Advisor Lisa York said the class "is amazing. They’re responsible, dedicated, hard-working."
HADLEY - The Hopkins Academy Class of 2011 is extremely close, said class valedictorian Nathan Bombardier.
In part that closeness comes from being just a class of 46, with most students knowing each other all of their lives.
At the same time, he said, “We’re all different. We’re like siblings” which means disagreements at times.
But, he said, “We all like each other because of that.”
The closeness and familiarity fosters a sense of safety. His message to his classmates at the Friday night graduation at Hopkins is “coming from a small school environment, not to be afraid to step out into the world.”
Bombardier will be a pre-med major at the University of Notre Dame.
Of the graduates, 94 percent are heading to two- or four-year colleges.
Advisor Lisa York said the class “is amazing. They’re responsible, dedicated, hard-working.”
She said, “they put forth the effort to make the school successful.” That comes through the math team, sports and other areas, she said. “They get along very well.”
Co-advisor Nick Simmons echoed her sentiment. “They care a lot about each other ... When there’s a lot of tasks to do, there’s a lot of leaders in the class (willing to take them on). They’re very selfless.”
He said they don’t worry about getting paid or earning class credit.
And, he said, “they have a lot of pride for their school and the town.”