MILTON — While Josh Free could not join the class of 2016 at Central School during Friday night’s commencement, his presence was still felt by his classmates.
“Josh has a special place in each and everyone of our hearts,” Savanna Foster said while giving a speech during the Friday night ceremony. “He will always be part of this class.”
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Foster, who became overcome with emotion when speaking about Free, led a moment of silence to remember her classmate who died last summer in a automobile incident.
The graduating class further honored Free by reserving a chair for him during commencement.
“It’s been hard on the kids all year, but his friends are still here,” said Principal Sean Twitty. “They think of him a lot.”
While the loss of a classmate may have stayed on the mind of the graduating class, Twitty said the group of nearly 50 students accomplished a lot during their time at Central School.
Among those accomplishments include winning a Josten’s 2016 National Yearbook program of Excellence, receiving a 2016 bronze award from U.S. News and World Report, and being named a top performing high school in the country.
Twitty credited the senior class for their leadership in earning such awards.
“Whether it’s sports or (school) clubs, we got major leadership from our seniors in each one of those clubs,” he said. “So, everything we have done this year, has been top-notch, a lot of fun and very positive because of the seniors.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Central School graduates remember classmate during commencement