CUMBERLAND – Success is often defined as completion, said Student Government President Audrey Lambert at Friday’s Cumberland High School graduation ceremonies, but it’s often less tangible. Success can be about a gradual shift in outlook, of patience tested, of ways young people have grown into themselves without realizing it, she told the crowd.
Change is one of those ideas that holds this year’s graduates together, and they look, feel, and act in different ways than when they entered high school, Lambert said. This milestone proves that they’re all changing, she said, and they’re moving toward who they’re meant to be, not who they think they’re supposed to be.
She compared students to a hermit crabs who no longer fit in their shells, who over time emerge from captivity to be their authentic selves. Change can be scary, Lambert said, but staying in the same place is scarier. In this world of instant gratification, the growth they’re seeking doesn’t happen overnight.
Lambert said she and her classmates never had to question those who stood by their every version, urging them to remember those who reached out when life took its course.
Mayor Jeff Mutter referenced a recent symposium at Centreville Bank Stadium where Reif Larsen spoke of space plus stories equaling a place.
A school is more than a building, said Mutter, it becomes a place because of the people who fill it with friendships, challenges, achievements, lessons learned, and memories that last long after graduation day.
As these students leave 2600 Mendon Road and begin the next chapter of their lives, said the mayor, he hopes they carry those stories with them. He said he hopes they remember the opportunities they embraced, the people who inspired them, and the resilience they developed along the way.
For those whose path to graduation wasn’t always easy, Mutter said he hopes their experiences become part of a story of growth, perseverance, and strength.
Most importantly, Mutter said, he hopes every graduate remembers that their story matters. The future will bring new opportunities to learn, lead, create, and make a difference. Perhaps one day, they’ll create spaces of their own that become places of belonging, inspiration, and opportunity for others, the mayor said.
School Committee Chairperson Amy Vogel said graduates should be immensely proud, and each took a unique path to get here. They experienced challenges, hard work, stress, laughter, tears, triumphs, and unforgettable memories and experiences, all of which helped shape who they are now. Give yourself grace, said Vogel.
“Mistakes will happen, and setbacks are a natural part of growth, learn from them but do not let them define you. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and never lose sight of the qualities that make you uniquely you,” she said.
Strive to do good, Vogel told graduates, help others, and be kind. The world needs more compassion and understanding.
Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, said Vogel, be excited about what lies ahead, and never underestimate the difference you can make.
Recognizing the intense heat and humidity of the evening at Tucker Field, Principal Adolfo Costa logged in one of the shortest graduation speeches in Rhode Island history. He said he’d prepared a 4-minute speech, but instead extracted one line from it emphasizing that in a world shaped by AI, graduates’ humanity might become their greatest strength. Costa said he was going to show them that humanity by example by cutting the speech short there, congratulating departing seniors and telling them they’ll be missed.
As Costa spoke, temperatures had cooled off little from when graduates were riding in their annual parade through town earlier in the day.
Valedictorian Molly Enestvedt, referenced a recent trip to a private nature reserve in Hawaii that was used as a setting for Jurassic Park. She said the word hanu means to breathe, alluding to the peace, calm, and beauty of the world. She said classmates should breathe and appreciate where they area and how far they’ve come. Graduation is a reminder to appreciate the world around them, be proud of themselves, find the good in the bad, and appreciate the world around them. Find one thing to be grateful for, she said, and it doesn’t have to be a life-changing revelation. Remembering to pause, breathe and appreciate makes a difference in how one treats the people around them, said Enestvedt.
Salutatorian Nirupama Bhatt spoke of the luck and randomness of how they all came together at one school, sharing about her own story of finding a home here after moving all over. They may not see each other going forward, she said, but they will always have this shared experience and the deep connections they’ve made to bind them together. All of it, the good and the bad, will be worth remembering, she said, as they continue to grow and remember where they began.
Gov. Dan McKee also encouraged students to remember this experience, and celebrate this achievement and moment in time. This is the next generation of Rhode Island leaders, he said, solving problems, creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and helping to shape the future. Progress doesn’t happen by accident, he said, and it will come because of young people. He told graduates to do their best every day, work hard, and only they know whether they’re giving it their best every day.
