ADAMS, Mass. — The 27 seniors at Berkshire Arts & Technology Public Charter School make up a remarkable and unified class, said Principal Joe Huston.

 

"Over the past year, I've come to understand how remarkable this particular group of seniors is," he told the gathering for graduation in the school gym on a rainy Saturday morning. "They collaborate, they support one another in amazing ways that you wouldn't expect. They really work together as a team."

 

The first-year principal said the graduates might be a little bleary-eyed from their "senior lock-in" at the school, during which they played games and other activities. When he arrived in the morning, he found the students out in the parking lot parking cars — very poorly.  

 

"I mean, I've seen some bad parking in my time. You've seen parking over the lines, right? Nothing quite like this. How you manage to get a car to take up three parking spaces at one time?" he wondered.

 

"It was all in good fun. It was a perfect snapshot, though, of this senior class. They're creative, they're unified, they're bold, and I will tell you, they are unforgettable."

 

Class speaker Persephone Clark gave the "senior reflection," saying school is not made by its institution or building by the people and culture cultivated by each class. 

 

 "I prepare to leave my school for the next chapter, I thought a lot about the culture I created with my class," she said, remembering the people she had looked up to over her seven years at the charter school. "Every year I've spent here at BArT, brought new opportunities and taught me new lessons. And from each of those years, I can name one or two older students who have truly inspired me and who I strive to emulate."

 

Her classmates have, in turn, become the inspirational upper classmen "for years of graduates to come."

 

"We have created an image of hard work and determination through the resilience we've shown when faced with adversity. We are gifted with friendship and love for our community, and have been known to crack jokes even when the time isn't exactly right," she said. "We've become unique individuals, each with our own goals and values and the success we found both academically and otherwise, brings pride to our friends and family, but most importantly, brings pride to ourselves. ...

 

"We are a class of kind, determined, loving, humorous and brilliant people. We are ready for the world, and we will continue to leave our legacy at every new chapter."

 

Sophomore Kendall Heck sang the national anthem, school counselor Stephanie Maselli presented the awards and Huston presented the diplomas. Graduate Ava Valois led the class's "moment of appreciation," when the seniors handed out flowers to the staff and faculty who had supported them. 

 

The graduation speakers were paraprofessional Nicole Truran and English teacher Alex Chautin.

 

Graduate Robert Gile III introduced Truran as "a consistent presence, a supporter, and let's be real, the unofficial mom of our class."

 

Truran, choking up at times, recalled how she began at the school at the same time the class of 2025 entered sixth grade with their oversized backpacks, squeaky shoes and nervous glances. 

 

"But even then, you had something special — curiosity, humor and an openness to connection. Over the years, I watched you grow into your voices, your talents and yourselves. It wasn't always easy, and that's what makes this day even more powerful," she said. 

 

She recalled the challenges like the pandemic to the thrill of field trips to New York City and to Boston, where they helped her overcome her terror of stingrays. 

 

"You encouraged me to confront one of my most irrational fears, petting the stingray. I was genuinely terrified, no exaggeration, but there you are standing beside me with patience and kindness, nudging me forward with a quiet 'you've got this,'" Truran said. "That day, you showed me what true courage looks like, not just facing your own fears, but helping someone else face theirs. ...

 

"Thank you for letting me be part of your journey. Thank you for teaching me, inspiring me, and laughing with me. You're ready, you're brilliant, and this world is lucky to have you. Congratulations. You did it with so much love, respect and adoration your school mom."

 

Chautin was introduced by graduate Tucker Danylin as "the type of teacher to leave a lasting impact and memories that will be cherished far past high school."

 

The teacher joked that as it was the 100th anniversary of "The Great Gatsby," he'd left a pencil, a highlighter and a copy of his speech under their chairs to annotate. Using F. Scott Fitzgerald's seminal work, he said if they'd learned anything from Gatsby, it was that "change is necessary, but sometimes change is scary and it's preceded by frustration."

 

He gave his own example of how career services at his college had "eviscerated" the value of his four years of work and his dream of teaching. He took it as a challenge. Six years later, he arrived in the halls of BArT. 

 

"I made it out all right, this is not without many important lessons learned. Now, many of you asked me to do this so that I can take these final moments to give you some advice," Chautin said. "But you got got, because I already took those lessons and advice that I learned in those six years, and I poured them into a ninth grade curriculum, the books and stories that we read nearly four years ago."

 

Circling back to Gatsby, he said "if we learned anything from him, it's to change for you, not for others. Compare yourselves to no one except for you of the past, it is never wrong to dream and to pursue that dream, you will assuredly have grown the very pursuit."

 

Scholarships & Awards

Adams Community Bank Scholarship: Micah Paul, Justin Rodriguez

Adams Lions Club Scholarship: Tucker Danylin

Greylock Federal Credit Union Community Enrichment Scholarship: Keegan Baker, Persephone Clark

Jacques Parker and Marie Deguard Scholarship, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Rachel Fleury, Johnathon Miranda, Ava Valois

United Cerebral Palsy of Western Massachusetts' Lisa Jacobs Memorial Scholarship: Persephone Clark

Lincoln College of Technology Scholarship: Robert L. Gile III

 

Berkshire Arts & Technology Public Charter School Class of 2025