Many high school seniors are anxious about graduating and stepping into uncharted territory, but Julia Swett has always welcomed new possibilities.

Her freshman and sophomore years, she enjoyed being part of the drama club. As a senior, she joined the field hockey team.

“I wish I would have joined before, but they were very welcoming because I’d never played before,” she said.

Throughout high school, she participated in student council, the National Honor Society and Girl Scouts, all while volunteering at her local church.

On Friday evening, family, friends and faculty gathered at Franklin High School to celebrate the class of 2025. Dozens of graduates sat in rows on the field while wearing blue caps and gowns and large smiles on their faces. 

During the ceremony, Valedictorian Savaughna Slocum gave a speech thanking the broader community and individuals who pushed her to succeed. 

“High school has been a roller coaster, filled with triumphs and setbacks, but through it all, there have been people who made the journey worthwhile,” she said.

She also had a message for the underclassmen that the graduates are leaving behind.

“My biggest piece of advice – be present. Make the memories, take the risks, and invest in the friendships that make the long days worth it. And most importantly, don’t let anyone define your limits – you are capable of more than you know,” she said.

Graduates received awards for their scholarships, commitment to athletics and growth both academic and personal.

Swett received The Loyalty Award, voted on by students and staff, for dedicating herself to the class and to the school and for always being there to “do a job well done.”

Ready to explore the unknown, Swett is eager to step into summer – and the rest of her life. In the coming months, she looks forward traveling to Italy with one of her friends to visit an exchange student she met the year before during school. Not speaking a lick of Italian, she said she is ready for the exposure to a new language and culture.

When she returns to the United States, she will study hospitality management at Lasell University.

“I’m really looking at event planning right now. I’ll be exploring food and beverage, meeting with people, tourism,” she said.

Based on her own positive experiences and the relationships she built at Franklin High, Swett cannot wait for the opportunities that college has to offer. Always looking for something new to try, she finds herself most excited about the idea of meeting new people.

“I am going kind of far away, but not too far away, so I’ll get a new environment, a new community,” she said.

Kiera McLaug hlin can be reached at kmclaughlin@cmonitor.com.