An equestrian, dancer, singer, windsurfer and lacrosse player walk into a classroom. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but these are the kinds of talents and passions that have come to define the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 2010.

Known for their individuality, creativity and athletic drive, this year’s graduating class of nearly 170 is a diverse group of students.

“They have a personality that’s shiny, can go to the depths of their souls and they’re not afraid to show it,” Annette Sandrock, an English teacher at the high school said at graduation rehearsal on Wednesday at the Tabernacle. “And that’s really exuded in how they treat each other.”

When asked to describe this year’s class in an interview earlier this week, guidance counselor Michael McCarthy began to list the different areas of interests.

“They’re very much individuals but they come together as a group and are very supportive of each other,” he said. “They get behind each other in those interests and that’s what makes them different.”

Brianna Davies, student council president, echoed his remarks. “We had our differences in the beginning of the year but when it comes down to it we come together as a class, and everyone has each other’s back. Everyone’s really helpful,” she said.

Ms. Davies described a class where everyone shows up for class events, noting the same devoted group always at games, and the majority of the senior class attending this year’s adaptation of the musical Rent.

“Going into our senior year, a lot of cliques broke down because we knew this was it,” she said. “Our class is really close and everyone looks out for each other.”

Mr. Nixon, principal of the high school, also found the closeness was something unique to this year’s graduating class. “They’re an unusually tight group of kids,” he said at rehearsal. “They have really close friendships.”

In their leadership class, students worked with senior citizens in community gardens, as well as being actively involved in a peer outreach program. This is the first class in the history of the program to have been part of it for four consecutive years. As a class gift, each senior donated a dollar to buy a tree for the front of the school

Other achievements included several students having art shows at Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs, and many have been active in dance, theatre and music. Others excelled in the culinary arts program; some devoted their time to automotive technology.

Two-thirds of the class be attending four-year colleges, some will be enrolling in technical schools, a few will join the military, some will take a gap year to travel and volunteer, and the rest will enter the working world.

Ms. Davies is attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall, and with other schools such as Vassar, Connecticut College, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Miami, University of Rhode Island, University of San Francisco and West Point as destinations for some graduates, students are receiving more than $500,000 in scholarships from the Island community from 161 organizations.

Awards in academic, athletic, fine art, vocational, environmental, business and community service achievements are just a few areas where seniors and postgraduates will be receiving scholarships at Class Night, tonight at the Tabernacle.

But with working hard comes playing hard. Whether that be in post-season games or state tournaments, senior dress up week or attempting to Post-It Note the entire school as a class prank (only one hall was completed before the police showed up), these students know how to have fun and work hard.

While some are nervous about leaving lifelong friends for new places and faces next year, most are excited for the big change of leaving the Vineyard. When a group of friends at graduation rehearsal realized that living on the mainland meant not having to take a boat to get places anymore, laughter broke out.

“Drop-kick me to the mainland,” Taylor Hughes said at graduation rehearsal. “It went by fast, but it was my favorite year,” Caitlyn Clark said. “I’m ready, send me on the next boat,” Sarah Hall echoed.

Ms. Davies said this year has been one long preparation for the next step in life. “Teachers tell you that it’s not like the Island, you’re not going to have teachers helping you all the time, and you might be thrown into a huge class,” she said. “They kind of just remind you . . . constantly that things are going to be different next year.”

“It’s that natural next step they’re going to have to take,” Mr. McCarthy said. “They’re anxious [to graduate] but also a little apprehensive that they’re not in the community they’ve felt all this support from.”

Many members of the community have known these seniors since childhood. Anne Lemenager, a class advisor and guidance counselor who is retiring this year, thinks this class is different from other classes because of their yearning to do more.

“They took advantage of everything we offered them,” Mrs. Lemenager said at the rehearsal. “And if they saw something was missing, they tried to start it, more so than any other group in my 30-some-odd years here.”

Senior projects, mentorships, independent studies, work study and sports television production were some of the opportunities seniors participated in this year. “They’ve done the work and they’ve achieved,” Mr. McCarthy added. “They’re ready to take on their next challenge.”

One challenge these students faced in the past few weeks was the controversial debate over whether or not a group of Brazilian students should be able to wear scarves that represented their heritage at graduation on Sunday.

Mr. Nixon spoke to the seniors seated in the Tabernacle at rehearsal about the reversal of his decision by the school committee Monday night to allow students to wear the scarves.

“That is the [new] rule, and it is my job to follow the rules, and that will be the rule for Sunday,” Mr. Nixon said. “If you want to wear a shawl that celebrates your heritage you can, and that is the limit.” Mr. Nixon said he trusted they would act appropriately. “You guys are adults, you’re going out into the real world, and I’m not going to waste time babying you,” he said, then moving on to discussing other proper attire, including how the graduates should wear their tassels on Sunday. Shoes are mandatory, he reminded them.

Ms. Davies said the scarf issue was mostly a nonstarter for students. “Most people I talked to didn’t think it was a big deal at all,” she said. “If it’s just something simple to put over their gown I don’t think anyone has a problem with that.” Asked if the student body was supportive of the Brazilian students’ initiative she said, “Yes, definitely.”

The biggest challenge so far for these students is saying goodbye to their friends they’ve known since birth. “My chest is hurting because I won’t be with my friends next year,” Allyssa Maveety said. Ms. Davies said she would miss “just walking into the high school, running into people and being comfortable.”

Sunday’s ceremony will feature speeches by valedictorian Shaelagh Huntington, salutatorian Tessa Permar, class historian Hayley Pierce, master of ceremonies Max Conley, and Ms. Davies. Seniors chose juniors Alicia Oliveira and Randall Jette as their marshals for the ceremony on Sunday. Marching in to traditional Pomp and Circumstance, graduates selected Rusted Root’s See Me On My Way as their recessional music.

The members of the class of 2010 have been known to say yes — energetically and wholeheartedly — to new situations, and their mentors think they will continue to do so. “I have a lot of faith that they’ll come through just like past generations,” Mrs. Sandrock said. “I think they’re going to bring a lot of sparkle into the world.”

 

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