The Collaborative for Educational Services’ Mount Tom Academy in Northampton held a graduation ceremony on Friday, June 10th, at the Kittredge Center on the Holyoke Community College campus..
Friends, family, and staff joined in celebration with this year’s five graduates, who received high school diplomas from their sending school districts.
Included in the graduating class were:
- Jay Cyrus,
- Vinn LaPlante,
- Kylie Lowell,
- David Murray, and
- Hannah Racette.
Deputy Director Karen Reuter opened the ceremony with welcoming remarks. Speakers at the graduation ceremony included an opening address by CES Board Chair Dan Hayes and the commencement address given by CES Executive Director Todd Gazda, Ed.D., JD. Gazda encouraged the graduates to think about the future, saying,
“Not one of you has arrived in this place by taking a traditional path. Find your passion, take chances, and make your mark. You are the generation that will shape the future of our country.”
The Class of 2022 Address was given by graduate Kylie Lowell. Said Kylie,
“I accomplished more than I ever thought possible. A lot of us come in not knowing what the future holds, but with your help I see the future in front of me. The future is in our hands.”
Mount Tom Academy is a program of the Collaborative for Educational Services, located on the campus of the Holyoke Community College, and working with schools, districts, families and youth in the Pioneer Valley to provide a student centered, individualized pathway to high school graduation and beyond, matched to each student’s own learning style, in a small classroom setting.