RANGELEY — The Rangeley Lakes Regional School celebrated the graduation of its senior class on June 14 with a new format for the ceremony that emphasized the personal relationships between the students and their teachers and community.

In a theme that gained strength with each iteration, the seven graduating Seniors all referred to their classmates as family, and extended the term to include teachers and staff.

Senior class adviser Kate Philbrick explained that rather than inviting a well-known personality as the single commencement speaker, the class voted for each student to request an adult to speak personally on his or her behalf. The participants included school faculty and staff, coaches, and school board and community members.

Tom Philbrick spoke on behalf of David Bachelder, Stephen Philbrick spoke for Tomas Clinch, Darlene Woodman for Tala Ferguson, Heidi Deery for Michael Haley, Pam Ellis for Brianna Hall and Elden “Chip” Smith for Victoria Letarte.

In a surprise move, Maryam Emami, speaking on behalf of Eddy Ellis, introduced as a guest speaker Eddy’s brother, James, who was attending in full military dress uniform. The emotional bond between the speakers and their subjects was clear, with both parties often fighting back tears and ending with a heartfelt hug.

The ceremony began at precisely 1 p.m. with the faculty in full academic dress marching in before the class to the familiar strains of Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance No. 1.”

Class President Tala Ferguson welcomed the audience. Superintendent Susan Pratt, in her welcoming remarks to families and community, recognized military personnel attending, both active and retired.

Presiding at her first graduation since being named Rangeley superintendent last year, Pratt told the seniors,“I love this day, for all it means to you and to the town of Rangeley.”

According to Pratt’s computation, the seven new graduates brought the total number of Rangeley grads to 675.

“Let’s go back to 1996,” Pratt said, “the year most of you were born. To your parents, the first time your eyes met was the beginning of a love like no other, and we’ve all been able to share in that. You’ve made us all very proud.”

Senior Michael Haley presented the yearbook, dedicated to Heidi Deery. Tala Ferguson detailed the yearbook memorial to the three students’ fathers who have passed on.

Salutatorian Victoria Letarte, along with a tribute to her mother and to coach Heidi Deery, spoke directly to the audience and asked them to remember what their own young lives had been like. “Your memories are our futures,” she said.

In the first of two video interludes, adviser Kate Philbrick presented a tribute to the Class of 2014 which she had put together with the help of parents, guardians and families of the students. Later, the class slide show featured a segment on each student, with many photos narrating the arc from babyhood to the current day.

Pratt and Deery presented scholarships totaling $37,000, divided among all seven students. In a Rangeley tradition, the seniors were provided with yellow roses which they passed out to family and friends in the audience who have supported them in their lives and academic careers.

Hall, the valedictorian, began her address with a quote from writer Kurt Vonnegut: “True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” She quickly turned the quote on its head by adding, “I anticipate waking up one morning to find the world a better place because of the ladies and gentlemen here on the stage with me.”

After speaking of the potential of each of her classmates, and stressing again the theme of the class as a family, she concluded, “Seven is a lucky number, and I feel lucky to graduate with this group of seven.”

After Prattdeclared that by her authority she pronounced all the students to have graduated, she was joined on stage by School Board Chairman Jennifer Farmer to pass out diplomas to the graduates.

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