LEWISTON — Hundreds gathered at Don Roux Field on Friday to celebrate the Lewiston High School Class of 2022 in a lively, heartfelt graduation ceremony.

Attendees were greeted with audio instructions in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish and Swahili, underscoring the diverse backgrounds of the class.

Throughout the breezy ceremony, dozens of congratulatory balloons found their way into the sky, floating out of sight.

As faculty and graduates prepared to march onto the field, rock music played with an onscreen assurance that “nothing will stop us from celebrating our seniors tonight.”

Superintendent Jake Langlais opened the ceremony with a remark all too familiar to those in the crowd: “Good evening, Bus 78 will not run this evening due to the driver shortage. I thank you for your patience and understanding,” he said, drawing a burst of laughter from the crowd.

Soon after, Langlais handed the microphone to retired longtime boys soccer coach Mike McGraw for a rousing cheer.

“You don’t have to be quiet because you’ve been quiet since you were kindergarteners!” he shouted, encouraging each of the 250 graduates to be loud and proud.

He directed one side of the class to yell “Let’s Go!” the other, “Big Blue!” Inviting students to stand, the graduates also paid homage to their school mascot, the Blue Devils, shouting “D- E- V- I- L- S-!”

Lewiston High School graduates enter the stadium Friday at the beginning of the graduation ceremony on Don Roux Field. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Langlais urged graduates in his closing remarks to “be unusual. Be yourself. Be confident. Honor your parents. Trust in your ability. Refuse to be complacent and reach for the sky. But above all else, be unusually kind.

In her valedictorian address, Ryleigh Emmert advised her classmates — and herself — to be empathetic, grow from criticism and make time for happiness.

“Don’t aspire to be the person who makes another person’s day worse,” she said. “Mistakes happen, and perfection is impossible and unrealistic to attain. Seeking an understanding of others’ actions in empathizing with them can make another person’s experiences with you infinitely better.”

And “when others give you constructive criticism about your flaws, sometimes it’s a good idea to shut up and listen to them,” she said.

Her advice is “brutal and blunt,” she acknowledged. But it’s the most significant step she has taken to develop personal integrity and take responsibility for her actions.

Finally, she urged her peers to pursue what makes them happy and take breaks from work when needed.

“Though I do not regret the time and effort I have spent working towards achieving my goals, I must acknowledge that I was not happy during that time,” she said. “I found myself too distracted to appreciate the little things that brought me joy, as they’d been overshadowed by stress.”

Salutatorian Cecilia Miller reflected on the Class of 2022’s challenging, often unpredictable, years at Lewiston High School.

Ruben Mukendi waits with his classmates Friday for the Lewiston High School graduation ceremony to begin. Mukendi’s nickname is “Dr. Congo” after the country his family is from. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

“After a sophomore year cut short, our junior year was a time of constant uncertainty,” she said. “We had to let go of any expectations we had of typical high school experiences and conventional education.

“We are standing here now because of our ability to adapt and our determination to rise above the challenges we face, both big and small,” she added. “I hope that we can all apply these skills to experiences we will have during the rest of our lives.”

After the presentation of diplomas, Zamzam Mohamud was presented with an honorary diploma from Lewiston High School in recognition of her efforts to help “improve the lives of others through communication, trust and compassion.”

Mohamud was the first Somali on the Lewiston School Committee, was recognized as an Empower the Immigrant Women’s Trailblazer honoree in 2018 and received the Woman of Achievement award from the YWCA in 2021, among other distinctions.

Her children, Hanan and Jama, are graduates of the Lewiston High School classes of 2010 and 2011, respectively.

“Zam is always unassuming and expects nothing in return for the things she does,” Lewiston High School Principal Jay Dufour said. “Her strong will, her perseverance, and her dedication are an inspiration to all of us.”