It was a tight-knit class of 27 who graduated from Orcas High School on June 13.

Superintendent Barbara Kline told the students she “couldn’t imagine a better place to launch you from.”

The 2009 graduating class was: Nicole Armstrong, Julianna Bates, Eliana Blaine, Morgan Borman, Joseph Boucher, Bradley Bruland, Brittany Crowe, Ryan Doherty, Emma Gallo-Chasanoff, Megan Gillingham, Julian Glasser, Forrest Gropp, Anton Ilkevich, Tyler Leidecker, Edith Leonard, Ashley McCloskey, Chelsie McGinnis, Barrett North, Samuel Parish, Kati Pinardi, Chloe Scott, Hannah Sides, Lily Sky, Madelyn Smith, Samantha Taylor, Alex Waldron, and Seadrick Wooding.

Scott, senior class president, gave the first student speech of the afternoon, acknowledging teachers, parents, and her peers. Salutorian Sky spoke, thanking Orcas for the “huge community effort” to help her parents adopt her from China. She read a poem by Constantine Cavafy and told the audience, “We may not have the answers now, but ask us in 60 years ‘what is the meaning of life?’ and we may just have the answer.” In valedictorian Blaine’s address, she read a poem by Marge Piercy and gave her peers such advice as be mindful, provide stability from below the surface, be persistent, learn to love yourself, and keep finding passions.

After ASB president Smith’s speech, she and several other students harmonized a graduation song tailored just for the 2009 OHS class.

High school teacher Kathleen Collister was chosen to give the commencement address, and she spoke of her own graduation 45 years ago. She had just seen the assassination of JFK, who she called “my Obama,” and the country was facing war in Vietnam.

“My advice is to do as generations before you have done: one day and one decision at a time…Know thyself. That is the most important knowledge you will ever get.”

She also told her students to “be citizens and not consumers.” She extolled the importance of being liberal – not in the political sense, but to “to be broad-minded.”

“Liberal thought is part of a long tradition of freedom,” Collister said. “Hold fast to your dreams, and remember that no matter where you go or what you want to do with your life – yes, you can.”

The class video showed students goofing around, jumping into the sound, and baby pictures that had many in the audience in tears.