Good afternoon. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the life of a fellow student that is with us today in spirit. Please join me in a moment of silence in honor and remembrance of our classmate Keegan Spear. Thank you.

Esteemed parents, family and faculty: As we, the class of 2015, begin to say farewell to the Boothbay region, we gather today to reflect and to celebrate a wonderful accomplishment: the success of the class of 2015, and the dedicated family and community members that have made our journey possible. I would like to take a moment to honor your roles in our achievement. I am confident I speak for my classmates when I express the utmost gratitude to all of you for your encouragement, guidance and opportunities made possible for the class of 2015.

From the beginning of this journey, you — our family, faculty and community — have made us your priority.

Our amazing parents and families have guided us along the path of our lives exemplifying unconditional love and unfailing support. As a result, we gather before you today excited and prepared to become the future leaders that we have aspired to be.

In addition, your love and support was continuously evident as you attended and cheered us on at athletic events, dance recitals, Girl and Boy Scout meetings, community service events, school concerts, drama club performances, as well as endless hours of commitment dedicated to many support systems, such as the Booster Club and Project Graduation. Most importantly, to our parents, thank you for choosing one of the most challenging roles on the planet, and doing it with such devotion.

The values our parents initiated at home were embraced and continued by our faculty and administration here at school, as well as by members in the community, setting the tone to champion values such as commitment, honor, compassion and perseverance in life choices. To our faculty, we recognize the evolution of your role as one that no longer just presents foundations for English, math, science or history. You, our educators, always knew when to let us run free with our imagination and creativity, and when to pull in the reins, while still allowing us to challenge our minds and and think outside the proverbial box. As mentors, you also knew when to support, listen, or offer advice, providing the right component to our success.

I have evolved into who I am today, in part, from your guidance, taking with me your wisdom and example, and I thank you. I am certain my classmates would concur that we are much more prepared for our new journey as a result.

As we say farewell to Boothbay Region High School, on behalf of the class of 2015, I would also like to extend our sincere congratulations to Mr. I.J. Pinkham and Mrs. Joyce Sirois on their retirements. Thank you for your dedicated service and may you experience a wonderful beginning to the next chapter in your life.

To our community, we extend our deepest appreciation for your example of compassionate and generous support over the 12 years of our academic aspirations here in the Boothbay region. My classmates and I have witnessed first hand the purest forms of compassion and benevolence as evident in the numerous times our community has risen to meet the needs of a family in need, or the multiple joyful celebrations that our region hosts, all of which have taught us teamwork and cooperation, time management, strong ethics and civic pride. I am certain these lessons will carry with us throughout life, as we continue to make your proud in the next chapter of our journey.

As parents, faculty and community have influenced my personal journey, so too have peers. Three years ago, when I attended my sister Meghan's college commencement, I was inspired by the address her class valedictorian gave. He shared a story he'd heard during his time abroad in Mozambique, which can be assimilated into our new journey:

"A young man off in the distance saw an older man gracefully tossing rock after rock into the sea. When the young man walked up closer, he realized the objects were not rocks but starfish. Once he reached the old man, he asked, 'Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the ocean?' The old man explained that if the starfish stay on the beach, when the tide goes out and sun rises higher, they would die. The young man responded, 'That's ridiculous! There are hundreds of miles of beach and thousands of starfish. You really can't believe that what you are doing can possibly make a difference!' The old man picked up another starfish, tossed it into the waves, and said, 'It make a difference to that one.'"

So, what does this have to do with the graduating class at Boothbay Region High School on this day? My fellow graduates on the class of 2015: you have the ability to change the future of a "starfish" in your career.

One can envision that the beach covered in starfish represents the world we are entering. We each have the potential to represent the man throwing starfish back into the ocean. We have chosen career paths that have the ability to change and shape our futures and the betterment of the world around us. Some of us are attending college for communications, early childhood education, nursing, marine biology, law enforcement, and animation, to name a few. Other will be entering straight into the work force.

For those of you going into early childhood education, your starfish will be the young child that reaches a tough goal. For those entering nursing, your starfish might be the ease of worry or pain in a frightened patient's eyes, as a the result of your efforts.

The future marine biologists will work tirelessly on the preservation of endangered species and seek to reverse the earth's deterioration through research and education.

Those of you entering the work force will provide vital services in local communities and support the growth of our economy.

I, as an animator, will try to capture the beauty and humor of the world around us, through the arts offering a bit of magic in life. We can change the course of the entire world, no matter where our careers take us, by picking up one "starfish" at a time.

As I conclude my thoughts and farewell, I would like to share a favorite quote. Walt Disney once said: "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Starting today, we have the opportunity to do anything we can imagine; we have the power to embrace our dreams and begin changing the world one "starfish" at a time. I wish you the best of luck, and encourage you to pick up many "starfish" along your journey. To the community, this is not farewell, rather "see you soon.” To my peers, congratulations, Boothbay Region High School Class of 2015.