Members of the Mountain Valley High School Class of 2021 marched across the football field to the bleachers during commencement exercises Thursday evening. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

RUMFORD — Commencement exercises for Mountain Valley High School’s graduating class of 2021 were held Thursday evening.On a bright sunlit evening at Hosmer Field, graduates sat in the football bleachers while the audience looked on from chairs set on the edge of the football field as 66 students received their diplomas.

Presenting the senior address was Colby Volkernick, who noted, “Some would have never thought that this year we would have been able to have an in-person graduation. We did not know if our two days of classes a week would be extended to more, or if we would go to remote learning at some point. We would see both of these things happen, while adapting to the ever-changing schedule that we had.”

Volkernick said their class would go through constant quarantines, “Then new mandates were put into place and our class sizes became smaller than ever before.”

Members of the Mountain Valley High School Class of 2021 marched across the football field to the bleachers during commencement exercises Thursday evening. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

Volkernick said the Mountain Valley High School Class of 2021 has proved to be strong and resilient in the face of the adversity brought on by the pandemic.

“Our class did not have the same opportunity of having a regular homecoming, winter carnival, prom, extra curriculars or sports throughout the year and a half,” he said. “However, this made our class realize how much we needed to appreciate the time while we were in high school. As far as I can see, we are the strongest class to ever graduate from Mountain Valley High School!”

That was followed by cheers and clapping.

The commencement concluded with the graduates singing their class song, “Good Times,” by All Time Low.

After many hugs and photos on the football field, the graduates boarded a bus bound for Lewiston for their Project Graduation, which took place at the FunZ Trampoline Park.

Presenting the senior address was Colby Volkernick, left, at the Mountain Valley High School Class commencement exercises Thursday evening. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times