O-M graduates listen during one of the ceremony's speeches.

Odessa-Montour bids adieu to its graduating Class of 2010

ODESSA, June 16 -- Diplomas were handed out Friday evening to 69 graduating seniors as Odessa-Montour High School held its Commencement in the school's Fetter-Brown Auditorium.

The class was the largest in recent memory -- 21 more than in 2009.

Dr. Stephen Spaulding, who has a practice in Montour Falls, delivered the keynote address, talking about heroism in ordinary people, and telling the graduates: "Our country needs some heroes, and you will be those heroes."

He urged the graduates to be honest, to "hang in there" when they choose "the harder right instead of the easier wrong," and to "live up to your potential. Always give your best, and you'll never have regrets."

Both the valedictorian, Katie Griggs, and the salutatorian, Stephanie Letteer, delivered brief speeches, as well, while high school Principal Greg Conlon oversaw the proceedings.

Said Griggs in her remarks: "Now we move on to bigger and hopefully better things ... We will refuse to accept anything less than ... success."

Letteer noted that the graduates had spent more than 1,123,000 minutes together since kindergarten. While they might not "have always gotten along," she said, "we are all permanently connected."

The high school band, with some community volunteers, performed, as did a chorus of faculty and seniors with "May the Road Rise to Meet You."

Awards and scholarships were announced by Conlon, who presented them one by one to each of the honorees.

Diplomas were distributed by Debra Harrington, president of the School Board -- who got a hug from graduate Derick Harrington, her son.

Here is a list of the graduates, as provided by the school district:

Rebecca A. Ayers
Whitney M. Ayers
Steven T. Benjamin
Jennifer Lynn Bergman
Wyatt R. Bowen
Joseph A. Brown
Trevor Jordan Carey
Justine J. Chapman-Heichel
Brandon R. Cilley
Colleen Collins
Jessica M. Collins
Stephanie Marie Collins
Damien J. Conklin
Sarah Katherine Crane
Russell E. Critchfield
Kristine M. Davis
Michelle Ann Davis
Heather Marie DeCamp
Jordan H. Eaves
Tyler W. Fitch
Brandi Gene Garrabrant
Michael Thomas Gee
Katherine Mary Griggs
Derick Harrington
Caitlin Hopper
Alec C. Hradisky
Samantha Marie Hughey
Kienan L. Kelly
Nathaniel L. Kemmerer
Michael Robert Kleist
Trevor Lane
Rebecca DeAnna Lauper
Codie N. LeClaire
Joseph Nathan Lepp
Dustin Mathew Letteer
Stephanie Ann-Marie Letteer
Paul C. Lindsay
Daniel David Louch
Margaret Kathryn Lucero
Tristine L. Mace
Kiersten Elizabeth Moore
Derek Basil Morgan
Megan R. Moss
John Munroe
Cameron Ozolins
Heather Michelle Page
Amanda Lynn Potter
Mallory J. Richards
Kayleigh Erin Robinson
Dillon Salzer
Seimei Sanga
Matthew B. Simpson
Darren Sipes
Endia D. Smith
Lucas R. Smith
JC Stebbins
Daniel Alexander Stephens
Stephen Kyle Taylor
Grace Helen Terry
Aubrey Ann Tomassi
Mathew M. Trombetta
James Vincent Turner
Dale W. VanWormer, Jr.
Anthony T. Vaughn
Jared James Wardwell
Johnathan R. Wead
Brenda Lee Wilber
Chelsey Mae Wilson
Robert J. Zimmer

The awards announced during the ceremony were as follows:

Watkins-Montour Rotary Scholarship: Rebecca and Whitney Ayers, $500 each.

Northrup Educational Foundation Award: Katie Griggs, $1,000.

Francis C. Ward Memorial Award: Megan Moss.

Odessa-Montour Clerical Staff Award: Jessica Collins

Odessa-Montour Teachers Association Educators' Award: Stephanie Letteer and Dan Stephens, $350 each.

Odessa-Montour Teachers Association Academic Awards: Katie Griggs and Trevor Carey, $350 each.

J. Edward and Thelma Dolan Scholarship: Stephanie Letteer.

Lake Country Players Award: Katie Griggs.

Gerard Crosley Senior Award (chosen by O-M seniors): Katie Griggs.

Walter Baird Engineering Scholarship: Stephen Taylor.

VFW Post 2674 Scholarships: Katie Griggs, Trevor Carey, Stephanie Letteer, Derek Morgan.

Greater Southern Tier Counselors Association Scholarships: Stephen Taylor, Grace Terry.

Odessa Lions Club Community Service Award: Stephanie Collins.

Financial Institutions of Schuyler County Award: Stephanie Collins.

Senka Agency Business Administration Award: Heather Page.

Odessa-Montour Fine Arts Boosters Scholarship: Katie Griggs.

Schuyler County Italian-American Festival Frank Chiacchierini Community Service Award: Trevor Carey.

Southern Finger Lakes Women Scholarship: Trevor Carey.

McGarry Scholarship: Paul Lindsay.

Leonard Family Scholarship: Samantha Hughey.

Cargill Community Service Award: Trevor Carey.

SCDL. Excellence in Math Award: Dale VanWormer.

Belle Cornell Zonta Award: Sarah Crane, $250.

Frances VanBilliard Zonta Award: Heather Page, $250.

W.W. Clute Math Award: Darren Sipes, $1,000.

Nelson Beebe Scholarship: Stephanie Letteer.

Burton R. Cummings Memorial Award: Luke Smith.

Vera Davis Farnsworth Scholarship: Katie Griggs.

Watkins Glen-Montour Falls Lions Club Scholarship: Trevor Carey.

Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce Award: Whitney Ayers, $350.

OMCS Superintendent's Award: Stephen Taylor.

Joanne S. Hayes Memorial Scholarship: Justine Chapman-Heichel, $1,000.

Maurice Costa Scholarship: Matthew Simpson and Johnathan Wead, $2,000 each.

VanBuskirk Memorial Scholarship: Maggie Lucero, $500.

Donald K. Forrest Memorial Scholarship: Nate Kemmerer.

Alice LoPresti Nursing Award: Justine Chapman-Heichel.

Chemung Valley Soccer Association Scholarship: Trevor Carey, $500.

Tommy K. Martin Law Enforcement Scholarship: Bekki Lauper.

Photos in text:

From top: Valedictorian Katie Griggs; exchange student Seimei Sanga receives his diploma from School Board president Debra Harrington; keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Spaulding; graduating senior Mallory Richards performs with the band; O-M High School Principal Greg Conlon; Dan Stephens receives his diploma; Stephanie Collins receives her diploma; Maggie Lucero tries to keep cool in the warm auditorium with a handheld fan; and Brenda Wilber receives her diploma.

Part of the band's flute section performs at the ceremony.

Graduates Trevor Carey and Grace Terry.

Heather DeCamp receives her diploma from School Board President Debra Harrington.

The Ayers twins, Rebecca and Whitney, listen during the ceremony.