The Class of 2011 is open. Open to the world — Edinburgh, Prague, India, Costa Rica and France are among the places they have lived and performed. Open to the community — volunteering at the hospital, the animal shelter, the YMCA. Open to opportunities — seeking out mentors at various Island businesses.

School president Rachel Pires called breaking down the barrier between upperclassmen and underclassmen one of their biggest achievements. “I think our grade’s really open to being friends with everybody,” she said.

On Sunday the 166 seniors graduating on Sunday from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School are leaving school in characteristic style, showing themselves open to the many paths available to them after commencement.

Nearly two-thirds of the graduates will be attending four-year colleges after graduation, while six per cent are enrolling in two-year colleges. There are individuals opting for the military, apprenticeship programs, a post-graduate prep school year or university overseas.

Fourteen per cent of the senior student body plans to go directly into the workforce, and less than a dozen students call themselves “undecided” about their future.

Several students have been accepted to college but are taking a gap year.

School guidance counselor Michael McCarthy said, “The idea of taking a gap year to explore other things before you decide to go to college, I do think that’s a whole new attitude, which is good, and parents are becoming more receptive to that.”

Mr. McCarthy also remarked on the choice students were making to attend two-year degree programs. “Hopefully we’re debunking that idea that everyone has to go to a four-year college. [Sometimes] they don’t know what they want to major in, and the amount of money you have to spend to go to a private school sends some kids to community colleges.”

The regional high school is one of the last high schools in Massachusetts to offer a vocational program, where students can receive training for a particular trade. Many of these students are entering the workforce or an apprenticeship immediately. According to Mr. McCarthy, “[There is] no division between vocational students and honor students. [The vocational program] is not separated out into a different section of the school.”

He called this a unified, supportive class that has led the school and achieved at a high level. “These kids feel like they came together as a class. They tried to create a sense of openness in the school this year,” Mr. McCarthy said.

As they prepared to don their caps and gowns, the class of 2011 gathered Wednesday morning for a graduation rehearsal at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. Taking a break from setting up chairs, Amanda Gonsalves, Diane Reed, Sarah Swift, James Bagnall, Bryan MacKenty and Brian Montambault all said they were happy to be graduating.

Ms. Swift described her class as “polite class clowns.”

When asked their favorite memories of high school, the students mentioned spending time with the friends that they had made and travelling to Prague.

Janis Wightman is the head of the performing arts department, which saw its students perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Massachusetts Drama Guild and sing in concert in Prague. “They’ve really taken over the leadership,” she said of the seniors. “Especially in our department, there’s no real division among the grades.”

As for the legacy of success the graduates are leaving for the rising seniors, Mrs. Wightman said the students’ message is basically, “This is how good we were this year. We want you to be better next year.”

Indeed as Ms. Pires prepared to hand over the reins of her school presidency after next week’s election, she said of the incoming student council, “I’m excited to see what they’ll do next year.”

Mrs. Wightman said that since the seniors had finished their class work, the younger students had been walking into school saying how much they missed the seniors.

The underclassmen were not the only ones. “A lot of the teachers feel a real connection to the seniors.,” Mrs. Wightman said.

Mr. McCarthy agreed, making the point that Island life makes for a unique high school experience. Many of the teachers and coaches have watched these students grow up, not just in high school. “It starts very young, with a lot of community support, a lot of people involved in these kids’ lives,” he said.

“A number of kids did a senior project where they get out and do mentorships on the Island within all the businesses and also at the hospital.”

Mr. McCarthy and others had coached them in sports. The boys’ basketball team won the conference this year, as did the tennis team, who are still competing. “They enjoy competing and being on teams with each other,” he said.

Mr. McCarthy drew on his experience as football coach when describing what the school would go through next year without these students: “We’re not rebuilding, we’re just reloading. There’s a lot of talented kids behind them. The seniors have been a good example and shown good leadership. We nurture.”