FARMINGTON -- There was something special this year about the senior class at Mt. Blue High School their teachers said before the 187 young men and women marched together into the gym Saturday morning to accept their diplomas and accolades.

"This class is different. There are so many individuals who showed their individualism in so many different ways," said math teacher Roger Bolduc just after he gave the soon-to-be-graduates a pep talk before they entered the hall.

What he has observed that set this class apart from many others he has seen in his nearly 25 years at Mt. Blue was their acceptance of each other and the melding of social circles.

"You would have athletes and musicians taking classes in the (Foster Applied Technology Center) and those students taking more courses in the academic wing and it was always OK," he said.

Maureen Cyr was class advisor to this group for the past four years, and she agreed this class was special.

"They have been honest, humorous, respectful, polite and a lot of fun. As a group they were always positive and didn't gripe. Many of them stepped up to do more than was asked and, overall, they were an amazing bunch of kids," she said.

"Every so often it happens that a class like this comes along, and it has been great," Cyr said.

She pointed out Brittany Williams, who in the past year "came out of her shell" and volunteered to design the graduation program, and Martin Conley, who designed and worked for hours fabricating out of metal a large sign for the school as a class gift.

"I've been waiting for this day forever," Conley said as he prepared to enter the gym. "I'm the first person in my family to graduate from high school and this day means a lot to me. I was so determined to do it. This is a really memorable day. "

Conley, who excelled in two years of welding at Foster Tech, created a large, professional-quality sign using the school's colors of blue and gold that now hangs in the gym.

He cut out the words of the class motto from a sheet of metal:

"Mt. Blue/Never surrender," with two sets of gold tracks of a cougar, the school's mascot.

Conley said he hopes to get a job as a welder for Cianbro Corp. and said his family, from Wilton, were in the audience.

Student speakers included valedictorian Elizabeth Stancioff, Patric Brophy and Niki Grant. Travis Pinkham sang an original work, "Looking Back," that brought the entire audience to its feet for a standing ovation.

And musical performances by guitarist James Rossi and the Mt. Blue Voices were also much appreciated.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com