Hanover High graduates get lesson on the difference between hard work and good luck

Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger
·3 min read

HANOVER – Four years ago, Isabella Kelley set a goal in a letter to herself: becoming valedictorian of the Class of 2022.

That accomplished, she set a new one at Friday night's Hanover High School graduation ceremony, and asked her classmates and the audience to make it theirs too.

"My goal is to make my future goal kindness and inclusion," Kelley said. "Being nice just feels good."

And while this may not change the world, it may change someone's world, she said. Kelley urged her classmates to focus more on the bright side of life.

Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos gives graduating seniors final instructions before heading out for the commencement Friday, June 3, 2022.
Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos gives graduating seniors final instructions before heading out for the commencement Friday, June 3, 2022.

Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos wanted to make a point on the benefits of hard work over relying on good luck. He said hard work is what got the 140 members of the class to graduation.  Luck? Well, that got one member of the class the $100 bill that was taped under one of the seats. One young woman stood up after finding the bill.

Class salutatorian Michael Greene talked about the importance of laughter and the ability to laugh at yourself. He cited the time he flunked a physics test and his parents hung the paper on the refrigerator.

"With laughter, you may find you recover faster," Greene said. "Never wait to laugh, no matter how difficult life is."

Salutatorian Michael Greene addresses the crowd gathered for the Hanover High School graduation Friday, June 3, 2022.
Salutatorian Michael Greene addresses the crowd gathered for the Hanover High School graduation Friday, June 3, 2022.

Cara Jenkins, the senior class president, noted the difficulties the members of the class experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.

"It gave us a greater appreciation of the things we took for granted before," Jenkins said.

School Superintendent Matthew Ferron urged the class members to cherish the relationships that make  Hanover their "forever home."

Hanover High School Class of 2022 

Garrett Arnold, Keegan Baldwin, Robert Barrett, Karen Bell, Niall Bishop, Dean Blanton, Craig Bossi, McKenzie Bottomley, Olivia Bray, Quinn Brown, Wesley Bryan, Anna Bucchianeri, Samantha Burke, Patrick Cahill, Alexandra Calabro, Patrick Callow, Brent Campbell, Kylie Campbell, Joseph Campo, Lauren Casey, Vincent Castaldini, Charles Cataldo, Ryan Chabot, Caden Chadwick, Tyler Chin, Phoebe Cleaves, Sean Connolly, Kace Corbett, Andrew Corbo, Jackson Coughlin, Sean Coughlin, Olivia Cuesta, Nathan Curtis.

Nora Dailey, Nicole Danehy, Rosemary Danehy, Maxwell DaSilva, Kelsey DelPrete, Benjamin DeMita, Domenick Depauw, Willow DiGravio, Paige Dillis, Madelyn Doherty, Jack Dolan, Carly Dougherty, Deirdre Downey, Meghan Enos, Nolan Faherty, Jeffrey Fassl, Jackson Fish, Alizay Fiske, Colin Flaherty, Norah Flanders, Matthew Flynn, Sean Freel, Madison Freel, McKalah Gaine, Cole Gannon, Cullen Gardner, Megan Gartley, Morgan Gentile, Callia Gilligan, Alexander Ginter, Rose Giordani, Michael Greene.

Sheridan Hall, Robert Hanna, Evan Hebblethwaite, Christian Henderson, Morgan Henry, Vincenzo Hoiberg, Luke Hoyes, Elizabeth Hutchins, Paul Jackson, Cara Jenkins, Nora Jenkins, Sarah Jenkins, Thomas Jenkins, Jack Johnston, Abigail Jones, Asrat Jones, Makenna Kane, Brady Kehoe, Isabella Kelley, Jordan Kennedy, John Kenney, Theodore Lanagan, Karis Lantz, Reilly Laubenstein, Zachary Lawit, Victoria Leary, Sophia Lee, Zachary Lee, Daniel Leskow, Elsa Little-Gill, Mary Longueil, Michael Losordo, Jared Lupien.

Tyler MacDermott, Calvin MacDonald, Duncan MacDougall, Caris Mann, Benjamin Manning, Christopher Manning, Daniel Manning, Scott Manolakis, Jack Masse, Gillian Mastrocola, Tyler Matthews, Katherine McAuley, Lilly McAvay, Conor McCloskey, Henry McCombs, William McFarland, Julia McGillivray, Kathryn McGillivray, Molly McGlame, Aidan McNally, Rachael Meehan, Preston Miller, Anna Minichino, David Mitchell, Caroline Moody, Alexi Morales, Natalie Mowbray, Ben Murphy, Mark Mustone, Jason Naughton, Emma Neville, Erin Obreza, Audrey O'Brien, Griffin O'Brien, Jack O'Callaghan.

James Parry, Sydney Patch, Tanner Paul, MaryKate Perkins, Nicholas Plahn, Timothy Porter, Maebon Puleio, Dylan Rice, Jadon Rice, Gianna Rizzo, Nieve Rowlette, Ryan Rusko, Jack Rynning, Inka Ryter, Michael Salamone, Isma Saleem, Lauren Salvas, Nathaniel Salvucci, Serena Sawaya, Carsten Schwarz, Brayden Scott, Bridget Sellon, Kendall Sherwood, Emily Signor, Caroline Souza, James Squires, Ella Stone, Jenna Sweeney, Michael Sweeney, Emma Talbot, Morgan Taylor, Timothy Taylor, Breanna Thomas, Brian Thompson, Danielle Tilden, Derek Tokarz, Ava Toner, Raymond Tschudy, Cameron Valair, Grace Van Duyn, John Ventola, Andrew Vermette, Colin Vincent, Tiana Wakefield, Caroline Walbridge, John Watson, Aidan Whitney, Ryan Wildman, Carter Zielinski.

More graduation coverage: Celebrate the 2022 graduation season with the Patriot Ledger: Here's everything you need

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here's our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hanover High School Class of 2022 told hard work beats good luck