Editor’s Note: For the beautiful cover illustration to this section of the paper, by NRHS art teacher Amy Kandall, and an introduction to this collection of pictures and words collected from students, please follow this link.

Anna Rogers
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Continuing my education

After high school, I plan to stay on the Cape with my family. I couldn’t live without my dog, Oscar, and popcorn. I want my classmates to know that I care about them and wish them well.

Christian Hilbig
Eastham
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Working at Bay Sails Marine in Wellfleet

My senior year was a lot different than all the other students. I studied marine mechanics, and I got all of my credits done by the beginning of senior year. Since September, I have been going to work every day, working on boats as one of six employees. I’ve been immersed in everything: fiberglass repair, trailers, engine work, cleaning, electrical, plumbing. This is my third summer at this job. In high school, I made so many friends. I was separated from them somewhat, but it wasn’t horrible. Graduation at the drive-in will be different, but it’s better than an online one.

Christian Ziemba
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: Cape Cod Community College

I’m hopeful about life after high-school and what it has to offer. My plans are to attend college, though I think with online learning it will be a big shift from normal. I plan to stay on Cape for now. Ten years from now, looking back, I think I will miss the library the most.

 

 

Christopher Pickard
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Boat yard work and lobstering, IYRS School of Technology and Trades

These past months have made me realize the value of being able to go out and see my friends. I’m staying positive for our future and hope this current situation will come to an end soon. My plans are to work in my family’s business, a boat yard, during the summer, as I normally do, and to go lobstering. I have a commercial lobster license. In my spare time in the fall I am going to attend IYRS to study marine systems. I’m going to miss hanging out with some great people at high school.

Clay Kenny
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Keep it low-key and local

At the moment, I think that I might have a problem with overthinking my future: planning too early and not being able initiate immediately. Few things are set in stone, but I know that I am continuing to make pottery, learn, work, surf, and maintain my roots in Wellfleet, for now. I could not live without easy access to the ocean. Due to Covid, I have to keep it low-key and local, although the travel bug is buzzing. I’m hopeful for my generation’s future.

David Rai
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Gap year, then Cape Cod Community College

I plan to take a gap year to work a little bit and to travel. I hope to go to different states and experience other parts of the country. I will then go to Cape Cod Community College for two years and study something that will really interest me and impact my future. Then, I hope to go for two years at a good university and continue my studies. I would like to stay on the Cape for a couple of years and see how I feel about it, but, as for now, I feel very glad to be living in such a place. I could not live without my friends, because life would be very boring. I hope that our friendships will last a long time.

Deaunta McLean
Provincetown
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: UMass Dartmouth

I’m going to be the first person in my family to go to college. In the fall, I’m starting at UMass Dartmouth to study health sciences. I’ve been in the nursing program at Tech and have also been working as a nurse’s assistant at Seashore Point for the past months while finishing high school online. Covid-19 has shown us how important health care workers are. Those are the hard-working people who give me hope. There are a lot of problems in this country now, not just the virus but also what happened in Minnesota. My hope is that we can make our future better.

Diana Duarte
Truro
Schools: NRHS and CCCC
Fall plan: UMass Amherst

I’ll be majoring in chemical engineering, and hopefully I’ll minor in environmental science. I think the biggest challenge will be the fact that there aren’t that many females in the STEM fields. But that is the very reason I want to be an engineer so badly. I am hopeful that everything will come around environmentally. I think that with the pandemic, people are going to start to realize how big an effect their daily habits have on the lives of other people around the world.

 

Evelyn Rose
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Gap year, then college

I am hopeful for the future, for some of the changes I hope we see after Covid in society. I have gap year plans, then college. I am hoping to find an internship or job at a studio in Charlotte, N.C. I can’t imagine never coming back. The nature, salt water, and raw beauty of the Cape will always draw me back. The place I will miss most at Nauset is the whisper wheel. When I’m sitting on one of Amy’s blue stools, I feel the most at home. So much growing up happens through high school — I want to always be able to handle change. I am grateful for every experience with my classmates. Thank you for shaping me into the human that I am!

Fantasia Hatch
Wellfleet
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Cosmetology work

High school ending can seem scary, but it’s really just the beginning of the rest of your life. As a licensed cosmetologist, I love making people feel good about themselves. I started working at the Spa at Chatham Bars Inn when I was a junior, and I plan to stay there. My dream is to one day open my own hair salon. Growing up on Cape Cod, I have felt sheltered from the rest of the country, so traveling and seeing the world is going to be another main focus after high school. I hope to have a successful and happy life.

Gayle McNulty
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall plan: UMass Dartmouth

While I attend college, I won’t be living on Cape, though I plan on visiting whenever I can. I have plenty of younger friends, and I don’t want to lose my connection with them. As corny as it is, I could not live without my best friend. She’s been so helpful to me during this pandemic. If not for her, I don’t know if I would have met the work quota to graduate. I will miss Lisa Brown’s classroom, for sure. She is such a wonderful teacher and a wonderful woman. She inspires so many students to go out and get involved. Her classroom will always be a safe space for students.

Haley Gaeta
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: Gap year

I’m planning to take a gap year to stay on Cape Cod and work, then go to college. I believe that not attending college or taking a gap year (or a few) should be more normalized and accepted. I hope to be happy and to help others. I want my classmates to know that, even years from now, if any of them ever needed help from me, I would be there for them. I cannot live without art. It is my outlet and a way to express myself. The place I will miss the most is Amy Kandall’s clay room at the high school.

Hannah Figur
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: UMass Amherst

I aspire to be a neurosurgeon. I think the biggest cultural challenge for me will be being surrounded by people with different beliefs, whether those be moral or religious, because until now, I’ve mostly associated myself with people with similar beliefs as mine. I would like my classmates to know that I appreciate all of the interactions I have had with them, whether bad or good. Every experience is a learning experience that has helped shape who I am today.

Isabel Merl
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Tufts University

It will be a challenge for me, transitioning from Wellfleet to Medford, in the Boston area. I am used to and comfortable with my slow, quiet life here, so the hustle and bustle of the city will definitely be a major shift. I will always remember my grandma’s house on the corner of Main Street, my father’s fishing boats docked at the Wellfleet pier, walking my dogs at Newcomb, my many summers spent working at PJ’s, and so much more. I will always be rooted to Cape Cod due to these sweet memories, and the Cape will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Jackson Yelle
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Elon University

I’m planning to study business at Elon University this fall. I love fishing. I get out of work at nine, and then we go fishing in a creek at midnight. Although I don’t get much sleep, living on the Cape has taught me to take advantage of every moment, especially outdoors. I grew up in a few different places, California and Connecticut, before Cape Cod. I think the transition to college won’t be too challenging. But I will miss late-night fishing with friends.

 

James Lord
Wellfleet and Eastham
School: NRHS
Next Fall: Massachusetts Maritime Academy

My current plan is to pursue my degree in emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where I will also complete my EMT and Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. Once I have graduated, I will further my education within the medical field in either the U.S. Coast Guard or Navy. After serving, I will begin my lifelong career as an EMT/firefighter, then paramedic/firefighter, in addition to a side career as a tattoo artist. I will return to guide our youth on their paths to Eagle in Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts, as others have done for me.

Jesse Pettersen
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: Cape Cod Community College

High school is such a fun time of learning and growing as a person without too many responsibilities. I want my classmates to know that I spent a great four years with them and am going to miss them dearly. I’m starting 4Cs this fall and am going to be studying criminal justice. I am considering a few different roads, from becoming a police officer to working in environmental protection. What is keeping me here on the Cape for now are the friendships and connections I made throughout my life. My family are my biggest supporters in whatever it is that I am doing. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

 

Joshua Lucas
Wellfleet
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: HVAC and construction work

 Now that high school is over, we have a whole different experience ahead of us. My plans are to work in HVAC and construction here on the Cape for a few more years, then I’d like to move and find a home up north somewhere like New Hampshire or Maine. I have family and friends up there, and there are things I can do up there, like ride my dirt bike, that you can’t do down here legally. I will miss my high school friendships, especially with the people who live way up the Cape, since I live on the Lower Cape.

Julie Wilson
Wellfleet
School: NRHS

One thing that I can’t live without is being able to go outside, either for walks, runs, bike rides, or just to sit on the beach. When I have read about countries that are not letting people leave their houses, it has made me realize how important and freeing it is to be able to go outside. One thing I learned during high school is to never give up, from playing soccer to learning a new unit in class and having to study or ask the teacher for clarification.

Kaden Rogers
Truro
School: Sturgis West Charter School
Fall plan: University of New Hampshire

I am excited to start college. I plan to double major in music performance and computer science. I decided to study cello with Jacques Lee Wood, a professor at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and the principal cellist of the Cape Cod Symphony. Cello has been an important part of my life since I started playing in elementary school. I joined the Cape Cod Youth Symphony Orchestra in middle school and participated into my junior year. I was a member of Nikki Patton’s Chappaquoit Cello Studio in West Falmouth and enjoyed her annual collaborations with professional cellists from Boston.

Laura Largey
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Cape Cod Community College

I think what roots me to Cape Cod is the scenery. If I were to move away or go to college anywhere else, I know I would miss being able to drive around and go to practically any beach I want. Living here has made me appreciate what I have and understand that my peers and I are very privileged. I have traveled around the country and have seen some pretty rough areas, so I’m glad that I had the opportunity to grow up here and be in a great school district. By staying, I’ll have the opportunity to spend the next two years here trying to figure out what I want to do in this world.

Lilli J. Osowski
Provincetown
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: University of New Hampshire

After high school I plan on going off Cape to New Hampshire for college. Having been born and raised on Cape Cod, I know it will always be my home and hold a special place in my heart. If I could take one thing from my high school years, it would definitely be my involvement in honoring and helping veterans. My plans are to make my involvement expand to greater levels.

 

Lillian Manganaro
Eastham
School: NRHS
Next Fall: University of Colorado at Boulder

So much changed during these four years. I learned that change is inevitable and accepting that allows you to find peace within it. I am hopeful about the Earth. I think this pandemic has changed the way people view the world and what she needs. I hope that we can make changes with our new perspective to improve the way we treat our planet. I am planning to study psychology. I do not plan to stay on the Cape, but I have a deep love for this place and I know I will come back often. I also know that I will always find my way back to the ocean.

 

Lydia Montesano
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Travel

I hope this pandemic will come to an end, so that I can properly go on with my life after high school. I’m not sure what’s going to happen — I’m just letting the tides take me. And as soon as I’m on my feet and steady, I plan to travel as much as I possibly can. I will miss people. I honestly am excited for reunions to happen. I couldn’t live without the support from others around me. No matter if it’s a friend or family member, I know that wherever I go, I will find support, as I will provide to others the same.

Madelyn Fleming
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Simmons University

I’ll be studying nursing. I have always dreamed of working at Boston Children’s Hospital as an R.N. after I finish college. I think the biggest cultural change will be adapting to and immersing myself in this new community. As high school comes to a close, I want my classmates to know that even, though this may not be the end of senior year we hoped for, together, with the help of our teachers, we finished strong. I think my classmates are incredible, and I’m so proud to graduate with them.

 

 

Megan Perry
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: Cape Cod Community College

I have been surrounded by first responders all my life: my mother, father, and sister are EMTs. I have gone with my mom to many calls and learned that first responders are often the defining resource for help in dangerous and life-threatening situations. Watching my mom at work, I knew I wanted to be the first one to help someone when they need it the most. I’m planning on attending CCCC to become an EMT/paramedic. The Covid-19 crisis confirmed my decision. I love helping people and, during a time like this, that’s what people need the most.

Molly Shafnacker
Eastham and Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: Bennington College

I couldn’t live without creating things. Exploring ideas in writing, using clay, drawing them — I can’t imagine what I’d do without that. In small revelations, in moments of understanding that this is not like what came before, maybe it’s not obvious that this is art, but we are all creating right now. If there were one thing I could take with me from high school, it would be this feeling that I just got the hang of being able to be who I am. The teachers here who have so much passion about what they’re teaching — Mr. Clark, Ms. King, Ms. Burnett are just some of them — they helped me learn, I guess you’d call it perspective. I’ve got a whole life; this is just one assignment.

Monica Prada
Provincetown
School: NRHS

My goal after college is to travel in Europe: Pompeii, Rome, London, Paris. All over. I’m also majoring in psychology and my career goal is to be a high school psychologist. After college, I hope to be fortunate enough to be able to stay on the Cape for as long as I can. I cherish the life it has given me, growing up on the beach surrounded by loved ones. I especially hope I can raise my children in the same place I grew up. It would be so special to share all of my childhood experiences with my own children. I cannot live without my beautiful sister. I am so lucky to be able to call her my best friend.

Nelliemay DiPinto
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Join the workforce

My plan is to gain full-time employment and become an independent adult who contributes to society in a positive way. While I haven’t yet chosen a specific field of work, I have a strong interest in working outdoors — excavating, landscaping, or construction. Initially, I will stay on Cape for a few years. I have a large family and a good support system here. However, I look forward to exploring other areas of the country when the time comes. In the future I see myself missing the coziness and comfort of my home town, Wellfleet.

Olivia DiBari
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Don’t know yet

I am hopeful for the future. My dream is to become a performing opera singer. The biggest cultural challenge will be the language barrier between me and many other performers and conductors who don’t speak English. I plan on visiting the Cape often after I graduate. I grew up here and my immediate family is all still here, so I plan on sticking around for a long time. Of all the great memories I have of high school, I will miss Nauset Light the most. If I could take one thing with me after I graduate, it would be my childhood friends. I enjoyed everyone at Nauset! The kids were all really sweet and kind.

Owen Currier
Eastham
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Cape Cod Community College

 I would like my classmates to know that I enjoyed every moment of high school and made some fun memories, and I hope they have successful lives. I plan to attend CCCC to study information technology. I hope to find a good, stable job in I.T., to purchase a home, have a family and pay for my kids’ college. I’d like to retire early. My role model is my I.T. teacher, Mr. Rocque. He has taught me almost everything I know about I.T. and helped me when I lost motivation and made sure I graduated.

Parris Pitter
Truro
School: NRHS
Next Fall: Curry College

I’ve always wanted to go to school and study real estate, and that’s what I’m aiming to do. I have a lot of school spirit — I’m always talking to everyone, and I feel confident meeting new people and getting to know them. I hope I can keep that in the future. I could not live without my four little brothers. I’ve been through a lot with them. Seeing them grow up has been an important part of my life. I will miss always being surrounded by the people I care about and always having my friends next to me. I want my classmates to know that I worked pretty hard in high school. I had a few major setbacks, but I definitely got through them and accomplished my goals.

Patricia Lord
Wellfleet and Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: UMass Amherst

My dream is to work with animals. My plan is to earn a bachelor’s degree to become certified as a veterinarian technician. My first two years of college, I’ll be attending UMass Amherst to study general animal science. I’ll be going to school at Mount Ida for the last two years, earning my bachelor’s degree, because that is where UMass’s veterinarian technician program is. Once I graduate from UMass, I plan on attending classes online at the University of Tennessee to become a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner so I can start my own business doing rehabilitation for dogs.

Paulo Loureiro
Eastham
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall Plan: Working at Mid-Cape Collision in South Yarmouth

I love working on cars, cleaning them and stuff, putting stuff back together. Going to the Tech gave me a big step up on what I needed to do in a real-world job. I am hopeful that everything will come back together, and that this will go away soon. Meanwhile, in the summer, I want to hang out with my family and friends, cookouts and stuff. I am really thankful for the support from my family and my girlfriend.

 

Phoenix Stroh
Eastham
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Maine College of Art

I will release my first video game in June, on Steam. The concept was my senior project. It is called Cubic Chess, and it uses a 4x4x4 board, with the 16 chess pieces starting on opposite faces. The idea came when I was a freshman, and I developed it from paper prototypes, then a wooden cube with Velcro, a plexiglass version, and a wooden version with magnets. The time in self-isolation gave me freedom to work on the project. In the fall I will go to Maine College of Art, to study game design and graphic design. I got a nice scholarship.

Robert Marriott
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Bridgewater State University

If all goes well, I’ll be majoring in communications, following my love for music and radio. I’ll be on my own for the first time in my life, with new faces and without familiar ones. As much as I love my little town of Wellfleet and Cape Cod, I want to see what the world looks like outside of a bayside sunset. Yet my roots are forever grounded here. Nothing will make me forget the friends and memories I have made. I could not live without my friends. They make me laugh and smile, keep me grounded. They support and love me unconditionally when I don’t believe I deserve it. For that, I love them.

Ruby Warner
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Semester off, then Middlebury College

At Middlebury, I plan on studying molecular biology and biochemistry. I have always had a passion for science, and it wasn’t until I took the biotechnology elective at Nauset that I realized what field of science I loved the most. The human body is fascinating — how much goes on within our tiny cells that we don’t know about, and I always want to know more about how they work. Overall, I am really excited to begin my next chapter in college and really get out into the world on my own.

Safara Brooker
Provincetown
School: NRHS
Fall plan: UMass Boston

I am going to miss the welcoming feel of Provincetown itself. All the members of the community are just so welcoming. I’ll miss the closeness. Everyone here is like family. I’ll be going to Boston after high school, so I won’t be staying on the Cape. The Cape will forever be home for me, however. I’ll always be a proud Cape Codder, the Cape Cod bracelet will prove it! But I’ve lived here all my life and it’s time for me to go explore.

Savana Vida
Provincetown
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Brandeis University

I am going to be attending Brandeis University, where I will major in biology and minor in psychology. My plans are to get a medical degree and hopefully become an emergency room doctor. I think the biggest challenge for me transitioning out of high school will be getting used to living away from home, and not having my mom to keep me in line with what I have to do. I don’t plan to stay on Cape, but my family here will keep me close. One thing I learned during high school that I will always remember: to be successful you don’t have to be smart or educated, you just have to be motivated and determined.

Savanna Deering
Truro
School: NRHS
Fall Plan: UMass Boston

I am committed to the University of Massachusetts, Boston. I was really big on staying in state because of how much I love it here. I moved here to live with my dad on the Cape when I was only 11, so since then I have been attached to the beautiful little town of Truro and Provincetown. My forever home is here, which is why I never planned on being too far away.

 

 

 

Shannay Porter
Eastham
School: NRHS
Next Fall: Clark Atlanta University

I hope the future brings me happiness like I never imagined. I’ve never been to the South before, but I’m excited to attend an illustrious historically black university and get accustomed to black American culture. I plan to study communications. The place that I will miss the most is Provincetown. It is one of the most vibrant places that I have ever been, and I have met some amazing people there. At the same time, I think the best thing for me at this moment is to expand my horizons and explore everything that the world has to offer. I could not live without the support of my family and friends; without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Spencer Granlund
Eastham
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

I want to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering. The biggest thing I’m going to miss about Cape Cod is the simplicity of life here and the laid-back atmosphere in the summer. If there is one thing that I could not live without, it would be fishing. I love being on the water and I can’t imagine a world where I’m away from it. I think the biggest change for me at college will be meeting new people from different backgrounds and places. If I were to take one thing with me from high school, it would be the friendships I made over my four years here.

 

Will Moyer Laurin
Wellfleet
School: NRHS
Fall plan: Gap year, then Skidmore College

I decided to take a gap year to avoid online classes and the risk of getting sick. Once I am at school, I plan on majoring in history and getting my master’s and hopefully a Ph.D. My aspirations are to become a professor and a writer. When I leave, I would take with me the sense of camaraderie I feel for my classmates. We’re a group of people from all over the Cape with different personalities and interests, yet we’ve gathered together for the purpose of educating ourselves and to have fun. There are few other settings where you can feel such a deep connection with such a unique group of people.