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- Graduates shake hands as their lines converge in the back of the gym Saturday during the Kents Hill School graduation ceremony in Readfield. (Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal)
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- Student speaker Leah Tsehai Herbin gives her address Saturday during the Kents Hill School graduation ceremony in Readfield. (Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal)
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- Dean of Faculty Babs Wheelden pins a flower onto Annie Citrine’s gown Saturday before the Kents Hill School graduation ceremony in Readfield. (Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal)
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- Graduates wave goodbye as their lines separate so they can enter from different sides of the gym Saturday during the Kents Hill School graduation ceremony in Readfield. (Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal)
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- Head of School Christopher S. Cheney, left, hugs student speaker Leah Tsehai Herbin before she gave her address Saturday during the Kents Hill School graduation ceremony in Readfield. (Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal)
READFIELD — In a quiet moment after his Kents Hill School graduation Saturday morning, Robert Coakley reflected on what he might tell incoming students about the experience he just completed.
“OK, there’s a lot I can give,” said Coakley, 19, of New York City, as his classmates, their families and teachers gathered in the ice arena following the ceremony for photos, handshakes, tears and hugs.
“The main thing is, be yourself,” Coakley said. “Don’t be in a shell. Just be you. Don’t be shy. Join the sports teams, join the clubs.”
Coakley transferred to Kents Hill as a repeat sophomore and spent three years completing his high school studies. In the fall, he’ll attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, where he’s considering studying sociology and perhaps law. This summer, he’ll attend an environmental studies program at the college.
That was not the only advice handed out as 72 students from 11 countries and 10 states graduated from the private, co-ed boarding school in Readfield.
At the ceremony, held in the Harold and Ted Alfond Athletics Center because of the threatening rain, the school welcomed back Rist Bonnefond, headmaster emeritus, who stepped down from his position at the end of the 2010-11 school year.
“Remember that respect is the foundation of all relationships,” Bonnefond said. “Be someone that other people can count on. Remember that your vote is your voice. Be honest in all matters. Smile more. Never drive impaired with alcohol or drugs. Don’t take the environment for granted; it needs your help. Courage both moral and physical is present in everyone. And finally, get a dog — preferably a big one. ”
The senior address, delivered by Leah Tsehai Herbin of Somerville, Massachusetts, was a reminder that grief touches everyone. In recalling her impressions of her time at the school and revisiting fond memories, Herbin spoke about the death of her father earlier this school year and the support she received from her classmates, and her hopes for future graduates of the school.
The ceremony’s other somber note was a moment of silence observed for Reina Nakamura, of Tokyo, who would have graduated this year. She died in 2016 just before she started her junior year. Her name was listed among the school’s graduates in the program.
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