Kennebunk High grads told to take risks: 'You have the power to change the world'
'I unfortunately had to accept that I would never live in a castle,' Ilyas said.
Ilyas, speaking to 168 of her classmates at their graduation ceremony on June 8, said much of life is too focused on the future. She encouraged students to embrace the moment on the school's football field as they prepared to stand and receive their diplomas as the Class of 2025.
'Yes, we're actually graduating. It's real. And it's fleeting,' Ilyas said. 'Let's not forget to be here before we go out there.'
A total of 174 students graduated from Kennebunk High School this year, and 169 chose to walk, according to Principal Scott Tombleson. Students gathered on the field in front of friends and loved ones as they turned their tassels and tossed their caps.
Superintendent Terri Cooper told students that Sunday marked 'not an ending, but a beginning.'
She told students to take risks, travel to 'places that scare and excite' them, and apply for their dream job.
'You have the power to change the world,' Cooper said, 'Whether through grand gestures or quiet moments of compassion.'
Kennebunk High School graduate Cooper Thompson told students they grew not just academically, but in their ability to adapt and lead through change. He said students have seen their school evolve over the past four years, welcoming new teachers, coaches, assistant principals, and even a new principal in Tombleson this past year.
Every year brought a different rhythm, new expectations, and fresh faces, he said.
'Through it all, we didn't just adjust, but we thrived,' Thompson said. 'That speaks to who we are as a class – resilient, flexible and strong.'
The day's faculty speaker, history and social studies teacher Rebecca Moy, put a focus on sports as she described the passion with which she has followed the Oakland Raiders since she was a child. She said sports bring out the best in people who strive to compete. She encouraged students to pursue their passions with the same effort many athletes show in athletics.
'To love sports is to understand the value of competition in testing your personal limits and to make a stand for what you've trained for or what you believe in,' Moy said.
She concluded her speech, 'This is about the sincere gratitude I have for those graduates who have allowed me to be a part of your lives and let me share the passions I have.'
More: Kennebunk High School names top 10% students in Class of 2025
The day marked Kennebunk High School's 150th graduation. Tombleson, hired in August 2024, said he did not take lightly his role as one of about 20 principals who have led the school.
Tombelson described the history of Kennebunk 150 years ago — how shipbuilding was in decline in Maine while tourism was on the rise. He spoke about how the first Kennebunk High School graduation might have had families in town for the graduation staying at the Ocean Bluffs Hotel on Cape Arundel, overlooking Walker's Point, 'having no idea the global significance that small spit of land would one day hold.' (It was and still is owned by the Bush family, who produced two presidents of the United States.)
Tombelson said they could not have imagined the student body and its community gathering in 2025. At the time, 150 years ago, Alexander Graham Bell had only just invented the telephone. At the June 8 ceremony, students took photos with their cell phones.
To build on his point about history, Tombleson asked everyone who graduated from Kennebunk High School to stand up. He then asked those who graduated before the year 2015 to remain standing, then continued to count back each decade until no more were standing. The numbers went back to the 1960s before every person was sitting, the last met with loud applause.
'Together, we can build across generations,' Tombleson said. 'Together, we can renew our hope and faith in the life that is yet to unfold.'
Alexis Vetrano
Lucia Collin Reigosa
Shay Smithwick
Tru Jarvis
Melody Rousselle
Lila Turley
Nova Genest
Megan Ames
James Bertus Trudo
Noah Richardson
Emilie Barter
Dominique Owen
Willow Knowles
Caroline Tabor
Kathryn Manning
Emilia Ilyas
Logan Lefebvre
Emily Dube
Thomas Morin
Mykyta Vykhodtsev
Ella Beals
William Turgeon
Elijah Blanchard
Collin Reetz
Parker Plourde
Ethan Burr
Charles Majkowski
Alexandros Cartwright
Phoenix Williams
Hank Flynn
Ainsley Harden
Philip Dyer
William McMann
Aaron Rosen
Luis Roberts
Jacob Ghans
Ryan Clark
Sarah Vargonen
Alexandria White
Gray Rogers
Skylar Holder
Emma Orendorf
Katherine Orendorf
Donovan Kendrick
Jonas Adams
Alexander Adams
Benjamin Johnson
Norah McLeod
Sasha Altshule
Taylor Giles
Talia Kellum
Juliann Pike
Anna Fox
Maximilian Prosenc
Elan Keys
Cooper Samson
Samuel Haley
Finley Knappe
Mekhi Gillard
Finneas Coldreck
Jordann Gilpatric
Eliza Herring
Owen Swain
Connor Therrien
Riley Pelletier
Novalee Page-Auger
William Eagleson
Amara Roberts
Annabelle Welch
Kylee Caron
Otto Fontaine
Declan McGlashan
Eva Havey
Kellyn Zambrano
Alexis Snow
Robert Pollard
Isabel Esch
Makena Garriepy
Mikayla Kimball
Kelsey Ewing
Karla Hernandez-Vinajero
Cindy Perez-Vinajero
Eva MacDonald
Summer Shea
Simone Houdlette
Hannah Keene
Owen Snow
Jacob Emmons
Eric Schoener
Wyatt Boulette
Gabrielle D'Orso-Palmer
Grace Mitchell
Anna Smiley
Madelyn Smith
Delaney Hanson
Camryn Houle
Noah Hammond
Andrew Johnson
Owen Quitog
Samuel Pietrowicz
Charley Norton
Ian Pentland
Anthony D'Elia
Kyle Barron
Marcelo Pastora Caballero
Bennett Webster
Maya Kimball
Elizabeth Torstensen
Ella Pitchforth
Abigail Jenannette
Lorelei Ogden
Maeve Noble
Nicholas Vasquez
Mario Real
Christopher Smith
Jacob Labrador
Avery Rossics
Elsa Liberatore
Isabella Donnery
Aubree Veilleux
Kaden Stevens
Jenna Wright
Grace O'Neil
Ryan Hansen
Jackson Thombs
Wyatt Hafer
Bronwyn Parkhurst
Mya Todd
Tanner Wendle
Ava Kane
Mason Binette
Meghan Taggart
Nicole Axelsen
Sonja Frederich
Eliza Sayer
Abigaile Santerre
Molly McKinney
Addison Carbone
Cenzie Cunningham
Audrey Madden
Weston Church
Blake Dallara
Theo Pow
Benjamin Urban
Kellen Connor
Gavin MacDonald
Isaac Jensen
Calvin Johnson
Jack Mosser
Brady Stone
Jonathan Hines
Cooper Thompson
Cole Perkins
Willard Kull
Cole Seitz
Aidan Lynch
Max Andrews
Noah Tarring
Brady Holder
William Camp
Jasper Raymond
Shane Woloszyn
Ryan Cumiskey
Autumn Shaw
Aurora Crone
Maxwell Stewart
Maddox Ralls
Caleb Auriema
Jacob Eon
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk High grads told to take risks and 'change the world'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hints from Heloise: Memory quilts can bring great comfort
UTILIZE YOUR PHONE WHEN SHOPPING Dear Heloise: When I shop for groceries, I have no memory or imagination, and I will invariably lose my shopping list somewhere along the way. It's a disaster! Now, just before I grab the shopping list, I snap a picture of it, which has saved the day for me many times. The phone camera is also useful for reading those tiny low-contrast computer price tags; they're all but readable when they're on the bottom shelf. Just snap a pic of it and blow it up to see what it says! (Remember to keep your reading glasses with you!) Thanks! I enjoy reading your column in the Oregonian. P.S. Freezing banana slices leaves them too soggy to use. -- Davis B., in Oregon UNCOMFORTABLE SLEEPING Dear Heloise: I was married for 40 years, and unfortunately my wife passed away. I sleep in the same room we used to sleep in, and I'm unable to sleep the way I slept there before. Because of memory and energy, I tried sleeping in the living room, and everything was fine. So, I decided to buy a twin mattress. If anyone has had this issue, they should see if this also works for them. -- Kamal B., via email A MEMORABLE QUILT Dear Heloise: I read a hint about the quilt made for a friend from shirts that her husband had worn before his death. I don't know why I hadn't written you before about this because it actually helps reduce grief. (At least for me it really did.) My husband and I were married for 59 years when he passed about five years ago. We couldn't have a funeral or any type of celebration of life due to the COVID-19 countrywide shutdown. After my son took the items of his dad's that were important to him, my granddaughter took the remainder of his shirts, saying that she'd give them to a thrift shop in town. About two months later, when she and her family came to visit, she brought me a beautiful lap-quilt made from his favorite shirts that she'd seen him wear over the years. And she brought a pillow made from one shirt with the buttons and pocket still on there. It was so wonderful and helped me get through my grief by knowing that he was still here in some way. This was while I was attending a grief counseling group on a biweekly basis via a group phone call, which was also helping me. Sharing this story with others on the call helped me get through my grief and loss as well. Hugs and thanks for all your hints! -- Jeanne F., in Oxnard, California PUMPING PROBLEM Dear Heloise: I am continually frustrated when trying to open new lotion and hand-soap pump bottles. In some way, I believe it is because I am directionally challenged. I have to stop and think which way is left and which is right. I have also recited to myself the 'lefty loosy, righty tighty' phrase, to no avail. I confuse myself or talk myself out of turning a pump top this way or that. I now have three different bottles on my counter, and I'm waiting on someone to help me figure out the trick to open these pump bottles. My spouse and two sons have tried to help, but I've usually got the cap messed up by then. Do you have a trick that I can use? -- Megan, in Fort Wayne, Indiana Megan, this is a good question! Readers, do you have any hints to help make a pump bottle easier to open? -- Heloise SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise@ (c) 2025 by King Features Syndicate Inc. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Colorado State University welcomes largest local freshmen class, president calls CSU "Colorado's University"
With more than 6,500 freshmen moving onto campus between Tuesday and Wednesday, Colorado State University is preparing to begin the 2025-2026 school year. CSU, located in the heart of Fort Collins, is projected to once again be home to more than 33,000 students. The graduating class of 2029 began on-campus move-in, spreading out among a sprawling campus, including many brand new and recently renovated dormitories on the south and north ends of the campus. "It's definitely nerve-wracking and bittersweet. But, I am really excited for the whole year to come," said Elizabeth Gares, an incoming freshman living in Corbett Hall. Traffic in and around Fort Collins was noticeably backed up on Tuesday, the day expected to be the busiest for move-ins. Wednesday is expected to be comparable, with roadways like College Avenue, Mulberry and Prospect expected to have backups throughout the day. On campus, more than 3,200 families spent their day carrying bedding, clothing, refrigerators, decorations, and more into the dormitories. The rest of the estimated 6,500 freshmen moving onto campus are expected between Wednesday and the end of the week. "I am really excited," Gares said. "It took a lot. I had five people from my family setting up. We had two bins. It has been a lot." CSU President Amy Parsons thanked student volunteers for helping freshmen feel welcomed, noting most of the freshmen are from Colorado. "This is going to be our biggest class ever at CSU for Colorado students. We are really excited about that," Parsons said. "We are proud to be Colorado's university. We really recruit students from every corner of the state, and this year's class shows that." Parsons, a graduate of CSU, said she vividly remembers the day she moved into Parmalee Hall for her freshman year. "Oh my gosh, I recall the day I moved in. I remember my brothers helping me move in, and then they left and I didn't quite know what to do," Parsons said. The day was understandably emotional for many parents. "It is super exciting but also super emotional," said Jane Northrop, a mother who was dropping off her eldest child for his freshman year. "There is a lot of excitement in the air, but it is also hard to drop off your kid you have been taking care of for 18 years and say, 'Good luck, kid.'" Classes at CSU are scheduled to begin on Monday.
New York Times
13 minutes ago
- New York Times
My Partner and I Aren't Excited to Move In Together. Is That Bad?
My partner and I have been seeing each other for two and a half years. We're planning to move in together next year, and if all goes well, to get married the year after that. The problem: Neither of us is super excited about moving in together. I like living alone, and I'm concerned about losing my independence. My girlfriend is concerned about having to deal with my small quirks. We've even discussed looking for a two-bedroom apartment, so we can have defined spaces to be alone. Make no mistake, we love each other deeply. And we recognize that there are many benefits to moving in together, such as advancing our relationship. Do we have a problem? BOYFRIEND I think you have the opposite of a problem: Through good communication, you and your girlfriend have identified an issue that was probably awkward to raise and to discuss. But you did it. Well done! To me, this bodes well for your relationship. And since there is no single answer here, let's consider a few options. Regardless of which apartment you plan to live in — hers, yours or one you haven't found yet — you can experiment now, in your current spaces, by designating zones and blocks of time in which you can be alone. Healthy couples are rarely together 24/7, and scheduling time and space for independence can be an important part of caring for yourself and your relationship. Now, this may be easier to pull off in a larger apartment, as you suggest, but you can still try it now. Let me add that there is no one way to advance your relationship, as you put it — and it certainly doesn't require shared real estate. I know a happily married couple who have lived in separate apartments in the same building for 30 years! This may not be your aim, but keep talking about what's working and what isn't. That's the important thing. It seems to me that you and your girlfriend are off to a healthy start. A Guest With Pre-Wedding Jitters Our adult son's girlfriend is transgender. This is not an issue for us. But we are all invited to our nephew's wedding, and his branch of the family is socially conservative. I have heard passing remarks from them over the years that indicate potential transphobia. The bridegroom's family has never met our son's girlfriend, nor do they know she is trans, but everyone has deep affection for our son. Do we owe the bridegroom or his parents any warning? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
