They’ve left no time to worry about the future. Instead, they have directed their energy toward preparing for it.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High school Class of 2009 has not been coddled into believing that the journey ahead will be easy. It is difficult to maintain raw optimism in the face of a crippling recession and a staggering job market.

But hope remains. If you cannot control the future, you have two choices. Play the victim, or play the hand you are dealt. This class has chosen the latter. They have embraced this sliver of history for everything it has to offer, rather than bemoan the uncertain future. They did not wait idly for their lives to begin outside the comfortable walls of the high school, but worked to shape themselves into the kind of people who can face challenge and adversity head-on. Most importantly, they have taken steps to see that others follow their ambitious lead.

“Across the board one of the things this class has done has been . . . to work together and understand what it is to help other kids get involved and be involved themselves,” said high school guidance director Michael McCarthy. “I think the kids have been strong leaders in the school in all organizations.”

With this leadership, the entire school has seen extraordinary success.

The drama department was a semifinalist in the Massachusetts Drama Guild competition for the original production Letters. The student newspaper, The View, won first place in the All-New England section of an annual competition sponsored by the New England Scholastic Press Association, beating out over 800 other entries. The girls’ lacrosse team made it to the Division 2 quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament, finishing the season with record of 19-1. The football team made it to the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3A Super Bowl.

In addition to award-winning achievements, the students have made immeasurable contributions to school programs. The peer outreach program, in which students are taught to provide support to fellow students in need, has taken off in the three years since it was established.

“There is a core group of seniors that are leading all of this,” said Mr. McCarthy. “They are very active and very productive in doing that.”

The members of the Class of 2009 have become a close-knit unit over the years, embracing diversity and working together to achieve goals. Eliza Gowell, graduating senior and coeditor of The View remembers a time when students were more divided by their individual interests, and is pleased that the students have rallied together over time but still maintain their individuality.

“Now that we are at the end of our experience, those lines have blurred enough for us all to learn from each other and make new friends, but the identities we have grown up with have not been compromised either,” she said. Instead, these distinctive traits have helped students to realize a diversity of accomplishments.

“Our class is great at leading and is creative and ambitious, [and] everyone has passions that have driven them to achieve,” said Ms. Gowell. “The achievement is so wide-ranging that it’s unique . . . As a senior class, we have embraced the multitude of talent.”

One event in particular offered a unique opportunity to enter into the world of adulthood. The polarizing Presidential election and the subsequent election of Barack Obama to the presidency sparked a keen interest in the senior class. “There was a plethora of discussion and debate among the seniors regarding the candidates throughout the fall because many of them could vote for the first time,” said Ms. Gowell.

During Green Week in April, the class confronted their own roles in energy dependence and environmental exploitation. According to Ms. Gowell, the program encouraged students to become educated about environmental awareness issues and sustainability, and inspired many seniors to get more involved.

As graduation day approaches, most students have made plans for the future. Some will attend post-graduate prep school, others will jump immediately into the work force or take time off to travel. The majority will go on to attend four-year colleges, though the state of the economy has forced many to make sacrifices. “There are kids who have had to reject offers from their dream schools for lesser schools that have offered a better package,” said Ms. Gowell.

Still, the Island community, which has in past years given out generous sums of scholarship money, is quick to help out. “All of the local scholarship programs have stayed pretty true to form, and are contributing equal amounts to last year,” said Mr. McCarthy. “In a recessionary year, that’s very impressive.”

Even more impressive is the determination with which these seniors press on in the face of uncertainty. They are a class defined by courage and action, as demonstrated in their choice of a senior prank.

The class decided to refashion the school’s front lawn into a makeshift beach—complete with sand, lawn chairs, and water balloons. When anyone dared to venture out of the building, they were quickly accosted by a swarm of delighted students eager to soak their friends and teachers.

“It really illustrated the fearlessness of our class, and our willingness to push boundaries and take risks,” said Ms. Gowell.

Commencement ceremonies begin Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs.