The stadium filled with people Wednesday as the Saugus High School class of 2023 took their own seats. With over 500 graduates, no chair was left empty except for three, specially decorated to honor the students who should have been graduating that day.
Gracie Ann Muehlberger, Dominic Michael Blackwell and Isaac Boston should have been graduating along with their classmates Wednesday. Instead, the families of the three accepted honorary diplomas in their name.
Muehlberger and Blackwell were shot and killed at Saugus High School in 2019 in a tragedy that ended their lives as freshman and left three others injured. Boston’s life was also cut short two years later.
To honor them, family and friends decorated what would have been their chairs with flowers, pictures, and special memorabilia. Emotions were high as Principal Genevieve Peterson-Henry handed each family a diploma and a choir of senior signers performed “Rise Up.”
“We know what it’s like to lose one of your classmates and friends to something senseless, tragic and let’s face it, avoidable,” said student speaker Mia Tretta. Tretta was one of the students shot in 2019. “Months later in 2020 as we as a student body came together to heal, there was more. A global pandemic left our high school careers to a screeching halt.”
Adversity, tragedy and hardship has left a mark on the class of 2023 at Saugus High School. But through it, the students acknowledged their perseverance and resilience.
“It was a struggle and you endured more than you should have,” said Tretta. “Know that what it took for you to get here was a hell of a lot more than satisfactory.”
Principal Peterson-Henry thanked the class for their courage, stating that they have taught everybody how to be a centurion.
“Before you could learn what it meant to be a Centurion we experienced the unthinkable. In the midst of your grief and sadness you came back to campus. Thank you for showing us how to be a centurion,” said Peterson-Henry.
During the choir’s performance of “Rise Up” several boxes containing monarch butterflies were released by students in the crowd for the three children. Butterflies could be seen throughout the rest of the night flapping their wings among the new graduates.
On Wednesday night the class of 2023 was given one more moment to be a Centurion as their names were called out and they walked the stage with their diplomas. Each student wore one pink cord to honor Gracie and one yellow cord to honor Dominic.
“This time we have together is still important. Many of us will look back on this night as a major milestone,” said student speaker Connor Gilbertson. “But this night is all of us sitting here, here together. For the last time.”
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