Valedictorian Landon LeClair tells his classmates to take what they've learned to make their pathway in the future. See more photos here.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The graduates in green and white cheered as their classmates crossed the stage at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday night.
The "flagship" McCann Technical School awarded diplomas to 127 students in programs from culinary arts to metal fabrication. Some will be going on to college, others already with the skills to enter the workforce.
"We may be one of the smallest technical schools in the state, but our mission is powerful to graduate technically skilled, academically prepared, and socially responsible individuals ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and by awarding our diploma to you this evening, we certify that you have the skill set to meet those challenges," said School Committee President Gary Rivers, describing McCann as the "flagship school of technical education in the commonwealth."
Rivers, former principal of the vocational school, said 72,000 high school seniors will graduate in Massachusetts this years but only 11,000 will be from technical schools.
"This sets you apart from the other 61,000 graduates, because you have acquired two educations in one, a high school diploma and certifications in your technical field," he said. "What I would like to do tonight is to give you a simple plan that will help you achieve your goals."
Rivers said he took inspiration from what he learned at a coaching clinic back in the 1970s: Do what's right and avoid what's wrong, do everything to the best of your ability, and, above all else, show people you care, just genuinely care about other people.
"When you do the right thing. People are going to trust you. They know they can count on you when you do everything to the best of your ability," he said. "Then people know you are committed to excellence and care about others. My hope is that everyone in this graduating class will be significant. The significance, however, is when you help others be successful."
Salutatorian Ryleigh Holland spoke of her journey through McCann, arriving quiet and nervous, but like her classmates, pushing herself out of her comfort zone as the years flew by.
"When I would tell people I attend a vocational high school, they would have mixed reactions, because of the stereotype the education isn't as good, but I couldn't disagree more," she said. "I know that my computer-assisted design teachers have always been there for me, either helped me vocationally, professionally, or personally. And I think that's something all of tonight's graduates can attest to as well.
"We all started knowing little to nothing about our vocations, and now we're walking out of here as professionals."
Graduate Cody Stentiford opened the ceremonies with Jimi Hendrix's guitar rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Rivers, Superintendent James Brosnan and Principal Justin Kratz presented the diplomas, and students were handed their awards and scholarship letters as they left the stage.
Kratz sent them off with advice about roller coaster ride of life: be present in the moment, cut themselves some slack, try their best to keep things in balance, that things will mostly be OK and to "measurer your friends in quality, not quantity. He also hoped that graduation day was not the best day of their lives.
"I hope that McCann was awesome, I hope that you had a great four years here, I hope that you have a lot of awesome memories, I hope that those memories last you well all into the future," he said. "But I wish someone had told me high school is not the best time of your life. It's not, and if someone tells you that, they're wrong, because you've got a lot of living left ahead of you."
Valedictorian Landon LeClair asked the hundreds of family members and friends in the Amsler Campus Center gym to "take a moment to appreciate the achievement of graduates, as this was something that took consistency and effort."
"Though we may have not shown up every day, we showed up when accounted, and through patience and determination stayed the course and made it to this moment," he said. "But while we played a major role, we cannot forget those in our lives who helped us along the way. No matter how small their contribution, we could not have made it without them."
LeClair said those values of effort and consistency will always be with them no matter where they end up.
"We have understood that failure isn't the end, but a pathway to new understanding. As we move forward, let's take what we have learned here and continue to build on it for the rest of our lives."
The graduates turned their tassels, flipped some beach balls and laughed at a slideshow of pictures from their years at the school before heading out the door.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Kolton Clint Joseph Buck
Logan David Irace
Timothy Neil Kupiec
Emerson Rose Lane
Landon Plankey LeClair
Jaxin Xzavier Lemaire
Carter Mason Moore
Ryleigh Elizabeth Rathbun
Hunter Scott Robert
Mason Thomas Rondeau
Brooklynn Tayler Warner
Gabrielle Marlene Wells-Vidal
James David Witto
Automotive
Alisandra Elizabeth Bills
Malia Putnam Coons
Landon Miles Hnatonko
Ian Michael Militello
Derek James Pratt
Jacob Alexander Rash
Bryce Andrew Robison
Logan Jeffrey Senecal
Jacob Carter Smith
Jayden Smith
Peyton John Trivette
Ethan James Weiskotten
Business Technology
Abigail Grace Anderson
Mackenzie Arlene Boyce
Hayley Elizabeth Foucher
Ella Rae Gaffey
Ehryn Elisabeth Hall
Koleigh Rose Hubbard
Kylee Ann Hubby
Kamilia Marielle Kondel
Emma Kelly LaCasse
Aimee Lynn McPherson
Tucker Hayes Wrenn
Carpentry
Lillyonna Gracelin Crawford
Mya Kathryn Demers
Tyler Michael Dubreuil
Brianna Lee Fachini
Stephen Clement Gage
Dylan James Goodell
Juliet Kathryn Knapp
Ashley Brynn Lane
Abbey Rose Little
Andrew John Meaney
Addisyn Taylor Meczywor
Sage Alexandra Moran
Cole Wayne Stentiford
Elizabeth Evelyn Therrien
Quincy Law Vilayvanh
Maggie Grace Wohrle
Taylor Ann Ziemba
Computer Assisted Design
Arthur James Bentley
Zackary Darren Bradbury
Tavian Edward Brazeau
Emma Grace Gregory
Ryleigh Jeanne Holland
Gianna Carmella Jacobbe
Noah Connor Kanelos
Leyla Ariel Kincaid-Chesbro
Nicholas Scott King
Ava Elizabeth May Kratz
Rhea Nora Lincoln
Marley Ryann O'Neill
Riona Lynn Parkman
Boden Carter Peck
Grace Marie Perreault
Liam Christopher Poirot
Kyle Mason Rougeau
Jackson Davis Tower
Justin Thomas Wesolowski
Jason Cameron Williamson
Culinary Arts
Gabriel Paul Charron
Reilley Michael Lefebvre
Electricity
Faith Lisa Brazeau
Harley Michael Collins
Dallas Jacob DeAngelis Ritcher
Jaydon Achilles Dimitropolis
Eli Bruno Gagne
Thomas Robert Morton
Jackson Tyler Mullen
Ryder Calen Murach
Gabriel Hunter Lescarbeau
Ryan Thomas McCarthy
Matthew Ryan McCormick
Ethan Michael Medon
Mason Wayne Mickle
Matthew Jonathan Roeder
Jacob Daniel Sherman
Ayden Michael Williams
Aidan Christopher Tremblay
Information Technology
Brett Maximos Belsky
Brady Quinn Bolte
Jeffrey Thomas Burgess
Julian Jessie Matthew Carrier
Thomas Frank Connors
Tanner Mead David Davignon
Gabrielle Madeline Driscoll
Skyler Joseph Ellsworth
Bryan David Faucher
Jordyn Rose Hamilton
Jordyn Maya Lloyd
Jonathan Jacob Miller
Mackenzie Ann Miranda-Ruiz
Keegan Michel Enzo Ouellette
Amari Areiell Smith
Metal Fabrication
Nolan William Booth
Dylan James Bourdon
Jackson Rollin Breard
Landen Jacoby Brodeur
Rocco Joseph Cellana
Aiden Margaret Champney
Jaslyne Marie Crockwell
Aidan Michael Ford
Ethan James Fredenburg
Zachary Michael Howland
Nora Ruth Kondel
Tyne Ondria Laroche
Shaylee Kersten Lawson
Marley J Miner
Paige Lynne Perry
Rider James Senecal
Micah Kayne Spencer
Natalie Marie Tatro
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Companion Corner: Mimi and Herman at Second Chance
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
ARLINGTON, Vt. — There is a sweet bonded pair of felines looking for a new home together.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
Mimi and Herman have been at the shelter since May and are 9 years old.
Feline program administrator Santana Snyder introduced us to them, noting this is their second time at Second Chance.
"They are a bonded pair of nine year old kitties that came to the shelter because their previous owner had to go to a nursing home," she said. "They were adopted from the shelter as kittens, and things just changed. They've been together, like I said, their whole life, brother and sister, so they do need to go together."
The two have a bit of differing personalities as Mimi is more outgoing than Herman, who is quite shy and will hide at first.
"Herman's definitely gonna take time to warm up. He is a little bit of a scaredy cat. He hides a lot. It took a little while for him to come out and sit on the cat tree and be out in the open here. Mimi took pretty quickly to being out and about and interacting with everybody, so they just need somebody that's going to have some patience with them and kind of let them come out of their shell at their own pace," she said.
Mimi likes to play and be around you. Herman has mainly hid since being at the shelter.
Herman does have one eye but it does not bother him.
"Mimi will get playful every now and then I don't think I've ever seen Herman play. Herman is missing an eye. He was, I guess, found like that as a kitten before he even came to the shelter originally," said Snyder. "Doesn't seem to bother him any. It's completely closed, but he sees perfectly fine out the other one."
But the two are healthy besides being on a diet, as Herman is pushing 20 pounds.
The two would do well in a quiet home without kids. They have not been with other animals previously.
"A quiet home, for sure. We would probably say no kids. They've never been around cats or dogs before, but potentially mellow, feline-friendly cats would be OK. They spend most of their time as senior kitties just lounging, napping, getting attention from the visitors at the shelter," she said. "I definitely think maybe an older couple would be really good for them. Someone who's home a lot, they're kind of used to that in their previous home."
But the two are ready for their new home where they can give and receive love from a new family.
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The expansion and remodeling of Images Cinema at 50 Spring St. in Williamstown reflects the unusual cinematic landscape of Berkshire County in the wake of a very disruptive period that was sparked by the COVID pandemic of 2020.
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