DORSET — On the overcast, rainy and blustery Thursday of May 22, Long Trail School celebrated the graduation of its largest class ever – a group of 38 beaming, enthusiastic, and passionate students.

Brought indoors to the Fieldhouse, due to the unseasonably chilly and inclement weather, the commencement ceremony began with Long Trail Student Council Representative and graduating senior Rowan Hughes-Muse introducing the class of 2025 to the fully packed house.

“It is with immense pride and deep gratitude that I stand here today, surrounded by such an exceptional group of students,” said Hughes-Muse. “Behind me are not just graduates, they are artists, musicians, athletes, performers, and scholars. Each of them brings a unique spark to our community, and it has been an honor and a privilege to watch them grow, create, lead, and persevere throughout our years together at Long Trail. These students have poured their hearts into every endeavor – in classrooms, on stages, in studios, on courts and fields. They have shown us what it means to commit fully, to care deeply, and to pursue excellence not just for recognition, but because they believe in the value of what they do.”

For the next few hours, every graduating senior of the Class of 2025 addressed the crowd personally. They spoke, sang, or played music for their families, their teachers, their administrators, and their classmates in a deeply personal and emotional outpouring of gratitude, respect and appreciation for their time spent at the school.

Student Gabriel Thompson, speaking about one of his take-aways from his time spent at Long Trail School, said, "one word keeps coming to mind – mindset. Mindset, for me, is more than just a buzzword. It’s the lens through which we see success, failure, challenges, and ultimately, ourselves."

Students Justin Jannson, Jae Vickery, Amelie Michalkovic, Jack Dickerson, Brantley Stock, Ronin Clark and Samantha Carris reviewed and reflected on the opportunities provided to them at the school, and reminisced about their escapades, adventures, challenges and experiences – and summarized that these experiences have not only helped to prepare them for life outside the school, but also helped to form a core of values within each of them.

“Fast forward to 2016, and I'm in my 2nd year of doing Adventure Treks with Scott Worland – I don't think I completed one hike without crying,” laughed Jansson. “I will continue to look back at these memories, remembering a family that has supported me.”

Vickery drew laughter as she said, “I have a confession to make. I’m taking things from this school when I leave. I’ve decided that I’m going to take four things, one for each year of high school.” Those things, it turned out, were more than mere objects – they were a love of theater, the relationships built at the school, the knowledge of teacher Josh Vann, and the ability to express her true self.

Michalkovic, whose mother is a therapist, also generated laughter as she analyzed her time at Long Trail reflectively by asking the age-old therapist questions, “How does [leaving Long Trail] make you feel?”

“Well, I feel confused about what the IB SL History curriculum had to gain from making me cry over Stalin’s rise to power,” laughed Michalkovic. “And, I feel amazed that I survived so many study groups and quizzes, proud that I survived math classes, grateful that the quadratic formula will have absolutely no control over me in the future, lucky to have an amazing senior class, and proud to say I have found lifelong friends within the Long Trail community. So I asked myself again, ‘how does leaving high school really make me feel?’ One word: Bittersweet.”

After calling out thanks to his teachers and others, Dickerson added, “Today, as we celebrate this milestone, I can't help but think about what lies ahead. For me, the next chapter leads to Castleton University where I'll be trading these familiar halls for new challenges and opportunities on the basketball court. And, while I haven't yet decided on my major, I'm definitely committed to making the most of this next adventure.”

Stock spoke from a place of humility and thanks, “A few years ago, if you had told me that I would be here today, graduating from Long Trail School, honestly I probably wouldn’t believe you. Most of my life has been inconsistent, sometimes by choice but mostly by chance.” Stock spoke about leaving Long Trail, only to find that where she was headed wasn’t really where she belonged, or where she would do her best – and she came back to Long Trail.

Clark spoke to a similar sentiment as the rest – a longing to see what the future held, but a regret to be leaving, “Since I started here at Long Trail in 7th grade, I’ve been counting down the days until graduation. Now that I’m here, I've realized just how amazing this time has been and how much I'll grow to miss it.” And, fellow classmate Carris added, “Long Trail has been chock-full of incredible times.”

Seniors Morgan Cable and Rowan Hughes-Muse read and commented on poetry, with Cable referencing Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska’s “Possibilities,” adapting the poem to suit who she had become in her time at Long Trail, and Hughes-Muse referencing Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” adding that it “captures the quiet power of choice – the way even the smallest decisions can shape our future.”

“I want to share it with you – not just as a reflection of where we’re headed – but as a tribute to the friendships and adventures that brought us here,” said Hughes-Muse. “Because no matter which road we take from here, we will face challenges, choices, and changes. Some are easy, some are hard, and some will shape who we become in ways we can't yet imagine. Now, we each stand at a crossroads, facing possibilities about what comes next. May we move forward with courage – not because we know where we are going, or what we are doing, or how we will get there, but because we have learned how to take the next step and aren't afraid to grow even as we wander into the unknown.”

Another senior performed her entire speech in rhyme, beginning, “Hi everyone! My name is Phoebe Yates. As you can tell, we are at the final gate. You’ve heard so many speeches; everyone has written such beautiful masterpieces.” And, concluding, “Long trail has given me such a lovely community, so many experiences and new opportunities. Thank you all for being such good friends. You know, I’ll never forget your names.”

Perhaps one of the most interesting speeches came from Sam Walker, who began, “Four score and seven years ago, was May 22, 1938, which is not a relevant date, but instead is the only way I know how to start a speech, and everyone knows that how you begin something is the second most important part of anything.”

And, concluded with, “Beginnings are only the second most important part of anything. What really counts is the end. I am ending my time at Long Trail a wildly different person than I started. I am ending my time at Long Trail surrounded by friends that have grown with me side by side. I am ending my time at Long Trail beyond excited for what my future holds. But, most importantly, I am ending my time at Long Trail with this – a man walks into a bar. He's early. He waits. And waits. And, slowly people begin to trickle in. His friends he hasn't seen in years. A teacher who taught him the foundation of what he now calls a career, a community that – although he left years ago – he still finds himself connected with. The man is me, the friends, you – all 50 years from now. Although we will move and live and grow apart, we know that there is one thing that will always connect us, always draw us back together: Long Trail School.”

In all, Long Trail School graduated eight “lifers,” students who traversed the course of their middle and high school years at the school. These students, who remained steadfast in their enrollment at Long Trail through the seven years of 6-12 grades were Lucy Craig, Katherine Marthage, Emelie Michalkovic, Aether Orava, Ari Sancic, Brantley Stock, and twin sisters Aimee and Natalie Wildman.

Aimee and Natalie Wildman were the third and fourth children of Kim Wildman, who ushered the last of her children through the school this year. The graduation is bittersweet for the twins, as they have rarely spent significant time apart. It is a time of looking back and recognizing all that they have been to one another and all that they have been through together, and it is a time of renewal and growth as they look toward their futures apart from one another.

Natalie looked at her sister and said, “It actually hasn’t hit me yet that I’m graduating, which is surprising because – I’m holding my cap.” She looked down at the graduation cap in her hands, and then up at her mom who as holding the two gowns.

Aimee Wildman chose to contribute to the event by singing, rather than delivering a speech. Fellow graduates, and also twins, John and Robert Smith contributed a jam session of their own to the celebration.

Senior Naomi Fitzpatrick, accompanied by John Smith on guitar, sang a tender rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” to the crowd gathered, but also addressed her peers, “Graduation is one of life’s gateways to new opportunities and I hope that, through this song, I can encourage some strength in my peers for the changes that are going to happen in the next stages of life.”

Long Trail School also celebrated the graduation of 18 International Baccalaureate Certificate Candidates. These students took on specialized pre-university education classes in order to gain greater depth of knowledge in discipline-specific areas of study.

These students were Skyler Bickford, who will be headed to Worcester State University; Samantha Carris, who will be headed to the University of Connecticut; Ronin Clark, who will be going to Ohio State University; Olivia Cole-Bugay, who will be headed to Wingate University; Jack Dickerson, who will be headed to Vermont State University; Ezra Dillihay, who will be headed to the University of Vermont; Natalie Glass, who will be headed to the University of Vermont; Milla Higgins, who will be headed to Pratt Institute; Justin Jansson, who will be headed to Paul Smith’s College; Cosby Lux, who will be headed to Concordia University Chicago; Amelie Michalkovic, who will be headed to Pratt Institute; Aether Orava, who will be headed to Champlain College; Jayda Page, who will be headed to Norwich University; twins John and Robert Smith, who will both be headed to Vermont State university; Brantley Stock, who will be headed to Maine College of Art; Gabriel Thompson, who will be headed into the workforce; and Natalie Wildman, who will be headed to Keene State College.

Long Trail School also recognized the 13 graduating seniors who completed the International Baccalaureate Programme in its entirety – the rigorous two-year diploma program with emphasis on language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics, and the arts.

These students were Morgan Cable, who will be headed to Dartmouth College; Lucy Craig, who will be headed to the College of William and Mary; Oliver DiMeo, who will be headed to the University of Vermont; Maomi Fitzpatrick, who will be headed to Middlebury College; Rowan Hughes-Muse, who will be headed to Washington University; Cameron Lamson, who will be headed to Montana State university; Aliza Marcus, who will be headed to the University of Pittsburgh; Katherine Marthage, who will be headed to Middlebury College; Josephine Monder, who will be headed to Binghamton University; Ari Sancic, who will be headed to Ohio State University; Jae Vickery, who will be headed to Rochester Institute of Technology; Sam Walker, who will be headed to the University of Southern California; and Phoebe Yates, who will be headed to Middlebury College.

Student Ari Sancic spoke about the rigors of the International Baccalaureate Programme (IB), but also about gratitude, recognizing new opportunities, adaptability, and resiliency, “I will always look back on this time fondly. I'm sure even the time spent struggling through the gauntlet known as the IB, in solidarity with each other will make me laugh – with enough time passed.”

The remaining graduating seniors – Lucas Aldanondo, who will be headed to Vermont State University; Bailey Gallagher, who will be headed to Montserrat College of Art; Aimee Wildman, who will be headed to the State University of New York; Marlee Wymer, who will be headed to Warren Wilson College; as well as Megan Kapusta, Taylor Reed, and Hunter Sprague, who will all be entering the workforce – graduated with the traditional Long Trail School high school diploma.

“Today is more than a celebration of academic achievement,” summarized Hughes-Muse, “it's a recognition of character, of courage, of creativity, and of connection. As we mark this important milestone, we also look forward to all the extraordinary things these individuals will go on to accomplish in the world beyond Long Trail.”