MARLBOROUGH – Families and loved ones of Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) Charter School graduates gathered on the field of the Fore Kicks Sports Complex on Friday to celebrate this year’s graduation.
Addressing classmates, Valedictorian Sruthi Kurada said that, as graduates’ seven years at AMSA came to a close, it was tough to put their collective journey into words.
“Though, at times, these years have felt like reading a book in English class without a Sparknotes summary, looking back at these chapters, we cannot forget that some of our fondest memories have come at our most difficult moments,” Kurada said.
Among the other speakers were Salutatorian Anna Grankin and Principal Michael Nawrocki. The faculty speaker was Physical Education and Wellness Teacher David Gordon.
“On a personal note, I’m going to miss you all,” Gordon said.
He continued that he was going to miss their conversations and questions and playing basketball and yard games.
“You bring a lot of joy me, and I’m super proud of you all,” Gordon said. “I love you guys, and I know you are going to do great at whatever you put your minds to.”
Kurada structured her speech like a novel, calling middle school “chapter one.” She recalled taking her math and English placement exams, wondering what it would be like to leave her friends in her hometown of Littleton.
“Once sixth grade started in the fall, I realized I had joined one of the most amazing communities and met some of the most talented, sweetest and hilarious people that you could ever meet,” Kurada said.
The last four years — which Kurada dubbed “Chapter Two” — were anything but predictable.
She shared memories, such as trying to distribute Girl Scout cookies during Spanish class and joking with her friends at the end of December in her sophomore year that it was “unlikely” that they would go remote because they didn’t have equipment to learn online.
“But that fateful week in March, when we were all told that we would have a couple of days off of school, I think we had an idea of where it was going,” Kurada said.
Zoom was a “small window” into each other’s lives, she said. During the pandemic classmates then found ways to come together.
Returning this school year was a “memorable opportunity for our class to say its final goodbyes but also truly experience senioritis in all its glory,” she said.
“I’m so thankful for the incredible memories that I’ve shared with each and everyone of you, and I can’t wait to see each of the next chapters of our collective journeys,” Kurada said.
See a full livestream of AMSA’s graduation ceremony through the school’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Advanced-Math-Science-Academy-Charter-School-official-page-103046495686551/.
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