ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Cristian Delgado gets embraced by friends after graduation.
By MATT DEMIRS
LYNN — Cheers from proud families and guardians carried throughout City Hall Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday for the 24 students graduating from Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School.
Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy delivered the opening words to an eager audience.
“It’s always a very special day when Fecteau-Leary graduates,” she said. “We are happy and proud the city of Lynn has another arena for kids to be able to graduate and and earn their diploma.”
The alternative school serves students who struggled in a traditional school setting for a variety of reasons, such as chronic absences, behavior issues, or the need for smaller class sizes with specialized attention. Nonetheless, these students are moving forward with a degree that speaks volumes.
“High school graduates over their lifetime earn half a million dollars more than someone who doesn’t graduate,” Superintendent Dr. Catherine Latham said. “Sixty percent of job opportunities are tied to your high-school diploma.”
Latham offered advice for the Class of 2017.
“Take shots, dare to fail, and don’t be discouraged when things don’t turn out how you planned. Success is in each and every one of you.”
Fecteau-Leary alumna, Kiki Cromwell ’13, told of her personal experiences when she was in high school that showcased her ability to overcome adversity, something a lot of students could relate to.
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“During part of my high school career I was homeless. I slept in the Lynn Commons and almost lost my brother in a shooting,” she said.
Like the students sitting in front of Cromwell, she graduated and earned her associate’s degree in fire science from Bunker Hill Community College. She attends Salem State University now, all while raising an 11-month-old child.
“Don’t let anyone dull your shine or tell you that you can’t do it,” she said.
Lucy Pecina, a proud member of the Class of 2017, shared a list of thank-yous on behalf of her class.
Pecina, along with almost every speaker, thanked the faculty at Fecteau-Leary for their unwavering support.
“Thank you for the teachers for believing in us and making us laugh to make the days a little less gray,” she said. “The memories I made here will never be forgotten.”
Soon after, the Class of 2017 moved their tassels and strode out of the auditorium to a song by The Script, “Hall of Fame,” which best fit the graduates’ futures.
“You can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong banging on your chest …”
Matt Demirs can be reached at [email protected]