LYNN — Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School graduated 29 students Tuesday morning during a commencement ceremony at Manning Field.
In her remarks, Principal Maura Durgin-Scully expressed her enthusiasm and support for the graduating students, saying their accomplishments have not come easy.
“The challenges and adversities of your lives, coupled with those that the COVID-19 virus has brought these past 15 months,makes this milestone even sweeter,” she said.
Durgin-Scully acknowledged the work of the faculty and staff and the students’ ability to adjust to remote learning, wearing masks and missing out on a “normal” school year.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee said that after a challenging past 15 months, he was “extremely grateful” to be able to celebrate the “extraordinary” accomplishments of the Fecteau-Leary Class of 2021.
“To each of the graduates, you have demonstrated an incredible ability to adapt to change,” McGee said. “You have persevered through a once-in-a-generation pandemic, which completely altered the way you learned and interacted with teachers and classmates.”
McGee credited the students for their ability to adjust to the challenges brought on by the pandemic, saying that change presents a unique opportunity for progress.
“If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from the Class of 2021, it is that no obstacle is too great for you to overcome,” McGee said.
Deputy Superintendent of Schools Debra Ruggiero encouraged the students to not view graduation as an end, but rather as a beginning to a new chapter.
“Your path to the stage this morning is quite different than a lot of students graduating this week,” Ruggiero said. “As a student of the Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School, you have taken the road less traveled. Many of you have faced situations that your classmates cannot comprehend.”
Rockport Police Sgt. Mary Chalmers, the keynote speaker, reflected on past situations that made it difficult for her to further her education after her graduation from a partially-alternative setting at Lynn Classical.
Between giving birth and caring for her child, Chalmers said it took her 12 years to complete 60 post-secondary credits. She encouraged the graduates to never give up when faced with adversity.
“You aren’t average. You are above average,” Chalmers said. “You have all worked so very hard for this and you did not give up the fight, and you did it during a time when everyone was physically, emotionally and mentally stressed.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said he was “incredibly proud” of the graduating students, citing their unique talents and gifts which he said will help them excel after high school.
To that end, graduates Aaliyah Marie Hoey, Alexis Krzywicki, and Daniel Joseph Smith were awarded scholarships at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Hoey read a poem encouraging her classmates to appreciate their individuality and never lose sight of what makes them unique, before saying that her time at Fecteau-Leary was filled with an “overwhelming feeling of support, kindness and love.”
“I, like many students sitting here, know that when we leave here, it’s never really a goodbye,” Hoey said. “The staff and faculty have supported us and we all know that if we ever needed them in the future, we could reach out for guidance and advice without question.”
Durgin-Scully said the graduates have spent between one to six years at Fecteau-Leary, which she said highlights the fact that education is not a “one-size-fits-all” experience.
“You are proof that traditional school is not for everyone, and that the support of an alternative education — whether it’s a small setting, a special schedule, APEX classes or just some extra kindness — can make all the difference in getting to the finish line,” Durgin-Scully said. “Please know that you will always have a home at Fecteau-Leary.”
