Student Speeches Get Tears, Laughs at Highlanders Graduation

Hopes for the future, class achievements and the ties that would forever bind them to their small Portland home were the sentiments of the hour as the Portland High School Class of 2013 received their diplomas Tuesday night.

Each of the student speakers made reference to Portland's small size--their graduating class was just 83 students.

"At times, many of us have bemoaned the small size of PHS, calling it claustrophobic or boring," valedictorian Adam Harris said.

"Despite these grievances, we must all realize that we are blessed to have spent our childhoods in Portland," he said. "Blessed to have learned from and formed meaningful relationships with devoted teachers like Miss Ponko and Mr. Agostino. Blessed to have spent the last six years in a facility that was built only nine years ago."

"But most of all, we are blessed to have spent this time--for some of us the past 13 years--with each other," Harris said.

Salutatorian Alexa Decina teared up during through her speech, apologizing for crying in spite of the crowd's warm applause.

"Growing up we've always been told we're a special class, but I never believed it and just figured it was one of those things teachers say to keep the parents happy," Decina said. "Standing here about to receive my diploma, I was wrong."

"We are special," she said.

"I think half of it has to do with Portland and the other half is simply luck--and maybe our parents--that a group of students as driven as my classmates all ended up together," she said.

Michael Tammaro, who was the class's president for the past four years, highlighted several of the Class of 2013's accomplishments.  The class raised over $10,000 through creative fundraisers, like a hypnotist show and a two-part auction. And he was assured of the class's future success.

"We don't know how tomorrow is going to look," Tammaro said. "Or the next day. Or the day after that. However, we do know that we are going to be happy. We will achieve. Wil will most certainly be significant."

"We will leave a legacy," he concluded. "We, the class of 2013, will be successful."