'You've done us all proud'

Smith Voke class of 2010 persevered through tragedy

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Not even a brief power failure could keep graduating seniors from Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School from reflecting on four years spent growing together - and from honoring the memory of a classmate who couldn't be there.

When the lights and microphones went out during the singing of the national anthem, Smith Voke teachers Marion Groves and James Anspach found themselves joined by the crowd of more than 1,000 friends and family members at Smith College's John M. Greene Hall who cheered wildly and kept the tune going through the darkness.

And a moment later, when the lights came on, it was time for Superintendent Arthur Apostolou to congratulate the 103 members of the high school's class of 2010 and to leave them with some encouraging words to live by.

"Whether you are going to college or a career it is our hope that we have prepared you well, but please don't be fooled: There is a gap between having credentials and being prepared," Apostolou said, adding, "Your commitment to learning, your positive values, your social competencies and your positive identity will permit you to be successful in your given fields, to advance through hard work and to be the leaders and innovators of tomorrow."

Also addressing the students was Mayor Clare Higgins, who joked that she was the last thing standing between the seniors and their diplomas.

"On behalf of the city of Northampton, for those of you who live in Northampton and for those of you who come from all across western Mass, you've done us all proud," Higgins said, adding that before they leave they should be sure to thank their teachers and parents.

"They're very proud of you and I am very proud of them for being people who really care about students and providing them with an excellent education," she said.

As she addressed her classmates, senior class president Ashley Beckwith asked each of them to think back to when they were young enough to believe they were superheroes.

"As children, we picked the cartoon characters we saw every day as our heroes because we didn't know yet who our real heroes were," she said, adding a quote from the late Christopher Reeve: "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

Among the obstacles she and her classmates overcame in their four years together, Beckwith said, was the tragic death of 15-year-old Tyler Hewes, who was killed in a car accident in November 2007.

"On November 24, 2007, we all lost a great friend, and now I look at all of you tonight and see a family that overcame a terrible tragedy together. To the Hewes family, I want you to know that Tyler's seat may be empty but it occupies a special place in all of our hearts."

As Hewes' sister Erica took to the stage to accept her brother's diploma, the audience rose to its feet and gave her and her family a lengthy standing ovation.

Continuing with her theme of heroism, Beckwith fought back tears as she shared the story of her grandfather, who overcame being severely injured in a tractor accident to see her walk across the stage.

"He went from being in a medically induced coma with two broken femurs to walking here tonight for me, and that is what makes him my hero," she said.

And she reminded classmates to "Set your sights high and work toward those lofty goals. It would be nice if you could achieve them. But remember that the important thing is how you get there."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.