By Victoria Dolan

Last Saturday, the Hull community celebrated 51 graduates and 11 retirees in a bittersweet graduation ceremony.

The ceremony, which took place outdoors on Finlayson Field, marked the last class for Superintendent Judith Kuehn and Principal Michael Knybel, who both delivered remarks.

Knybel encouraged the class to stay true to themselves and embrace their individuality, because “this world needs individuals who are willing to stand for what is right, to contribute with kindness and truth.

“Go forth with confidence, compassion, and the unwavering belief that you are capable of shaping a better future,” he concluded.

Check out these great images from the ceremony from Jennifer Lynne Photography by clicking here.

Kuehn encouraged the graduates to continue applying the lessons they learned at Hull High, as “your curiosity, your passion for knowledge, your kindness towards others, and your commitment to excellence will be the foundation upon which you build your future.”

After walking the field to the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance,” Dahlia Hedrick sang the National Anthem. Hedrick and Katherine Orpen later delivered Class Reflections, and the HHS band performed a short selection.

After the salutatorian address, valedictorian Veronica Fleming took the stage to deliver her remarks. Fleming reflected on the transitions the class has faced thus far from elementary to middle school and middle to high school, and took on the age-old question, “Why are we learning this?”

“We have learned all that we have up to this point so that our past can help propel us into a better future, and all that we will learn in the future will only augment the foundation we have already built,” she said. “Even if we never see the Pythagorean theorem again, at least we can affirm that it has gotten us this far.”

The commencement speaker was Elizabeth Greenwood, a professor and alumna of Columbia University with multiple critically acclaimed novels. Greenwood grew up in Massachusetts and encouraged the graduates to treasure their community and their home in Hull.

Senior class president Maeve Mulvihill shared similar sentiments in her address, sharing that “the time we have spent here in this town with these people is irreplaceable, and I don’t want these relationships to go away.

“This is the time for us to make mistakes and take risks,” Mulvihill said. “It is our time to live our lives however we would like, and to discover ourselves for who we are and what we would like to become.”

And as “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove played to conclude the ceremony, the 51 students on the field became alumni of Hull High School.