Here's To Sydney.

The Morse High School Class of 2020 | For Real.

“Walking with my best friend at graduation and getting my name called” as she receives her diploma, is what Sydney was looking forward to most about graduating this year.

What she will miss most about Morse and being a Shipbuilder is “being part of such a strong community, and having support anywhere you need it.”

The library and the vocational school, BRCTC, were Sydney's favorite spots at 826 High Street. She studied Early Childhood Education and worked very diligently to graduate a year earlier than originally planned when she entered school way back in Kindergarten. Although there are so many disappointments for the Class of 2020 this spring, Sydney has found some positives among her sense of loss. She notes that we should all “be grateful for what we have. Two years of hard work to graduate early and it was all taken away in a matter of 24 hours.” Appreciating what has been earned and not just what is lost is a wonderful perspective in these uncertain times.

Her favorite memories at Morse involve her most beloved teacher, Mrs. Fagan. “We read a 5-book series in about two weeks and had discussions every morning about what we read - by far my favorite memory at Morse,” says Sydney.

Her advice for Underclassmen is to “find YOUR thing. Everyone has their own thing and when you find it nothing else will matter as much. Be unique and create your own path.”

A final thought about graduating during a global pandemic, “I think we will always be remembered, our class will stick out from the rest forever.” Being the first class any of us can remember that has had prom, graduation, and all the other fanfares of Senior year removed in an instant, I believe Sydney is correct.

No one will ever forget the Class of 2020.

Next stop for Sydney is SMCC for 2 years, then on to University of Maine Orono before heading to the FBI Academy. I have all the confidence in the world that this thoughtful, brilliant and very hard-working young lady will continue to succeed in all that she does, regardless of what the world throws her way.

Here's to You, Sydney. Thank you for letting me help tell your story.