AMESBURY — Thirteen Amesbury Innovation High School seniors walked the stage on Friday night at the school’s 23rd graduation ceremony.
The ceremony held in the school’s gym included remarks by Mayor Kassandra Gove and Superintendent Elizabeth McAndrews, as well as a welcome and address from Principal Evan Melanson.
His speech included a little piece dedicated to each student, a tradition started by his predecessor, Eryn Maguire.
There were also addresses from the Class of 2026’s valedictorian, Savannah Way, and salutatorian, Caden Picard. Scholarships were then presented and seniors were awarded their diplomas.
Melanson said graduation is often bittersweet as staff are sad to see the students move on but proud of their accomplishments.
“Graduation has always been one of my favorite nights of the year. It’s such a special night with students that you get to know so well over the course of their time in high school. So, in a way, there’s pieces that feel like you’re seeing some of your own kids graduate,” he said.
Melanson called the graduating seniors a “really special class” and that he was glad to see all of their hard work pay off.
“I could not be more proud of these kids. We always say that everybody at AIHS is there for a reason, and they all have their own reasons, just as the staff do, in what brought us all together,” he said. “And so, to know what they’ve been through, to know the roads that they’ve had to travel to get here haven’t always been easy, and it’s just such a great accomplishment for all of them. And, especially some that weren’t sure if this was ever going to be in the cards.”
One such bump in the road came when staff and students twice had to be relocated to Amesbury Middle School due to building issues in October and March.
However, Melanson said the students navigated the moves with grace, another accomplishment for which they should be proud.
“I always go back to the resilience that they’ve built up, and unfortunately had to build up over their lives to get to where they are,” he said.
“And, this year was another incredible example of that. I know how hard it was for some of them based on conversations and things that they shared,” Melanson said. “And, just to see them once again rise up to the occasion just showed their tremendous strength, their tremendous grit, and really the resilience that just reaffirms they’re going to find success in their lives.”
Above all else, Melanson said the fact that AIHS is a tight-knit community of families, staff and students made the already exciting night even better.
“You can really feel the love and support in that room that these kids have relied on over the years to get to this point. And, we have the benefit of having a smaller class where the relationships that have gotten us here really contribute to just how excited and proud and really joyful we all feel as their family members and as staff to see them finally get that diploma in their hand and that smile across their face,” he said.