WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Mount Greylock Regional School is looking forward to honoring its 84 seniors with a hybrid graduation. The celebrations will come in two parts.

 

A virtual pre-graduation celebration will be held Friday at 7 p.m. with speeches, awards and a slideshow, elements normally seen at both class night and graduation. 

 

The video will be available on the Mount Greylock Regional School District's YouTube channel, through Willinet's website, and on Willinet Channel 1303, starting at 7 p.m.

 

On Saturday at 11 a.m., seniors and their families will come to campus for the distribution of diplomas. The state Department of Public Health restrictions limit the number of people allowed to participate. Only families with tickets can come to campus, but the entire community — extended family, friends, younger school friends, and neighbors — are invited to cheer and honor students as they make their way home.  

 

The graduates are expected to depart the Mount Greylock campus around 12:40 p.m. and eventually move north, south and west on their ways home. Ideally, well-wishers will be grouped along the Routes 7, 43 and 2 to the centers of New Ashford, Hancock, Lanesborough and Williamstown. Local police and fire departments will escort the students and families to town centers. 

 

Well-wishers are encouraged to gather at an acceptable social distance of 6 feet along Routes 7, Route 43 and Route 2 at various parking lots and pull-off areas. There is no parking on state highways. Wear red and white, bring banners, balloons and

noisemakers. Shout and cheer as the seniors drive past.

 

Featured speakers this year are Nicole Overbaugh and Toby Foehl. Overbaugh was chosen by her peers and Foehl by the faculty.

 

Overbaugh, the daughter of Tim and Andrea Overbaugh of Lanesborough, has pursued a demanding academic program at Mount Greylock and has been enrolled in honors or Advanced Placement classes since her freshman year. During her sophomore year, she was nominated by the faculty to attend a youth leadership conference sponsored by the Williamstown Rotary Club. She easily met the criteria having been in the top tier of her class, displaying citizenship, leadership qualities and getting along with others on a daily basis. In her junior year, she received The Greylock Way award recognizing her genuine acts of kindness, integrity, responsibility and perseverance.

 

She was a two-season athlete and was an integral member of the golf and softball teams since her freshman year. She qualified for and played in the Womens' Western Massachusetts Golf Championship. Overbaugh was a member of the Junior Classical League, having studied Latin since seventh grade and worked as a teacher's assistant in middle school Latin classes. She also was stage manager for this year's musical, "Anything Goes."

 

Overbaugh has a long-standing passion for film. All of her elective undertakings have been with photography and film and expanded through an independent study program with the same teacher. This led to her volunteer work with the yearbook for the last four years of high school.

 

She has chosen to attend Clark University in Worcester.

 

Foehl, son of Brooks and Alison Foehl of Williamstown, has pursued an honors and Advanced Placement program of studies at Mount Greylock. In his junior year, he was inducted into the National Honor Society. He is a four-year member of the Student Council, serving as president in his senior year. During Grades 9 and 10, he was a member of the band and played first clarinet 

 

A talented athlete who played soccer, basketball, and tennis, Foehl led on the field as much as he led in the classroom. He played varsity soccer for five years, joining his teammates in several postseason games, and played varsity basketball for four years, serving as captain in his junior and senior years. He was named a high school basketball athlete of the week both as a junior and senior and most notably reached a career 1,000 points this season.

 

Foehl was also selected to play in the Berkshire County All-Star Game both as a junior and senior and was a member of the Mount Greylock Student Athlete Advisory Council for the year. In his junior year, he made the 2nd Team All-Western Mass and 1st Team All-Western Mass in his senior year. He was selected by the collective of Mount Greylock coaches for the Mount Greylock Athletic Excellence Award in Grades 9, 10 and 11.

 

He worked as a teacher's assistant in the recently redesigned library at Mount Greylock. His guidance counselor writes, "Toby is a fantastic leader — he is kind, thoughtful and well-organized. He is one of the most respected students by faculty and peers alike. I enjoy his witty sense of humor."

 

He is very involved in community service spending the last four years as a camp counselor at Camp Sarsaparilla and has spent some time working with PALS, "Promoting Acceptance and Learning through Sports."

 

Foehl has chosen to attend Williams College and will be a member of the men's golf team.