LENOX, Mass. — Pittsfield High School seniors reflected on the school year and their time "under the dome" at Sunday's graduation ceremonies.

 

Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko welcomed families and the 159 graduates to Tanglewood, noting that this year is different as it's her last at PHS. 

 

"I am so grateful to the class of 2025, thank you for your positivity you brought to Pittsfield High School. Thank you for creating and strengthening an atmosphere of inclusivity at our school. Thank you for being role models to our freshmen, and thank you for being such a bright light, not just in our building, but in the city of Pittsfield. You've shown up for each other in big and small ways. You've led with kindness, you've lifted people up, and you've made space for students to see, feel seen and valued," she said.

 

"You have made our school more alive and like a home, our home under the dome."

 

Harrington-Esko has been with Pittsfield high for 20 years and was made principal in 2022.

 

Class President Caroline Sherman told her classmates that it's time to make their own paths.

 

"I kept trying to find the right answer. The right thing to say. The right advice to give. But, the longer I dwelled, the more I began to realize, there is no one right answer. We are given advice all the time, 'travel while you're young, go to school, get a masters, go to community college, save your money, move somewhere new, follow your dreams, be responsible' and so on," she said. "It all contradicts itself which gets extremely overwhelming as I'm sure many of you know. The truth is, none of this advice is better than the other because it is all based on someone else's experiences. Now, it is time for us to listen to our own advice, and follow our own passions. ...

 

"I think that for me, and for many of us, that is the scary part because it also comes with sometimes choosing the wrong decision, and making our own mistakes. But isn't it exciting? My plans are different from your plans, and your plans might be different from the ones you had yesterday, but that doesn't mean that either of us are wrong. Every single one of us gets a chance to narrate our own stories. And not only do we get to write them, and someday tell them, but the best part is that we get to live them."

 

Class speaker Helen Makdisi spoke about the school year and what being a General means.

 

"Like the changes us graduates are about to experience, our school has had its own shifts and waves that we may not have anticipated. I may not agree with how our school has been depicted from the outside perspective, but they always say it's what matters on the inside anyways. As an insider, I don't need someone who's never walked through Pittsfield High's hallway to tell me what my school is or isn't," she said.

 

"I can't say I've never been frustrated with some of the decisions and actions surrounding our school, but what I can say is this; as a community, we have always gravitated towards resilience, how we support one another, adapt, and rebuild in the face of challenges."

 

Makdisi said she'd had the pleasure of being an insider at PHS, and that to be a General is to "cheer as loud as you can during a game or performance; to be a General is to laugh with your best friends during the one free day of advisory you all have; to be a General is to show up to serve your community on your day off of work; to be a General is to embrace what comes and goes."

 

Superintendent Joseph Curtis, presented the Karl Boyer McEachron Award to Caroline Sherman. McEachron, a native of Hoosick Falls, N.Y., was pioneer in practical applications of electrical engineering and spent the bulk of his career at GE. 

 

"Caroline, you have distinguished yourself, not only through your outstanding academic achievements, but also through your deep commitment to your school community, your involvement in extracurricular activities and your vision for future in science, you represent everything. This award stands for curiosity, integrity, integrity, perseverance and purpose. And on behalf of the Pittsfield Public Schools and the legacy of  Karl Boyer McEachron, it is my pleasure and privilege to present you with this year's award."

 

Sherman will receive a plaque and a $2,000 scholarship.

 

Class advisors Mia Albano and Ashley Paradis presented the diplomas and certificates; the band played "Our Kingsland Spring"; the chorus sang "Be the Light" and "Changes" and the orchestra played Sergei Rachmaninov's "Romance for String" from Symphony No. 2.

 

Then Harrington-Esko gave the order to turn their tassels and dismissed the Generals for the last time. 

 

Pittsfield High School Class of 2025