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Green Mountain graduates 47 as thunderstorms avoid Chester Photo gallery of an evening to remember

Shawn Cunningham | Jun 17, 2026 | Comments 0

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC

The possibility of rain passed by mid-afternoon Friday and the sun was shining through high clouds as 44 members of the Class of 2026 marched out to Pomp and Circumstance and took their seats set up on the lawn of the high school. A little over an hour later, with the lawn littered with tossed mortarboards and Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams playing on the sound system, the latest alums joined family and friends and celebrations began.

Graduation speaker Becky Bushey glances at the Class of 26 as she describes them to the audience. <small>Photos by Shawn Cunningham</small>

Graduation speaker Becky Bushey glances at the Class of 26 as she describes them to the audience. Photos by Shawn Cunningham

In the hour between Edward Elgar and Stevie Nicks, the traditions of graduation unfolded. For the second year running, the senior class selected middle school math teacher Becky Bushey to speak and she honed in on their group personality. Bushey said that while there are all manner of personalities in the class — calm and rowdy, loud and soft spoken, studious and indifferent, silly and serious — they are a class with a quirky indomitable spirit.

They will roast you one moment, then hold the door for you, said Bushey. She added with a wry smile that it would have been no surprise if, after being honored to be chosen as the day’s speaker and written her speech, the class would have then told her “just kidding.”

Salutatorian Ian Bernier

Bushey encouraged the graduates to continue to be indomitable in the face of adversity and strong in standing up for their ideals.

Salutatorian Ian Bernier spoke of coming to Green Mountain as a freshman, the “new feral kid” from homeschooling. Bernier recounted the support of teachers who made him feel valued while he held on to his “unique and strange self.” He hoped that his classmates would also not be afraid to “let your passions and uniqueness define you.”

“Some of us are athletes. Some are artists. Some are musicians, mechanics, hunters, scientists, entrepreneurs or things we haven’t even discovered yet. The characteristics that make us different are often the things that make use valuable,” he said.

Valedictorian Ev Nicholes-Fox

Valedictorian Evangeline Nicholes-Fox took that theme in a slightly different direction, urging the graduates not to compare their life journeys to those of others.

“People are so quick to compare their lives, their accomplishments and failures to those around them. Even now as we decide our next steps the comparisons have begun … it is not said, but the comparisons are being made … predicted for who will be successful and those who will not.”

“We will all reach the same destination eventually, but our journeys up to that point will be unique and our own,” she said.