Principal Andrew Linkenhoker said the Class of 2011 is the greatest to graduate from Monson High School.
MONSON – A week to the day that a tornado whipped through Monson, changing life for its residents, the town celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2011 under warm, clear skies at the Granite Valley Middle School field.
Principal Andrew Linkenhoker, who said he still gets tears in his eyes when he drives down the tornado-damaged Ely Road, said the Class of 2011 is the greatest to graduate from Monson High School.
He spoke of the way they united to help residents after the devastating tornado leveled homes and destroyed buildings, scarring neighborhoods. They delivered meals and used chainsaws. Linkenhoker said countless times he was thanked for having such wonderful students.
“Yes the tornado was strong, but the people of Monson are stronger,” Linkenhoker said.
The tornado forced the cancellation of the ceremony that was planned for Friday, and school officials moved it to Wednesday night, outdoors at the middle school, so the entire community could attend. Parents, friends and family members surrounded the graduates on the hillside.
Gov. Deval L. Patrick, state Rep. Brian Ashe and Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, as well as Mitchell Chester, the state commissioner of education, were the special guests.
“Hello, Monson ... I wanted to crash the party,” the governor greeted the crowd.
Calling them the “tornado class,” Patrick singled out the specific students that he either met on his rounds through Monson, or had heard about – Laura M. Sauriol, who created the “Monson Tornado Watch 2011” Facebook page; Kelly R. Slozak, whose home was ruined on Bethany Road; class president Alex Joseph, who despite losing his own home on Waid Road, spent time volunteering, and the DiCristoforo triplets, who made sandwiches for the emergency workers.
Patrick said as he went through town, he saw on people’s faces, “bewilderment, fear and upset,” as their lives were turned upside down. But he said he also saw countless acts of grace, kindness to the emergency workers, neighbors helping neighbors.
“In those ways this tornado brought out the best of Monson,” Patrick said.
If the graduates continue that pattern of kindness, the world will be a better place, Patrick said.
“We will rebuild. We will renew. We will rebound,” Patrick said.
Valedictorian Valerie A. DiCristoforo shared memories of her years through the Monson schools, and noted that this is the largest class to graduate with 108 students. She noted that “everyone always says” that the last week of high school brings the class closer. She noted that everyone volunteered to help after the tornado.
Linkenhoker said 90 percent of the class will enter post-secondary education. He presented over $60,000 in scholarships and awards, something that is usually done at a separate ceremony but was incorporated into graduation, as awards night also was canceled due to the tornado.
Poems were read by graduates Melinda Blankenship and Kayli Kacoyannakis. KC Fussell delivered the honors address. Monica Morin led the flag salute.
The jubilant seniors tossed their caps into the air.
Joseph talked about his role as class president; he praised his classmates, and how the town came together after the tornado hit.
“I am proud to know these people,” Joseph said.
As the graduates departed, rain drops started to fall.
Before the ceremony, Joseph said the “tornado went pretty much right through our home.” He was home with his father when the tornado struck.
“Me and my dad stared it in the face. It’s not something I want to live through again, that’s for sure,” Joseph said.
Joseph will attend the University of Massachusetts to study computer science. His family has been staying with relatives in Hampden.
The ceremony was delayed by approximately 20 minutes because of a “suspicious package” found on the field which turned out to be a student backpack.
Just a few hours before their graduation ceremony, several Monson High School seniors were out and about, delivering food, water and fruit to tornado-ravaged neighborhoods.
Wearing T-shirts that said “Monson seniors 2011” were DiCristoforo and her sister Jessica R. DiCristoforo, along with Abbie Gregory and Timothy Chavez. They were riding around in a minivan marked with the words “Monson seniors deliver food – tornado relief effort.”
Up the hill on Stewart Avenue, fellow high school senior Michael Ketterman was helping the Phipps family, whose house was destroyed. And senior Victoria B. Russo was on Bethany Road helping her best friend and fellow senior Kelly Slozak’s family, as their home was ruined by the tornado.
It was School Committee Chairman Jeffrey D. Lord who reached out to the governor to have him attend the commencement.
Said Lord, “I didn’t want the Monson graduates to always remember the day they were supposed to graduate as the day they spent helping their family, their friends and their neighbors piece through this utter devastation. The Monson School Committee is so proud of our graduating class and I wanted to make their graduation special.”