PORTSMOUTH — It was only fitting that Jean-Paul Arsenault, a popular Portsmouth High School science teacher and advisor to the student Green Club, spoke to members of the Class of 2017 while …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
PORTSMOUTH — It was only fitting that Jean-Paul Arsenault, a popular Portsmouth High School science teacher and advisor to the student Green Club, spoke to members of the Class of 2017 while sporting a pair of Adidas made from recycled plastic marine debris.
“This pair of sneakers is made from the equivalent of 11 water bottles’ worth of plastic that has been strained from the ocean,” said Mr. Arsenault, who was guest speaker at commencement exercises inside a crowded PHS field house Friday night.
He assured students, however, that he wouldn’t be pontificating “about saving the whales, recycling and planting trees.” Still, his entire speech focused on the concept of sustainability and how it could carry graduates through college, the military, a career and life in general.
Take the senior project, which is a graduation requirement at PHS, he said.
“You’ve bettered your health, learned and taught new skills, organized activities, raised money and awareness for charities, gotten a head start in the world of business and built everything from chairs, to cars, tables and greenhouses,” he said. “Stick with these newfound talents, hobbies and lifestyles as they’ve clearly made you a more well-rounded individual, as that is sustainable.”
He urged graduates to cherish the relationships they’ve forged at PHS. “One of my best friends from high school became my college roommate and years later got his justice of the peace certificate in order to marry my wife and me,” he said. “Contemplate traditions, those that you’ve started and those you’ve attempted to carry on over your time at PHS. Make new ones going forward with the people you’ve come to know and love here. Because, that tradition is sustainable.”
Students going on to college should network and take advantage of all the opportunities available to them, he said. “So open the doors, befriend a professor, run for student government and discover all that your college has to offer, because that is sustainable,” he said.
He urged those graduates enlisting in the military “to be all that you can be, move up the ranks, save your buddies and save the world. Because that is sustainable.”
And for those going straight into the workforce, Mr. Arsenault told them to “think outside the box, set your goals high and climb that ladder. Because that is sustainable.”
He even gave students a quick health tip, advising them to take a break from looking down and texting on their smartphones while walking around. “Research shows that when you walk around like this, it adds excess stress to your neck and you could develop a hump in your upper back. Keep that in mind, as it is not sustainable,” he said to laughs.
In closing, Mr. Arsenault acknowledged the challenges of being ecological sustainable.
“In life, it also may not be the easiest path, but by definition it will take you the farthest, make you the most successful and, in turn, hopefully bring you the most happiness,” he said. “So I charge you all to get out there, start traditions, open doors, think outside the box, pay attention and change the world. Because that, ladies and gentlemen, is sustainable.”
Student speeches
There were two student speakers — one selected by the faculty, the other by the class officers. The faculty’s choice, Mary Stack, shared advice she received from her soccer coach of the past eight years. (Mary was a member of the PHS girls’ varsity soccer team that won the Division I state championships last fall.)
Her coach, she said, made the girls repeat three rules before every game:
• Never give up. “No matter how tired you are, keep running and make every effort to win the ball back.”
• No shots, no goals. “If you prevent the other team from shooting, they will never score. Equally, if you never shoot, it’s impossible to win.”
• Know your ABCs. “Before you receive the ball, always have three options.”
Despite the excellent job her coach did, Mary said she soon realized she’d never be a soccer star. “As anyone who has ever seen me play soccer can verify, my talents do not lie on the soccer field,” she said.
Nevertheless, she still finds herself living by her coach’s three “commandments” as the principles he instilled in her never faltered.
“He unknowingly taught me to never give up on any dream of mine,” Mary said. “He encouraged me to take advantage of every opportunity available. He taught me not to allow others to get ahead of me simply out of my unwillingness to try. And most importantly, he illustrated the importance of always having a backup plan because many of life’s events are entirely out of my control and preparation is vital.”
The knowledge she gained from her coach is evidence that life lessons can be found in the most unsuspecting places — “you just have to know how to look for them and be open to listening,” she said.
Scott Perdue was chosen to speak by his class officers, who felt he best represented the spirit of the class. He said he was shaken up when he heard the news, as he’s shy in front of people. But his fears soon went away as he was greeted with overwhelmingly support from both teachers and students.
“I can’t tell you how many people came to me and said, ‘No worries, Scott, we will clap and laugh at anything you say,’” he said to laughter and applause. “The support I was given was so genuine and comforting, I felt like Sally Fields at the Oscars. ‘You like me. You really like me.’”
That kind of support can’t be taught, he said. “The traits I’ve seen in all of you — accepting, welcoming, supportive and kind — are all things that cannot be forced upon you. You have to adopt them for yourself. And I’m here to tall all of you: Not only have you adopted them, but you have mastered them.”
Welcoming addresses
In her welcoming address, Gabriella DeComo, senior class president, challenged classmates to remember the good times and the teachers who inspired them throughout their four years of high school.
“Dwell not on the drama you’ve experienced with your peers, rather recall the laughs and memories you’ve shared and celebrate this exciting time in your life with the people you love, as you will likely never seen them as often as you have during the past four years,” she said.
Both School Committee Chairwoman Terri Cortvriend and PHS Principal Joseph Amaral — presiding over his first commencement as high school leader — shared a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mr. Amaral also recognized two graduates who are entering the military: Anthony Nunes into the U.S. Marine Corps., and Kolby Gomes into the U.S. Army Reserve.
Superintendent of Schools Ana C. Riley shared 10 tips for graduates going on to college. No. 1 was, “Leave every place you go better than the way you found it.”
One last number
PHS Band Director Ted Rausch led graduating seniors in one last rendition of “Stars and Stripes Forever” along with their bandmates, while Chorus Director Shawna Gleason did the same with her seniors on the song “No Day But Today.”
Senior Sophia Piffard led the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, while classmate Kristen Takacs sang The National Anthem. Another member of the Class of 2017, Student Council Treasurer Adam Parsons, introduced Mr. Arsenault as guest speaker.
238 total graduates
Here’s the complete list of the 238 members of the Class of 2017:
Shaun Thomas Abbate
Jean Abdallah
Daniel Acosta
Michael Robert Adkins
Ava Lillian Aguiar
Ryan Christopher Alexander
Claire Elizabeth Allder
Cyrus Trudeau Allen
Jeremy Phillips Amand
Aidan Jonathan Asher
Savannah J. Baker
Adam Joseph Barbosa
Kalesta Alexandra Barone
Nicholas David Barron
Alex Battey
Christopher R. Beauregard Jr.
Victoria Helen Bergstrom
Nicholas John Bicho
Ashley Lynn Bickham
Lian Mei Bishop
Liam Raymond Bixby
Julia E. Blackburn
Abigail Bloom
Grace Erin Blythe
Katherine Shea Livingston Bollinger
Jennah F. Bolton
Caroline Sarah Boscia
Aidan Patrick Bowen
Lyndsey Lucille Bowman
Meagan Elizabeth Boyle
Madison P. Brinkman
Sabrina A. Broomfield
Alyssa James Brousseau
Mackenzie Raine Brow
Jeffrey A. Bruneau
Ian D. Bulpett
Allison C. Cabrera
Adrianna Josephine Cafarella
Ailish Rose Cafferty
Erin Colleen Callan
Jonah S. Callandret
Matthew Alexander Campion
Mason Todd Carbone
Zachary Paul Nevitt Carroll
Jenna Lee Carruba
Shannan Jean Carvara
Alexander Noel Castonguay
Erica Joliece Cates
Matthew G. Clark
Samantha Rosella Clauer-Janelle
Adrian T. Clements
Taylor N. Cofield
Nicholas Steven Colicci
Kelly Louise Conley
Devonte Paris Cooper
Joshua O’Shea Corr
Alex Douglas Cory
Danielle Marie Costa
Anthony John Cottrell
John Francis Coyne
William Francis Crayford V
Alexander W. Curran
Jacob A. Davis
Kayla Davis
Gabriella Marie DeComo
Ailish J. Delehanty
Peter David Dellasanta
Savannah Elizabeth Densley
Sophia M. Domingoes
Nicolas Antonio Donahue
Grace Katherine Dooley
Vincent Gray Downs-Honey
Dominique Marlena Dufour
Ian Takeshi Dunlap
Sophia K. Evangelatos
Keelyn Elizabeth Ferris
Ian Matthew Fitzgerald
Olivia Grace Fitzgerald
Abigail Danielle Fleming
Cora Amber Flowers
Erin Kathleen Flynn
Jacob Sullivan Force
Kierra M. Ford
Winifred Katherine Francis
Adam Edward Gamache
Corey Richard Gamache
Meghan Cary Gamache
Joshua Daniel Goldman
Kolby B. Gomes
Maura Kathleen Goss
Lillian Anne Rose Goulart
Jonathan M. Gower
Shaun Michael Greene
Aspen Cia’rra Gushee
Emma E. Hanlon
Brendan J. Hayes
Haley Case Hayes
Emily Anne Hewett
James Henry Hook
Luke DeWolf Ingalls
Jessica Katherine Jefferds
Benjamin G. Johnson
Noah Franklin Johnson
Matthew Richard Kearns
Delaney May Kellogg
Gregory Michael Kemper
Daniel Joseph Kent
Lillianna Rose Kenyon
Alexander Edward Khalfayan
Olivia Grace Kneeland
Amanda L. Kneipp
Xhevdet Raeder Krajacich
Tristan James Harrington Krensavage
Noah R. Lafleur
Grady Brian Landers
Kristie Mariah Lee
Kerry Kathleen Lehane
Samantha K. Lesieur
Abigail Elizabeth Levy
Sophie May Lima
Shania Domonique Lindsey
Eve Renée Lowrimore
Bridget Jean Madden
Julia Ellen Madden
Sophia Mairs
Jordan L. Marrow
Isabella Michele Martin
Jacob R. Mazur
Thomas John McCabe Jr.
Nicholas J. McCarthy
Tyler A. McDonald
Cameron James McEvoy
Kyle Thurston McGowan
Noah Timothy McHugh
Ailish A. McKenna
Eamon Rowland McKenney
William S. McKeon
Christopher Michael McManis
Joseph M. McNamara
Rachel Lynn McVicker
María Cecilia Melara
Timothy Joseph Moitoza
Abigail Meryl Moore
Katherine Murphy
Nicholas Rescia Murphy
Timothy J. Murphy
Jordyn Patricia Napier
Selena Rosalie Nasser
Domenic D. Natale
Colt William Nichols
Allison Marie Nickerson
Jocelyn Elise Nogueira
Madeleine Marie Noreau
Hailey J. Nott
Anthony John Nunes IV
Michael Anthony Occhi
Jacqueline Dianne Oliver
Kyle Oman
Jack M. Page
Adam Robert Parsons
Leah Isabelle Paulon
Patrick Jerome Payseur
Maxwell James Peckham
Nicholas J. Pellechio
Robert Scott Perdue
Melissa Liya Perry
David Nathan Peterson
Jacob Peterson
Luke Peterson
Sophia Helen Piffard
Lauren Alexandra Poirier
Zachary T. Powrie
Gina N. Price
Gina Quick
Zachary Rahilly
Emma M. N. Rainer
Sha’liek T. Randall
Celia Isabella Rapp
Sydney Livingston Reaper
Christopher Clark Renault
Catherine Anne Riccio
Allison Shayla Richard
Connor L. Richardson
Ana Rose Riordan
Logan Paul Ritchey
John Michael Roche
Alec Raymond Roderiques
Ryan J. Rogers
Julia Marie Rotar
Benjamin Jeffery Roy
Jenna L. Roy
Ayonna Infinity Sandoval
Danielle Nicole Santillo
Julia Lynne Santos
Nicholas I. Scott
Clifford D. Shablom Jr.
Bethany Anne Sharp
Kyla Sarah Shea
Christina Leoma Sherwood
Megan Elizabeth Silveira
Alexandra Leigh Silvia
Amy Elizabeth Simoes
Meghan Mary Smith
Marissa Lynn Snyder
Miguel Alejandro Soler
Matthew Miletich Sousa
Sunnie Autumn Souza
Arianna D. Spano
Jack Burke Spigel
Mary Keenan Stack
Peter Thomas Stamoulis
Sarah M. Stebbins
Emily Alves Steinbach
Rebecca A. Steinbach
Kristen Maria Takacs
Brittany Nicole Tavares
Gabrielle Yvonne Telford
Lauren Elizabeth Tinkham
Luke G. Tomlinson
Jose M. Torres Jr.
Cole Benjamin Towers
Madison Jean Trauth
Bella Troppoli
Lily Ann Van Petten
Lillian Hilary Villacorta
Liam Michael Walker
Morgan H. K. Ward
Brooke Noelle Weidner
Hannah D. West
Madelyn Shaye White
Sofia May White
Jillian Thérèse Whiteside
Benjamin Donald Wilkie
Isabelle L. Wilson
Brian Andrew Wojichowski
Samuel Borden Wordell
April Grace Younkin
Other items that may interest you