'Testament to the power of connection': Amherst high school celebrates graduation

kAmp>96CDE r@F?EJ w:89 $49@@=’D r=2DD @7 a_ac H2D 6?4@FC2865 2E uC:52J’D 8C25F2E:@? E@ 5C62> 3:8[ D9@@E 7@C E96 DE2CD 2?5 E@ =:G6 :? E96 >@>6?E]k^Am

kAmpE E96 D49@@=’D egE9 4@>>6?46>6?E :? E96 ':?6D r6?E6C 2E {:36CEJ &?:G6CD:EJ[ ;FDE >@C6 E92? ag_ 8C25F2E6D C646:G65 E96:C 5:A=@>2D] !C:?4:A2= y@6J rC2H7@C5 E@=5 E96 8C25F2E6D E96J H:== 8@ 5@H? 2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE F?:BF6 4=2DD6D :? D49@@= 9:DE@CJ]k^Am

kAm“%96 E2=6?E E92E 6I:DED :? E9:D 4=2DD :D F?=:<6 2?J @E96C[” rC2H7@C5 D2:5] “(6 92G6 DEF56?ED 367@C6 FD E@52J H9@ 92G6 H@C<65 :?4C65:3=J 92C5 :? 24256>:4D 2?5 62C?65 25>:DD:@?D E@ D@>6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D 36DE 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D] %96 2>@F?E @7 D49@=2CD9:A >@?6J E92E H2D 2H2C565 E@ E9:D 4=2DD H2D 9F86]”k^Am

kAmrC2H7@C5 D2:5 >2?J DEF56?ED D6E E96>D6=G6D 2A2CE 3J >2DE6C:?8 E96:C 4C27E]k^Am

kAm“w@H >2?J D49@@=D :? E96 DE2E6 42? D2J E96J 92G6 2 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A ,uFEFC6 u2C>6CD @7 p>6C:42. E62>[ 2 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A C62= H@C5 56D:8? 492==6?86 E62>[ 5@K6?D @7 2E9=6E:4 2H2C5D[ 492>A:@?D9:A 32?5[ 49@C2= 2?5 E962E6C AC@8C2>D 2?5 >2?J >@C6[” rC2H7@C5 D2:5] “%9:D 4=2DD :D 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ]”k^Am

kAmz6=D6J u@C6[ D6?:@C 4=2DD AC6D:56?E[ 5FC:?8 96C DA6649 C67=64E65 @? E96 “D66>:?8=J[ @C5:?2CJ[ 6G6CJ52J >@>6?ED” E92E D92A65 E96 D6?:@C 4=2DD]k^Am

kAm“xE 92D 366? :? E96 BF:6E 362FEJ @7 @FC >@C?:?8 5C:G6D[ E96 62C=J 3C62<72DE DE@AD E92E >256 D@>6 @7 FD =2E6 E@ D49@@=[ E96 F?6IA64E65 ;@J @7 H2<:?8 FA E@ 2 D?@H 52J[ :E’D |C] rC2H7@C5’D 9:89\7:G6D :? E96 92==H2JD 2?5 H2:E:?8 7@C J@FC 7C:6?5D E@ H2=< H:E9 E@ D49@@= 6G6CJ 52J[” u@C6 D2:5]k^Am

kAmu@C6 2=D@ C642==65 EC:AD E@ |4s@?2=5’D “H:E9 E96 7=:4<6C @7 uC:52J ?:89E =:89ED DE:== :? @FC 6J6D[ @FC 36=@G65 4966D6 3:E6D 2?5 E2E6C E@ED” 7C@> %96 u:==:?8 $E2E:@? :? p>96CDE[ =2E6 ?:89E 5C:G6D H:E9 E96:C 72G@C:E6 A6@A=6 2?5 E62496CD DF49 2D 96C >@E96C H9@ H:== 492D6 DEF56?ED 5@H? E96 92==H2J 7@C 2 9F8]k^Am

kAmu@C6 2=D@ =@@<65 324< @? ?@DE2=8:4 492C> @7 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?ED DF49 2D E96 p>96CDE r9C:DE>2D !2C256[ E96 pAA=6 w2CG6DE u6DE:G2=[ 2 72== EC25:E:@? @7 >@C6 E92? d_ J62CD :? E96 E@H? 2?5 E96 D49@@=’D >2C49:?8 32?5 A6C7@C>:?8]k^Am

kAm“%96D6 D66>:?8=J >F?52?6 6IA6C:6?46D 42AEFC6 E96 6DD6?46 @7 p>96CDE 2?5 E96 E9C625D @7 @FC 6G6CJ52J =:76 E92E x H2D D62C49:?8 7@C[” u@C6 D2:5]k^Am

kAm$96 FC865 4=2DD>2E6D E@ ?@E @G6CFD6 E96 A9C2D6 “x 42?’E H2:E” 2?5 C6D:DE E96 4FCC6?E FC86 E@ H:D9 E96D6 52JD 2H2J 7@C D@>6E9:?8 D66>:?8=J 36EE6C]k^Am

kAm“(92E :D :E 23@FE E96D6 7FEFC6 6G6?ED E92E 4@>A6= FD E@ :>A2E:6?E=J 2H2:E E96:C 2CC:G2=[ @7E6? 2E E96 6IA6?D6 @7 7F==J 6>3C24:?8 E96 AC6D6?E >@>6?En (92E 2C6 H6 D24C:7:4:?8 3J 7:I2E:?8 @? E96 7FEFC6 C2E96C E92? 496C:D9:?8 E96 362FEJ 2?5 E96 C:49?6DD @7 E96 96C6 2?5 ?@H[” u@C6 E@=5 8C25F2E6D] “{:76 >@G6D AC6EEJ 72DE] x7 J@F 5@?’E DE@A 2?5 =@@< 2C@F?5 6G6CJ @?46 :? 2 H9:=6 J@F H:== >:DD :E … {:G6 :? E96 >@>6?E[ C6G6= :? E96 =2F89E6C[ 2==@H E62CD E@ 72==]”k^Am

kAm$96 FC865 E96 4=2DD E@ 7:?5 “=:EE=6 2?5 3:8 ;@JD” :? E96 @C5:?2CJ 2?5 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ]k^Am

kAm“p>96CDE r@F?EJ w:89 $49@@= :D 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ E96 A@H6C @7 4@??64E:@?[ 6?C:49>6?E[ E96 C:49?6DD @7 D92C65 6IA6C:6?46D 2?5 E96 6?5FC:?8 3@?5D @7 2 8C62E6C 4@>>F?:EJ[” u@C6 D2:5] “%9:D A=246 2?5 E96D6 >@>6?ED H:== 7@C6G6C 36 A2CE @7 @FC DE@CJ] ~?46 2 {2?46C[ 2=H2JD 2 {2?46C]”k^Am

kAm$2=FE2E@C:2? s2=E@? (6?EK D2:5 E96 D49@@=’D 724F=EJ 2?5 DE277 “:D ?@E9:?8 D9@CE @7 2>2K:?8]”k^Am

kAm“x DA62< 7@C 6G6CJ DEF56?E 3J D2J:?8 E92?< J@F[” (6?EK D2:5] “*@FC 4@>>:E>6?E 2?5 6?4@FC286>6?E 5@6D ?@E 8@ F??@E:465 2?5 J@FC :>A24E :D 7@C6G6C]”k^Am

kAm(6?EK[ 2 DE2?5@FE {2?46C 32D632== A=2J6C H9@ C646?E=J H2D ?2>65 E96 $6>:?@=6 s:DEC:4E !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C[ BF@E65 9:D 72G@C:E6 |2;@C {628F6 q2D632== DE2C[ |:<6 %C@FE @7 E96 {@D p?86=6D p?86=Di “*@F H@?’E 92G6 DF446DD :7 J@F 42?’E 92?5=6 72:=FC6]”k^Am

kAm%96 4=2DD 92D @G6C4@>6 2?5 E9C:G65 :? E96 7246 @7 25G6CD:EJ[ (6?EK D2:5]k^Am

kAm“x 2> E92?<7F= 7@C E96 2E>@DA96C6[ E96 4@>>F?:EJ E92E p>96CDE 32D632== 92D AC@G:565 >6 H:E9[” (6?EK D2:5] “~FC E:>6 E@86E96C 92D 366? 7:==65 H:E9 >2?J D>:=6D 2?5 =2F89D] xE 92D ECF=J 366? 2? 9@?@C E@ D92C6 2== E96D6 J62CD E@86E96C H:E9 2 8C@FA 2D DA64:2= 2D E96 @?6 D:EE:?8 :? 7C@?E @7 >6] x H:D9 J@F 2== DF446DD :? J@FC 7FEFC6 6?562G@CD 2?5 x <?@H H6 H:== 2== >2<6 @FC 9@>6E@H? AC@F5]”k^Am

kAm'2=65:4E@C:2? y24@3 %2D<6C FC865 4=2DD>2E6D E@ 7:?5 D@>6E9:?8 E96J =:<6 2?5 H@C< 92C5 2E :E]k^Am

kAm“!FE J@FC 36DE :? 6G6CJE9:?8 J@F 5@ 2?5 6?;@J :E[” %2D<6C D2:5] “s@?’E 86E 42F89E FA :? 2== E96 325 E9:?8D 3FE C2E96C E96 8@@5 E9:?8D] {:76 :D E@@ D9@CE ?@E E@ 6?;@J :E] v@5 82G6 FD @?=J @?6 492?46 E@ =:G6 D@ 8@ @? 2?5 =:G6 :E] w2G6 7F?[ =2F89 2 =:EE=6[ >2<6 8@@5 >6>@C:6D]”k^Am

kAmrC2H7@C5 D2:5 96 :D D25 E@ ?@ =@?86C D66 D6?:@C 2E9=6E6D 4@>A6E6 7@C E96 D49@@=[ DEF56?ED 6I46= :? 2 C2?86 @7 24E:G:E:6D 2?5 H2E49 E96> A2DD :? E96 92==H2JD]k^Am

kAm“$2J:?8 8@@53J6 :D ?@E 2=H2JD 62DJ 3FE :E :D ?646DD2CJ :? @C56C E@ E2<6 E96 ?6IE DE6A :? @FC =:G6D[” rC2H7@C5 D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 FC865 8C25F2E6D E@ E9:?< 23@FE A6@A=6 :? E96:C =:G6D H9@ >2<6 E96> 92AAJ 2?5 C6>6>36C E96 >F=E:EF56 @7 65F42E@CD H9@ :>A24E65 E96:C ;@FC?6JD] rC2H7@C5[ 2? prw$ 8C25F2E6 9:>D6=7[ C676C6?465 tC?:6 vF:==[ 2 7@C>6C =@?8E:>6 AC:?4:A2= 2E E96 D49@@=[ :? C6>6>36C:?8 E96:C 49@:46D 27764E ?@E @?=J E96>D6=G6D 3FE E9@D6 H9@ =@G6 E96> >@DE]k^Am

kAmrC2H7@C5 FC865 E96 4=2DD “E@ 8@ 36 8C62E]”k^Am

kAm“(96C6G6C J@F 8@ 2?5 H92E6G6C J@F 5@[ C6>6>36C E@ 2=H2JD 36 E96 36DE G6CD:@? @7 J@FCD6=7[” rC2H7@C5 D2:5] “q6 E96 36DE J@F E92E J@F 42? 36] p?5 C6>6>36C[ J@F H:== 2=H2JD 36 2 {2?46C]”k^Am