KENNEBUNK, Maine — The Class of 2024 said they learned growth and resilience at Kennebunk High School as they stepped off the football field as graduates Sunday.
The students, 167 of which graduated this year, started their four years during the COVID-19 pandemic, still in eighth grade when schools closed in spring 2020. Student leaders who spoke said they tried to make the most of their years at KHS as they worked to return to normalcy in their sophomore year.
“That experience made returning to in-person school even more cherished,” salutatorian Hannah Viden said, “And has helped us to get to where we are today, whether we realized it or not.”
Principal Jeremy Sirois commended the resilience of the Class of 2024, who navigated the complexities of the pandemic to emerge stronger and more united. Their journey from the disruptions of their freshman year to the triumphs of normalcy is a testament to their enduring spirit and collective growth.
“They’ve come so far in these three years that they truly are a great class,” Sirois said. “Many principals say that. When I say it, I truly mean it. They’re very personable. We have a lot of kids going on to do great things.”
More:Kennebunk High School names Class of 2024 Top 10 Percent
The students gathered on the field Sunday morning in front of their family and community members, the high school band performing “Highlights from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
Faculty guest speaker art teacher Brendan Roddy spoke about being willing to reinvent oneself and always growing.
Roddy spoke of being in his early 20s when he decided to switch from his focus on math to going to art school, as well as to come out of the closet. He told students he collects tattoos to mark watershed moments in his life and that they remind him pain is temporary but sometimes worth it.
“Go do the scary thing, don’t be afraid to change, and always keep growing,” Roddy said. “Maybe get a tattoo.”
Class valedictorian Anelise Peterson told the student body not to let grades and scores be their only focus in life. She said she started high school and let grades overwhelm her.
“I hadn’t taken time to reflect on why I cared so much about an 89 versus a 90,” Peterson said.
She realized she was not enjoying learning because she was only doing it for others. She said she adopted an ability to embrace imperfection and to enjoy simple pleasures like “a scoop of lemon sorbet on a sweltering day with your best friend.”
Peterson also said to take a lesson from a quote from Taylor Swift’s song “Marjorie”: “Never be so polite, you forget your power, never wield such power, you forget to be polite.”
“Advocate for yourself,” she told her classmates. “Be open and responsive to the thoughts of others, but do not let anyone deter you from your dreams.”
American Legion/Webber-Levebre Post #74 (Kennebunk) Scholarship
Anthony J. Racaniello Memorial Scholarship
Arundel Masonic Lodge #76 AF & AM Scholarships
Banking on the Future Scholarship
Belle Thompson Pelletier Seacoast Garden Club Scholarship
Bill Hovey Memorial Scholarship
Booth Chick/Arundel Lodge #76 Scholarship
Christopher J. Hussey Memorial Scholarship
Clash Alumni Scholarships
Conrad & Jane Nelson Berdeen Scholarships
Craig Richardson Memorial Scholarship
David Alton Clark Memorial Scholarship
David Shields, Sr. Good Citizenship Awards
Dennis Bodwell-Consolidated School Scholarship
Donald & Theresa Wentworth Scholarships
Dr. David M. McConnell Memorial Scholarship
The Edmund Muskie Democracy in Action Award
Embark Scholarships
Esther B. Card Scholarship
Eva J. Barnfather – Community Harvest Scholarships
Family Practice on the River Volunteerism Scholarship
Frederick W. “Rick” Griffin Scholarship
Gail Lincoln Memorial Scholarship
Hancock Lumber Company Scholarship
Harriet Winn Blaisdell
Jacob K. Gould Memorial Scholarship
James N. Drown Memorial Scholarship
Jared David Tetz Memorial Scholarship
Jeffrey D. Cole Scholarship
Jessica Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship
JoAnne Wrba Memorial Nursing Scholarship
June Little Record Scholarship
Kate O. Eaton Memorial Scholarship
Katie A. Carboni Memorial Scholarship
Kennebunk High School Class of 1965 Scholarship
Kennebunk High School Faculty Scholarship
Kennebunk High School Visual & Performing Arts Boosters’ Scholarships
Kennebunk Hoops Scholarships
Kennebunk Rotary Scholarships
Kennebunk Rotary Scholarship in memory of John Cummings
Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation Scholarship
Kennebunk Youth Lacrosse Club Scholarship
Kennebunk, Arundel, and Kennebunkport Education Association Scholarship
Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Alumni Association Scholarships
Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Athletic Boosters’ Club Scholarships
Kennebunkport Consolidated PTA (KCPTA) Circus Smirkus Scholarship
Kenneth R. Grant Memorial Scholarship
Kristin E. Krippendorf Memorial Scholarship
Leo G. and Priscilla B. Martin Memorial Scholarship
Maine Art Hill Scholarship
Mark Dufoe Memorial Scholarship
The MELMAC Educational Foundation Scholarship
The Michelle Spurling Memorial Scholarship
2024 Mitchell Scholarship Awarded by the Senator George Mitchell Research Institute
Morton & Betty Joyce Environmental Studies Scholarship
Nancy M. Falcone Memorial Scholarship
Noah Flynn Roberts Memorial Scholarships
Patty Bragdon Memorial Scholarship
People’s United Bank Scholarship in Memory of Robert P. Wentworth
Phoebe Woodman Henry Memorial Scholarship
Play Like A Champion and Act Like One Too Scholarships
Ralph J. Amabile Jr. Memorial Scholarships
Richard A. Underwood Memorial Scholarship
River Tree Arts Scholarship
Robert Nutter III Memorial Scholarship
Robert Schafer – American Legion Post #159 (Kennebunkport) Scholarship
Rotary Club of Kennebunkport “Service Above Self” Scholarships
Rotary Club of Kennebunkport Vocational/Technical School Scholarship
Spencer A. Trask Memorial Scholarship
Stephen P. Spofford Memorial Scholarship
Thomas Wayne Bazemore Memorial Scholarship
Tim Dietz Memorial Scholarship Presented by the Kennebunkport Historical Society
Tina Ambrose Memorial Art Scholarship
Washington Hose Company Scholarships
Wayne T. Adams Scholarship
West Kennebunk Fire Company Scholarships
West Kennebunk Fire Company Scholarship in Memory of Mark Lank
William Carroll Memorial Scholarship
William Ward Memorial Scholarship
Edith C. Barry Art Award: Samantha DiNallo
Joyce Butler History Award: Quinn Downing
Junior Volunteer Award for Exemplary Service: Gillian Camp
Maine Principals’ Award: Sophia Notine
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Award: Mara Muse
National Merit Finalist: Isaac Kahn
National Merit Commended Student: David Rush
U.S. Presidential Scholar Award: Isaac Kahn
U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award: George Lazos
U.S. Marine Corps Athletic Excellence Award: Sophia Notine and George Cutone
U.S. Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award for Music Excellence: Bennett Ewy
Betsy Ross Award: Ivy Armentrout
Daniel “Mac” Bassett Award: Andrew Burnham and Jaxson Redmond
Jake Jackson Award: George Lazos
Jayme Novotny Scholar Athlete Award: Mara Muse
John Babine Award: Trevor Williams
Joseph Rafferty National Scholar/Athlete Award: Jonah Barstow and Hannah Roche
Mary Tanner Award: Erin McDermott
Terry Drown Award: Owen Bourque
Bill Obermeyer Award: Isabella Awbrey, Keara Battagliese, Ashleigh Cluff, Bennett Ewy, Gabriel Jewett, Dylan Jones, Avery LaBua, Crow Lowry, Hedda Meier, Evan Mills, Ian Morrison, Penelope Nadeau, Laird O’Brien, Anelise Peterson Xander Pettis, and Hannah Viden
Amos McCallum Award: Deborah Dutton-Cox
