Blackstone Valley Tech Class of 2014 Valedictorian Jennifer Morin of Mendon and Salutatorian Jake Rivard of Northbridge were all smiles prior to their commencement ceremony on May 29. Jennifer and Jake are both graduates of the BVT Drafting and Engineering Technology Program.
UPTON – The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester was packed Thursday evening as family, friends, and educators gathered to take part in the Blackstone Valley Tech Class of 2014 commencement ceremony.
After four years preparing for the next stage of their career development, the Class of 2014 was praised by Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick for its near 100% placement in post-secondary institutions, employment, apprenticeships, and military service. As the students embark on their chosen pathways, Fitzpatrick drew on his experience as an avid gardener and advised the graduates to keep their feet on the ground and their hands in the dirt.
“My advice is to keep moving. Keep sowing the seeds, tilling the earth, and even occasionally shoveling the proverbial manure, in the garden of your life,” Fitzpatrick said. “Do not give up and your odds will improve.”
In the years ahead, as they shape the foundations of their adult lives, Valedictorian Jennifer Morin of Mendon encouraged her fellow graduates to strike a delicate balance.
“Life, in my mind, is a balance of risks and responsibility,” Morin said. “Our parents and teachers have helped us preserve this balance up until this point. Now it’s up to us to maintain it.”
In an address from Class of 2014 Salutatorian Jake Rivard of Northbridge, the Class of 2014 was saluted for seeking and securing a vocational technical education.
“We are no longer children, but rather homebuilders and manufacturers. We are the people who ensure the lights stay on, the computers keep working, and your hair looks fabulous on those specials day,” Rivard said. “Going to Valley Tech was always about more than keeping the water running and the cars on the road. It was about taking the initiative to learn something useful, without sacrificing anything academically, and using it to make our futures that much brighter.”
In addition to words of encouragement and praise from Morin and Rivard, the Class of 2014 was also addressed by Senior Class President Samantha Sadwin of Blackstone and Student Council President Michael McGee of Millville, as well as Assistant Superintendent-Director/Principal Anthony Steele, and Assistant Principal Matthew Urquhart.
To conclude their commencement ceremony, a total of 279 seniors from throughout Valley Tech’s 13-town district took the final steps of their secondary careers across the Hanover stage received both a diploma and a certificate of occupational proficiency.
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, Blackstone Valley Tech creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of vigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills. The school’s website is http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us.
UPTON DAILY 