Boothbay Region Elementary School celebrated the graduation of 40 eighth graders – the class of 2023 – June 11 with words and music in the gymnasium. Eighth Grade Recognition Night, one of the biggest end-of-school-year events, recognized 19 students with Harold B. Clifford Awards ranging from music to science and from the Maine Scholar Leader Award to the Secretary of State Distinguished Citizen Award.

Awards were presented to students by several of their teachers including Lauren Brown, Tim Rice, Zach Gray, Genie O’Connell, Jessica Nadeau, Cordelia Chase, Elizabeth Tilton, Mame Anthony, Soren Barker and Principal Mark Tess. Maine State House District 89,Rep. Holly Stover presented the Secretary of State Distinguished Citizen Award along with an explanation of its prestige for eighth grade students all across Maine.

Student Eric Maki led the Processional on piano with "The Entertainer" and Tess welcomed students and guests. The outgoing principal’s opening words showed a wonder of the genuinely kind and gifted students moving on to high school and all the great things the members of class can accomplish with the effort and compassion they have exemplified.

Said Tess, “Each of you has the opportunity to become the next leaders in your high school community … What leadership really is is the ability to inspire others to do things that they may not have ordinarily been able to do. The interesting thing is one third of who you are is determined by your DNA, but the really cool thing, though, is that the remaining two thirds of who you become is determined by what you learn. And I'm not talking about the ABC's, I'm not talking about adding and subtracting. I'm talking about who you as a person will become, not what you will become.”

Throughout the ceremony, students Grace Campbell, Rachel Barter, Veda Harriman, Meghan Leeman and Mara Gentry performed readings recounting their time at BRES and expressing their gratitude to teachers and staff who helped them. They were elated to show language arts teacher Cordelia Chase’s cardboard cutout of Johnny Depp. Chorus standouts Campbell, Barter and classmate Emery Lorrain performed a rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.”

After the awards were announced, Tess and Assistant Principal Tricia Campbell awarded certificates to every rising ninth grader. Then came the Recessional, led by Maki with “Got Those Blues.”

Said Campbell, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to introduce to you the Class of 2023. Congratulations, guys!”

Academic Excellence Award

Rachel Barter, Ryan Clark

Maine Scholar Leader Award

Hannah Roberts, Gryffin Kristan

Secretary of State Distinguished Citizen Award

Ryan Clark

Harold B. Clifford Awardees:

Gabriel Barter, Science; Rachel Barter, Music; Tyler Barter, Social Studies; Charles Anthony Bedirian, Band; Grace Campbell, Chorus, Art; Ryan Clark, Computer Technology; Mara Gentry, Language Arts; Emery Lorrain, Chorus; Veda Harriman, Language Arts; Paul Holbrook, Physical Education; Amber Johansen, Art; Meghan Leeman, Physical Education; Alec Murphy, Character; Caden Royal, Social Studies; Damien Torre, Science; Connor Wenners, Math; Zephyr Wilson, Math.

Graduates (in alphabetical order): Ryan Amaral, Kayden Ames, Mariah Andrews, Charles Hamilton Barclay, Gabriel Barter, Rachel Barter, Tyler Barter, Teal Beavis, Charles Anthony Bedirian, Kyra Blake, Grace Campbell, Ryan Clark, Conner Dover, Erik Ferrell, Mara Gentry, Jennilea Giles, Vedda Harriman, Kathryn-Emma Hibbard, Paul Holbrook, Peter Holbrook, McKenna Hopla, Amber Johansen, Gryffin Kristan, Meghan Leeman, Emery Lorrain, Deanna Main, Eric Maki, Andrew Meader, Lucian Moreau, Alec Murphy, Dylan Plummer, Zachary Poland, Jonathan Rines, Hannah Roberts, Caden Royal, Damien Torre, Jalysa Tulley-Elysee, Matthew Ward, Connor Wenners and Zephyr Wilson.