THETFORD — Thetford Academy celebrated the accomplishments of 42 graduating seniors at the school’s 204th commencement Friday night. 

Thanks to Thetford Academy’s tradition of having solely student speakers, the audience heard from them directly about their experiences and just what made their plentiful accomplishments so worthy of celebration. 

Speaker Harland Ransom introduced his class by listing the numbers of feats he and his classmates had accumulated over their four years at the academy.

The statistics included: 10 state championships, four annual world robotics championships attended, 23 spots held by seniors in the school’s track and field record books, and 35 foiled attempts to steal Ms. Brennan’s bike. 

While these achievements were met with applause by the crowd at the event, Ransom concluded his speech by saying the numbers were meaningless in quantifying the last four years he’s spent with his classmates. 

“I might be the only one that remembers these numbers, but I’m certain none of us will forget these wild four years,” Ransom said.

Speaker Charlotte Boggs Reimanis used the opportunity to celebrate her classmates’ achievements that flew more under the radar. 

In her speech, she cited the academy’s “Round Table” discussions, where every senior presents a portfolio containing six things they have worked on or are proud of that demonstrate proficiency in various transferable skills. 

Reimanis said that sharing this portfolio could be a “very vulnerable moment” for many of her classmates, saying, “[we] presented a snippet of [our] high school successes and struggles.” 

She said that this was a way to get to know her peers in ways she did not before, and would not have if it weren’t for the required discussions. 

Reimanis said that her class’ achievements wouldn’t have been possible without their struggles, whether those were with challenging classes, personal issues or with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I became more impressed with my classmates,” she said, “Round Table Day helped show me the talent and perseverance of each of [them].”

With the class of 2023’s achievements and memories in mind, words from the academy’s school song “Fair Thetford” ring true: “We know that our places are kept for us there, although far from the hilltop we stray.”

Thetford Academy Class of 2023

Noah Bartlett Abernethy,  Ada Lee Acker, Thomas Joseph Berecz, Porter Brown Burkins, Ariana Dorothy Cooney, Quinn Elizabeth Corcoran, Avery Joseph Crandall, Eldon Lee Crossett, Madison Emily Currier, Shisi Dai, Kathleen Shannon Darrah, Abigail Flynn Dixon, Madelyn Elizabeth Durkee, Abigail Irene Egner, Alex Reid Fein, Michael Nicholas Fernandez, Jacob Sidney Gilman, Natalia Grace Gioia, Olivia Rose Hastings, Addyson Elizabeth Holzer, Aidan Cullen Keane, Isaiah Davir Kol, Maxwell Saul Leibon, Finn Thorin Linehan, Marshall Roland Melancon, Sadie Brigid Mikovitz, Madison Louise Mousley, Kolby Joseph Patneaude, Nolan Alexander Pepe, Jonas Damon Piletz, Harland Paul Ransom, Charlotte Boggs Reimanis, Jada Simmons Rich, Dominic Harlan Rose, Zoe Elizabeth Thomas, Aiden Eriks Tibbetts, Luca Elliot Trage, Kaleb Malcom Waters, Taylor Lee West, Emma Marie Willens, Hannah Wren Williams and Robina Jane Wilmott.