PARIS — As if on cue, the sun poked through the clouds following a torrential rainstorm Saturday as 217 members of the class of 2025 at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School lined up before their graduation ceremony.
Principal Paul Bickford made note of the weather during his opening remarks to those dressed in green and white robes and hundreds of their families and friends at Gouin Athletic Complex on Alpine Street.
“The sun is shining, which is a relief,” he said. “You might be a little wet on bottom, but you know what, here we all are.”
After a bagpiper led a processional of faculty members, the graduates marched two-by-two to “Pomp and Circumstance” performed by the school Concert Band.
Class Secretary Abigail Toohey gave a touching tribute to teacher and coach John Pinto of Norway, who died Nov. 2, 2024, at age 72. Pinto was chairman of the history department and taught at Oxford Hills for 18 years.
Toohey never had Pinto as a teacher but knew him through her father. She fondly recalled the orange tree he had growing at his house.
“When I reached high school, I would see Mr. Pinto before school,” Toohey said. “He would give me updates on when the orange tree blossomed, and he even left a little branch with three oranges on it on my desk. It really is the little things he recognized that set him apart from others. He cared about each and every one of us.”
Salutatorian and class Vice President Gianna DeVivo, who will study bioengineering at the University of Maryland, talked about her scrapbook. The bits and pieces, which she calls scraps, are not small or insignificant. Her scraps, she said, contain pieces of her life – memories that have great meaning.
“I want to challenge you all here tonight to think what your scrapbook contains,” DeVivo said. “I’m sure that if you look past the big moments in your life, you can find some scraps that you truly appreciate. ”
“While we celebrate today, we must also celebrate each and every moment that has led up to now, no matter how small.”
“So as this journey comes to an end and we prepare ourselves for many more, remember to not only appreciate your big moments and accomplishments, but every single snap,” she added.
Valedictorian Ella Pelletier will attend Stonehill University and play basketball. She holds the school record for career points with 1,396 and received the Gatorade Award as the best girls basketball player in the state.
In her speech, Pelletier talked about wanting to be on her own, but her mother, Tara, was always right there with her, first as the assistant principal at Oxford Hills Middle School and then as assistant principal at the high school when Pelletier was a freshman.
“Some may be wondering, including myself, if she is going to follow me to college, too. Don’t worry mom – I already called Stonehill. They don’t have any openings,” Pelletier said.
She added that having her mother and father, who was a teacher and coach at the OHCHS, was a blessing.
“I’m grateful. Their presence meant I was never alone, and I always had them rooting for me, no matter what.,” she said.
She credits one of her basketball coaches with helping her overcome the anxiety and crippling stress that affected her on the court and in the classroom. His guidance helped her understand that she didn’t need to be perfect.
“I learned to take the pressure off and realized that trying my best is enough,” she said. “That moment has stayed with me for the rest of my senior year, and it helped me see that I didn’t have to face everything on my own,” she said.
“In life, we all need someone to support us and help manage the pressure we put on ourselves. We need to understand that it is OK to let it go. I hope you have someone or will find someone as you move forward,” Pelletier said.
Dr. Allyson Maloy, a 1992 Oxford Hills graduate who received her undergraduate degree from Columbia, was the commencement speaker.
A neurologist and a psychiatrist, she spoke about the dangers of social media and how it affects the brain and one’s mind.
Bickford said he is going to miss the class.
“Today represents the next step in your journey,” he said. “High school graduation is not an end point, but a new beginning. You are prepared for whatever lies ahead. But please know that OHCHS is always here for you to continue to support you and cheer you on as you reach for the stars. Come back and visit and make sure to share some stories with us.”
