Parish Hill grads have each found their inner pirate

Traci Hastings, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·1 min read

Jun. 12—CHAPLIN — When you're a pirate, even a pandemic won't daunt you.

Of course, you can't just be any pirate. You have to be a Parish Hill Pirate.

And the Parish Hill Middle/ High School 2021 graduating class of pirates demonstrated that not only had they risen above the restrictions of the last 16 months, but had found they gained strength to meet future hardships.

Parish Hill's mascot is a pirate and the school aims to have every student embody the traits of its acrostic based on the words " Problem solvers, Independent, Respectful and responsible, Academic achievers, Technologically proficient and Effective communicators."

Rather than the pandemic and several months of remote learning stifling the development of those traits, the main speakers at Friday's commencement ceremonies all reflected on how the challenges had helped them fully reach their inner pirates.

" We didn't allow it consume us," said valedictorian Nicholas Meister of the pandemic in his address to his classmates.

" We took it in stride. These events were hurdles that wove resilience and adaptability into the fabric of our society. We got through a year unlike any other.

" We are ready for any challenge we may face. Keep striving for your goals. It's only diligence and resolve that gets us where we want to be."

Salutatorian Brent Freed quoted musician Mark Knopfler in calling his fellow graduates his " brothers in arms" with their similar experiences in facing a pandemic from their rural school.

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