NEWPORT — Class speakers at the 2025 Newport High School graduation touched on familiar themes of friendships formed, gratitude given and the inevitability of change that lies ahead, waiting to be embraced, not feared.

With a rare appearance by the sun this spring, commencement Wednesday evening on the football field began with students marching to their seats while Pomp and Circumstance played.

After seniors Evah Hodge and Austyn Spivey sang the National Anthem, Class President and Salutatorian Taylor Fellows welcomed her fellow graduates in her first of two speeches.

Change is the one thing over the past four years that best unites the diversity of friend groups, talents and personalities of the class, Fellows said. She reminded the graduates they began high school when COVID-19 was still a fear and wearing masks was the norm.

“The class of 2025 has shown what it’s like to embrace change instead of resisting it,” Fellows said. “We have learned to adapt and make changes to the different situations around us.”

There is certainly more change ahead, she said, and it can be scary, happen quickly and may not even be noticeable.

“As we navigate our next chapter, don’t let the fear that change brings cause us to forget what is familiar to us,” Fellows said. “I want to remind you today to always embrace change, step out of your comfort zone, be bold, try something new and never give up.”

Graduate Samuel Winchester read his class poem with the words, “the sun rises again,” followed by the valedictorian address from Kylie Janicke.

High school was not only about grades or test scores but “about the friendships that were made along the way,” Janicke said.

“Friendship has carried us through the challenges and helped us celebrate victories,” Janicke said. “As we take our next steps into the world, it’s important to remember this: Never forget your friends. Whether you stay in touch every day or go your separate ways, hold on to the people who helped you, who made you laugh, who saw you at your best and your worst.”

Janicke, who thanked her family for the unconditional love and support that helped her reach her goals, also mentioned the change coming for graduates, telling them that while it may be uncomfortable it can also be powerful.

“So remember this as you start on your new journey’s path, change is a good thing,” she said.

Lela Trott was chosen to give the Class Essayist Address. Strong support from so many in the close-knit Newport community helped her achieve more than she expected of herself, Trott said, giving a warm and heartfelt thank you to her family and to the teachers and staff at the high school.

Trott challenged her classmates to grab any opportunity that comes their way and not to worry if they later change course because something doesn’t work out.

“It’s really not that bad to quit one thing and start another,” Trott said. “You need to find something that makes it worth getting up every day. Find something you find enjoyment in.”

In her salutatorian remarks, Fellows talked about the support and inspiration from so many, guiding her and the entire class during their high school careers.

“Think about it, we would have never gotten through high school without the strong support systems that we were gifted by our family, friends, teachers, coaches and even ourselves,” said Fellows, who plans to study nursing at Colby-Sawyer College. She praised her classmates for their resilience and adaptability, which will help them in the next chapter of their lives.

“Every obstacle and challenge is there to help teach and push you to become a better, more knowledgeable person,” Fellows said. “Falling down is only part of the process but getting back up is what matters.”

The graduates are poised for more success after high school years marked by academic and athletic achievements, School Board Chairwoman Nikki Murphy said in her remarks.

“We believe in you, we are proud of you and we can’t wait to see what you will accomplish,” Murphy said.

This year’s class earned more than $102,000 in scholarships, Newport High School Principal Shannon Martin said.

After the 64 graduates collected their diplomas, outgoing Superintendent Donna Magoon congratulated the class and offered some final words of advice, challenging the graduates to “move forward with purpose” in a world in need of dreamers, doers and people who lead with integrity.

“Graduates, we are so proud of you for what you have accomplished,” Magoon said. “Hold on to the lessons you learned here. Stay curious, stay humble and stay true to yourself. Go forward with courage and hope.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

Newport High School Class of 2025

Tanis Adair; Caleb Ash; Hunter Austin; Travis Avery; Peyton Blackinton; Myah Borcuk; Joseph Bublat; Shaylynn Bunker; Violet Cameron; Natasha Carpenter; Kirsten Conroy; Mallory Cornish; Fletcher Davis; Madison Duhamel; Alexis Durgin; Aaron Fellows; Taylor Fellows; Cayden Forand; Christian Forsythe; Shayla Griggs; Cheyenne Hannum; Stephen Hebert; Evah Hodge; Jared Howald; Gabriel Howe; Abigail Huff; Ceili Inglese; David Irwin; Kylie Janicke; Owen Leavitt; Jasmyne Lee; Maddox Lovely; Kamden Marsh; Jazmyn McNamara; Emrhys Medbery; Hailey Michaud; Alizabeth Mitchler; Skylar Nelson; Timothy O’Neill; Emily Peckham; Quynh Pham; Arianna Pickering; Norah Plante; Kamden Pollari; Savannah Reed; Montana Rentas; Breanne Robertson; Cassandra Sanborn; Cameron Sapiel; Bella Sawyer; Erica Sayer; Cameryn Simpson; Austyn Spivey; Dylan Stanley; Gavin Stone; Alexander Swain; Lela Trott; Amilio Urista; Kirsten Wheeler; Maria White; Sebastian Williams; Torrence Williams; and Samuel Winchester.