State champs. Chefs. Artists. Scholars. The military-bound. It takes all kinds to make a community, and Mascenic celebrated them at its graduation ceremony on Friday night.
Class valedictorian Briana Boulerice stood before her classmates, moments before they were to walk across the stage to collect their diplomas. And she thanked them.
“The past four years, the people I’ve known, that’s where I’ve learned the most,” Boulerice, of New Ipswich, told the soon-to-be graduates of the class of 2016. “Not from sitting in class or taking the supposedly perfect notes that valedictorians take. I’ve learned the most from the people I’m surrounded by, so thank you.”
Boulerice, who grew into her love for athletics at Mascenic, will be taking that love forward with her into college, where she is entering a six-year doctoral physical therapy degree program at Springfield College. Her career choice was shaped by her athletic experiences as a member of the indoor and outdoor track teams, as well as cross-county and the swim team.
The world after high school is filled with the frightening unknown, she said. But if you can conquer the fear, the unknown doesn’t always turn out to be bad.
High school, she said, was once a great unknown, too.
“Four years ago, I did not run more than a mandatory mile in P.E.,” said Boulerice. “This year I ran my first half-marathon.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244.