Valedictorian Zarela Gulli used her speech to share a short story and a lesson she learned from each of her 11 classmates.

She shared a story from last year about Henry Becker, who in his characteristic stubbornness, insisted on hiking a High Peak in his Crocs. Despite the exhortations of his teacher, Becker managed to stick to his choice of footwear for the whole hike.

“Henry taught us that with a lot of determination and a little bit of spite, you can do anything you set your mind to,” she said.

About half of the class has been together since Kindergarten, so the stories were far-ranging. Gulli recalled an early memory when her classmate, Carter Smith, went missing. After an extensive search, he was found inside a toy fridge.

The Keene Central School class of 2025 sings the Alma Mater song during their graduation ceremony on Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

“Carter taught us that if you cause a commotion, nobody will ever forget about you,” she said.

The message was also heartfelt. Gulli talked about a summer when she was at Camp Colby and had a hard time putting herself out there to make friends. Ella Whitney never left her side.

“She is someone who not only finds new people, but she also bridges the connection between old and new friends,” she said. “Being more like Ella, more open and inviting, will always stick with me.”

The ceremony had no shortage of praise for the athletic achievements of the class of 2025, from Becker’s tennis serve to Hyler Isham’s hat trick against Chazy Central Rural School and the thousands of points scored by numerous star athletes.

The commencement speaker, KCS secretary Natalie Buysse, pulled on these achievements and more for a personalized speech for the students. Buysse expressed comic disbelief that the students chose her as their speaker, saying it might have something to do with her daily announcements on the intercom.

“I guess they all have been pretty impressed with my announcement skills, because in 2024 I landed the role as God in the production of Spamalot,” she said, which roused a laugh from the room.

She went on to share specific memories of each student, highlighting the things she is proud of and the opportunities in their future.

Becker, the class of 2025 salutatorian, struck a more pensive tone. He mused about how fast the time at the school has passed, and how good memories seem to be especially fleeting.

“I always remind myself that this sudden passage of time should not be grieved over; rather, it should be celebrated,” he said. “Those good memories are short-lived, to keep us chasing that feeling. That is what good memories do — they inspire us to seek out more.”