; Lucas Sanford-Long, Dartmouth College; Jarred Shirlock, Johnson State College; Andrew Staudinger, apprenticeships; Cassandra Storms, Community College of Vt.; Jacob Timian, Vt. Technical College; Carter Walker, SUNY-Purchase; Cody Welch, University of Mass.; Travis Whitcomb, Delaware Valley College; Megan Widli, Green Mt. College; Calder Wilmot, Keene State College; and Zachary Witts, New England Culinary Institute.

____________