147 students graduate from Montville High School
Seniors urged by their classmates to make the effort and be happy
School: Montville High School
Number of graduates: 147
Ceremony location: Montville High School Turf Field
Date: June 13, 2022
Class motto/identity: This year, the whole school adopted “MHS United” as their motto and a way to approach dealing with challenging times.
Commencement speaker: Dr. Michael Wolter. “Explore. Try new things. Find your passion. Let it take ahold of you and fuel your drive. Find a mentor! Find several mentors. I have had four over the course of my life. Learn from them. From their experiences. Learn as much as you can during the upcoming few years but never stop learning.”
Valedictorian Jack Perkins: “Personally, I don’t know what most of you will do after you grab that diploma. But what I do know is that there’s not a person here with no potential, talent, or goal. It’s possible that every single person here will be a billionaire in five years’ time. Well maybe not, that’s a lot of money.
You know what? I’ll give you ten years. That should be enough. In all reality, that’s not what we need from you. Despite all of the pressure that you may feel, all that your family and your parents want from you is your happiness. A beach house in Florida wouldn’t hurt, but it’s mostly that happiness piece.
Salutatorian Sydney Kolz: “Now, just because I don’t condemn amateurity doesn’t mean you don’t have to try. Still, please, try. And while you’re trying, you might as well come to terms with failing — because you will — we will. And while we’re failing, let’s also get back up again. Some things we’ll like, some we won’t, but either way, then we’ll know. Every once in a while we will happen upon something (or someone) we love, and those are the important ones. Discovering our passions isn’t easy, but we won’t know what we’re missing out on if we don’t try.”
Other speakers: Principal Robert Alves, Poet Laureate Kaleigh Brown, Class President Julia Beaupre.