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BY BETTY JESPERSEN
Staff Writer 06/08/2009

enlarge Staff photo by Stacy Padham Blanchet

Drying eyes: From left, Kimberly Brown, Mary Bushey and Samantha McKenzie listen to the salutatory address Sunday at the Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School graduation in Bingham. Jessica Brown’s speech reflected on 13 years of education with a tight-knit group of classmates.

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BINGHAM -- There were tears, smiles and hugs Sunday as the 24 seniors from Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School fanned out into the audience during their graduation ceremony to present long-stemmed yellow flowers to the people who meant the most to them.

The student speeches echoed this touching tradition of thanking parents and extended the sentiment to teachers and to residents in this small, tight-knit community.

Valedictorian Mylanna Shaw, who will be off to Africa to work with the Peace Corps, said it was the people around her who helped shape the person she has become.

"You've all gone above and beyond to help me realize my potential. More than that, you pushed me to reach it," she said. "Support like that couldn't be found at any other school."

"That is why I plan to join the Peace Corps -- so I can help people on a much larger scale," she said.

She wants to teach because education is the key to tolerance and tolerance is the key to bringing about peace, she said.

"That is my way of changing the world around me and paying back the debt of gratitude that I owe to this community," she said.

Keynote speaker Juanita Bean, a Bingham native who graduated from Valley High 37 years ago, is the community health educator at Bingham Area Health Center and the mother of five.

She urged the graduates to remember where they come from with pride.

"I cannot think of a better area to have raised our children. They made long-lasting friendships, have a strong sense of community and received a quality education," she said.

"Remember with great pride that you are from this wonderful community nestled in the valley," Bean said.

Valley graduates of 2009

Valedictorian of the 2009 graduating class of Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School was Mylana Shaw and the salutatorian was Jessica Brown.

Also graduating were Tyler Abraham, Brittany Andrews, Katelynn Atwood, Chantal Beane, Devin Beane, Joshua Beane, Bernard Brown, Kimberly Brown, Mary Bushey, Brandon Cates, Kevin Crossman, Renee Fortin, Mark Galarneau, Jonathan Hunnewell, Zacherie Mathieu, Samantha McKenzie, Ronald Pinkham Jr., Travis Rich, Jacob Tremblay, Taylor Tremblay, Allyssa Vitalone and Kori White.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com

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