FARMINGTON — Mt. Blue High School salutatorian Colton Hall warned his fellow graduates Saturday morning that the day has arrived for them to take responsibility for their own destiny.

Gone are the days when parents and teachers will be there to pester and motivate, leaving the graduates to define how they affect the world, he said.

“And when we reach that point, it will be up to us whether we want to create splashes of our own, ripples that swell and gain momentum, or just float along and let the tide take us where it will,” he said.

Hall, who plans to attend Bowdoin College in the fall, added that he doesn’t know which path is best, challenging his classmates to “just think about” the differences.

Hundreds of parents, family members and friends packed into the Mt. Blue gymnasium to celebrate the 162 graduates in the class of 2012, some of whom drew the loudest applause of the day with emotional musical acts.

The Mt. Blue Voices, a student group, performed an a capella version of the soulful “Rolling in the Deep.” Then came a duet by graduates Louisa Stancioff and Ellery Sloane-Barton, playing the fiddle while singing the folksy “Leaving Home” and bringing many parents to tears.

Principal Monique Poulin praised the graduates for setting an example for underclassman despite the many challenges they faced, including a major construction project at the high school during their senior year.

Although the graduates had to deal with renovations displacing them from classrooms and athletic facilities, they persevered and continued to succeed in academics and sports alike, Poulin said.

Instead of complaining, these graduates remained positive in a “show of character” that will help the next generation of Mt. Blue students follow in their footsteps long after the construction is finished in 2013, she added.

Class speaker Taylor Harris reflected on her experience as the student representative on the Mt. Blue school board. The board’s failed attempt to subcontract the district’s custodial services helped teach Harris about difficult choices in life.

“I could picture myself in the audience in the future fighting for something I truly believe in,” she said.

Harris, who is headed to Thomas College in the fall, said she didn’t know which side to choose in the recent subcontracting debate. She noted, however, that it showed her she couldn’t please everyone when making a tough decision such as picking a path after graduation.

“Whether you’ve decided what you want to do next year, or the next four or even 15 years of your life, don’t let anyone stand in the way of your happiness,” Harris told her fellow graduates.

Graduate Chrissy Holbrook plans to keep striving to reach her dream of opening a restaurant. The job training and culinary arts courses she took at Mt. Blue’s regional vocational school laid the groundwork for that, she said just before the graduation ceremony.

Holbrook, of Farmington, will continue this fall to take college classes through the region’s adult education program and plans to enroll in a culinary arts program.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to open up my own restaurant and reach my goals,” she said.

David F. Robinson — 861-9287

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