BUCKFIELD — With spirits buoyed by the sun shining through a short break in the rain clouds, family, friends, teachers and staff packed the Buckfield Junior/Senior High School gymnasium Saturday evening to honor and celebrate 40 graduating seniors from Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner.

“I’m going to try to avoid the cliché of, ‘We did it,’” said class Valedictorian Jacob Bailey, addressing his classmates seated on the gymnasium’s central stage. “But we did. Some of us, just barely.”

In his speech, laced with a healthy dose of wit and plenty of inside jokes, Bailey reminded his fellow graduates how far they had come and urged them to make the most of their futures as they prepared to move into the next phase of their lives.

On a somber note, Bailey recalled that the class was visiting New York City on the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. On the afternoon of the bombings, the students were visiting Times Square, believed to be the attacker’s second target. The realization that a simple twist of fate could have changed their lives forever made him appreciate the importance and fragility of human life, Bailey said.

“Cherish your life; don’t take it for granted,” Bailey told his fellow seniors. “Because in an alternate universe, things could turn out much different.”

That message was echoed by Salutatorian Jennifer Hammond, who encouraged her classmates to pursue their dreams, follow their passions and above all, stay true to themselves.

“When it comes down to it, do what makes you happy. That’s what is really important,” Hammond said.

Guest speaker Joe McLaughlin, the school’s art teacher, encouraged the graduates to take risks, but not “stupid risks,” as they moved forward into the next phase of their lives.

“I don’t want you to see how fast you can drive your car over Streaked Mountain or how many hot dogs you can eat at once,” McLaughlin joked.

Whether they were going on to college, the military, a job or other pursuits, the graduates needed to keep an open mind and take advantage of the possibilities life presented them, McLaughlin said.

“The point is, sometimes taking a leap means great and unpredictable things will happen in your life,” he said.