FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT: Spaulding Class of 2018 gets off to a sunny start

One by one, Spaulding's 275 seniors parade onto the grounds of Hugo Bolin Fied as commencement exercises got under way on Friday. (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - Spaulding High Senior Class Valedictorian Noah Lapointe invoked rapper 50 Cent in his commencement address Friday night, drawing on seminal events during high school that will forever shape how he looks back on those four formative, sometimes frenetic years.

"Every negative is a positive. The bad things that happen to me, I somehow make them good," remain one of the iconic rapper's most famous quotes, and Lapointe said the times where Spaulding students shined strongest was when they, too, triumphed over adversity.

"We got our first football win after three years," he said to a chorus of cheers from fellow students. "And we fought the city over our Red Raiders mascot ... and won."

While the headmaster spoke, the heads of graduates did, too, as mortorboard messages and images showed the creative side of many in the Spaulding High School Class of 2018.

Finally he spoke of the walkout students participated in earlier this spring seeking to bring attention to gun violence and school safety as well as their grassroots fund-raising effort that made possible a large contribution to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., the site of a mass school shooting on Valentine's Day.

Commencement exercises were tinged with sadness for a loss much closer to home, too, with a special recognition ceremony of Spaulding student Crystal Eldridge, an honors student and varsity athlete who died in a car crash last year.

Rebecca Maggio Bahlert, class treasurer, announced that the Class of 2018 had made a monetary gift toward the establishment of a scholarship in Eldridge's name.

It was a mass of red, white and blue skies on Friday evening during Spaulding High commencement at Hugo Bolin Field.

A single white chair was left empty among the section of graduating seniors commemorating her absence and their devastating loss.

Friday night's ceremony honoring 275 graduates was held under a nearly cloudless blue sky on a blissfully beautiful June night. Occasionally cars passing on Wakefield Street let go with a fusillade of blaring horns to celebrate from afar the joy that was in the air on Hugo Bolin Field.

Class President David Billie Suoth did his part to keep the atmosphere light when he spoke, taking a few moments to take pictures of the crowd from where he spoke at the podium.

"You know I like to take pictures," he quipped as he began his speech. "So I'm just going to take a few now."

Class President David Billie Suoth takes time out during his speech to snap some pictures from the podium.

Ironically, keynote speaker social studies teacher Frederick Apt. Jr. admonished students to put down their phones for one minute, take a look around at each other and savor the moment with no smartphones about.

Apt urged graduating seniors to do things that make themselves proud as they move forward in their lives.

During the ceremony a dozen Spaulding seniors were recognized for their plans to join the country's armed services after graduation. One by one, Major Daniel Heeter, senior aerospace science instructor, named the 12 brave men and women, who received a thunderous round of applause after all of them were standing.

Members of the Spaulding High School Class of 2018 are:

Three of the graduating seniors among 12 in all who will enter military service and were recognized during commencement exercises on Friday.

Kari Abrams; Rebecca Abrams; Aiyana Taylor Lord Allen; Destiny Anderson; Makenna Starr Arroyo; Jacob Ray Aubin; Rebecca Maggio Bahlert; Isabel N. Bailey; Jordan Amber Bailey; Brooke M. Baillargeon; Makayla Lynn Baita; Adam C. Ballou; Benjamin David Ballou; Trevor J. Ballou; Hannah Rose Bamford; Austin Richard Bascom; River Ann M. Beasley; Adrienne Noelle Beatty; Isabel Paige Beaulieu; Melanie Nicole Beaulieu; Ann Elise Beikman; Brianna Marie Jean Bernier; Dylan Richard Bernier; Hannah Marie Bieniek; Zachary Maximillion Blougouras; Gerald A. Boilard IIIl; Amber Pearl Bourque; Ryan S. Breden; Joseph Mark Breton; Genaya M. Brierley; Liam Joseph Brill; Marc S. Brisard; Jordan Noel Britton; Stephen J. Brown; Taylor Marie Brown; Kyle Burrell; John E. Callaghan; Alexis R. Caouette; Benjamin Caplette; Anna Natascha Carter; Andrew D. Chandler; Dechawat Chimphalee; Molly

Class Valedictorian Noah Lapointe makes his way to friends and family after getting his diploma during commencement exercises at Hugo Bolin Field..

Cinfo; Briana Iyana Clarke; Connor Evan Clough; Alexander Christopher Matthew Colbath; Natani Marie Condo; Tyler Dominic Coolbaugh; Ashley Marie Cormier; Samantha Michelle Cormier; Amanda Lynn Cortina; Jason M. Cortina; Riley E. Cosgrove; Nicholas A. Couture; Megan Eileen Crowder; and Jillian Alexis Currier.

Alex C. Daigle; Brayden R. Danforth; Jacob Raymond Danforth; Kelly Michelle Davenport; Delaney R. DeCost; Jeremy R. Decourcy; Alexis R. DeLeon; Joseph Anthony Deluca; Keegan MaClean Demers; Ty Andrew Dent; Ashlin; Elizabeth Diaco; Tyler J Dickinson; Tyler M. Dionne; Taylor M. Doddrell; Kevin Duane Donnelly, Jr. ; Hannah Suzanne Douglas; Phoebe C. Downer; Hannah Rachel Downs; Kaylee Beth Downs; Chandler Jacob Drew; Summer Jae Dube; Dakota R. Dupuis; Lucas W. Durfey; Nickolas Eaton; Marie Rose Eldridge; Desiree Celeste Elias; Stephen A. Elliott; George Thomas Farrow III; Kayla D. Ferland; Madyson R. Ferris; Gabriella Ferro; Amber Jolene Follansbee; Samuel P. Ford; Xavier A. Framilla; Alexa Rylie

SHS choral director Cheryl Richardson leads singers in a rendition of "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman.

Gagne; Andraia Jessica Garland; Hannah Lynn Gemas; Leigha Renee Nichole Gembach; Raynesha Lynn George; Morgan Gianotti; Matthew D. Gillespie; Evan Daniel Gilpatrick; Shealeigh Wanjiru Gitau; Alexander James Golden; Tristan Aaron Goodwin; Halle Gooley; Kyle Anthony Gosselin; Cody Wayne Granger; Jordan Edward Gray; Taylor Nicole Gray; Montana Nichole Gudim; Arianna Leigh Hall; Tiffany Morgan Hall; Lexi Elizabeth Halsey; Jacob Thomas Hamann; Nathanial S. Hamilton; Robert E. Hand; Kyana Hanscom; Madison Rose Lee Herrick; Joshua Hobbs; Isaac Timothy Hogan; Teagan J. House; Heath J. Howard; Caitlin Makenna Hoyt; Nathaniel John Hunt; Haley Noel Huppe; and Bailey Browne Husted.

Alanna Louise Inglis-Patten; Timothy Russell Inman; Makyla Anne Jackson; Jordan Nicholas Jalbert; Tahji Markese Jetter; Karla Sujey Jimenez; Tamara Ann Johnson; Robert Patrick Jones; Maiya Eve Jordan; Elizabeth Marie Kane; James Sidney Katwick; Christian Kenney; Carlee Lynn Kinsley; Joshua Dylan Krekorian; Caitlyn Marie Kujawa; Kevin Kwok; Sebastien Quinn Labonte; Amber-Leigh Rose Lafayette; Lillian Rose Laganiere; Benjamin Sterling Laine; Kyle T. Landry; Nathan Landry; Megan Lang; Ashton Richard Langis; Mercedes Marie LaPanne; Noah J. Lapointe; Jamison Laurentz; Alyssa M. Lavertue; Jessica Lorraine Lebel; Kyle Lemelin; Tyler Michael Levasseur; Stephenie Sarah Lindh; Steven Ryley Litchfield; Elijah Jacob Long; Wesley Lyle; Addison Armond Hugh MacDonald; Jordan M. MacDonald; Emily Mallett; Keghan A.J. Malone; Caitlyn Marie Mangold; Corey Michael Mangold; Michael J. Manning; Brandin Mansfield; Deanna Noel Marriott; Tabitha Faith Marston; Emma Laurette Martel; Dustin James Martin; Kali Koalapsor Martin; Austin James Martinez; Marlys Mei Mason; Brianna Rose McCarthy; Talyn Rai McGarrity; Connor J. McLain; Colbie Ryan Melanson; Anthony Justin Methot; Jhanyna Myre Mixer; Corin Merrie Molinaro; Emily Hope Mooney; Brooke Taylor Moore; Shayla Anne Moore; Meghan Raelynn Morton; Jillian Mourgenos; Rosalind Evangelina Mullen; Jason Aaron Munoz Jr.; Deven Scott Murphy; Christopher Nadeau; Trevor R. Nagengast; Austin Nova Nelsbach; Matthew Norcross; Ronald Brian Norman; and Clayton Marshall Norton.

Emily Charlotte O'Brien; Selena Louise Ott; Alicia Soriya Oumsang; Gavin M. Paquette; Jayla Marie Pare; Carl Robert Parquette; Jay V. Patel; Alexander Freeman Paulding; Deven N. Perry; Gage John Peters; Madison Paige Pettit; Skie Marie Plaisted; Jesse D. Plourde; Christopher K. Pollack; Margaret Sonnen Pomeroy; Ryan N. Pommenville; Savannah Joan Poulin; Derek A. Pratt; Shania Lynn Prince; Kaitlyn Makenzie Raab; Matthew J. Reed; Tyler M. Reed; Jeremiah N. Richardson; Katie Marie Roy; Patricia D. Sanchez-Martinez; Kelsie June Sargent; Frederick C. Schulz; Daniel L. Scott; Michael Seeley; Jacob David Shevenell; Makenzie Elyse Small; Chris Somsaart; Wayne Romeo Spaulding; Jonathan Ray Speltz; Ariel Elizabeth Spencer; Aerielle Sprague; Patrick Dillon Stanley; Brett Alan Stevens; Connor James Stevens; Wesley Jay Stilson; Mitchell Maurice Stokes; Taylor Stuart; Rhovie Grace T. Sumalinog; David Billie Suoth; Libbey Joy Taliaferro; Alicia Rae Tanguay; Ashley Marie Tanguay; Abigail Jillian Tapley
John E. Tarr; Tyler Nicholas TeBordo; Christopher L. Teryek; Korrie Thayer; Jayson B. Thompson; and Kaleigh Thornton.

Mathew Alan Tibbetts; Ariel Linnalee Tirrell; Madison Katherine Anne Tobin; Stefanie Lynn Tobin; Aleigh Ann Toof; Jordan Matthew Toothaker; Russell Earl Toothaker; Geana J. Torres; Isabella Mackenzie Traeger; Matthew Tyler Trochalakis; Charles Tullis; Christopher Michael Tuttle; Jeremy Upton; Mya Elizabeth Urena; Jacob Anthony Velasquez; Dakota Wallingford; Jacob Scott Wallingford; Jessica Marie Washburn; Abigail Evelyn Wenczkowski; Esther Caswell White; Kamryn Wilson; Hannah Mae Winship; Charish Wright; Marcus Charles Wyckoff; and Emily L. Zalegowski.