By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

When Melissa Mayo thought about how to deliver an inspiring message to her classmates, she leaned on a sport she has dominated this spring.

An ace pitcher for the playoff-bound, 11-win Lake Region softball team and Class of 2023 valedictorian, Mayo described parallels between a hitter and the real world in her Commencement speech Sunday at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds.

“Just like life or going up to bat, you hope you get a hit and knock the ball out of here, even though you know there’s a chance you might fail,” she said. “It is important to believe in yourself, and believe you can hit the ball...Failure is a part of the game and a part of life. If you do not try, there’s no chance for success...They give you three strikes for a reason. If it is not right for you at that moment, don’t swing.”

Mayo encouraged grads to “know your worth and don’t settle for anything less than the best.” She told classmates to be disciplined, make good choices and do the right thing, much like a hitter who lays off a rising fastball, knowing it looks good at first, but the ball will eventually sail out of the strike zone and be out of reach.

Life is full of curve balls. “You have to work with what you are given and overcome new challenges...It’s important to make the best out of every situation and adapt,” Mayo added.

When faced with a change-up, “you need to have patience” and “let opportunities come to you.”

“One of the worst feelings in softball is walking back to the dugout after watching the third strike go by. You regret not swinging and not trying to hit the ball. I hope you never feel like this in your future because you were too afraid to swing the bat and go for it,” Mayo concluded. “You learn from your mistakes. Get up and try again and have another opportunity to be awesome in life. Every day is a new day. A day to be better. A day to try again...Whatever you find yourself doing next, give it your all and don’t be afraid to go for it. I know you will knock it out of the park.”

The News posed the following questions to the Lake Region Class of 2023 Top 3 academic students:

Q. People often wonder, how does a student become the tops in their class? What has it taken for you to achieve this incredible honor?

Melissa M: It takes time and motivation to be successful in the classroom. I had to learn to plan ahead so that I could prioritize my academics in between athletics and my school activities. Sometimes, I had to stay up late or get up early. The key was to look ahead, have a plan, and not wait until the last minute to get things done.

Abigail L: Time management (and the occasional sleepless night!). Knowing how to manage my time well has saved me so many times especially during the busy dance competition season every year. “To do” lists became my best friend and held me accountable. Of course, sometimes an all-nighter was inescapable. But, I knew no matter how hard it may get, it would all be worth it when I was holding the acceptance letter from a dream school. 

Rachel L: For me, being at the top of my class was not a high priority. I wanted to take classes that I knew I would enjoy, and therefore do well in. Since I wanted to get as many college credits as I could, I took a lot of online classes, which is how I was able to keep my GPA so high.

Q. Was there a situation or moment during your high school years that posed a major challenge to you, and ultimately changed you as a person/student (explain)?

Melissa M: The summer before my junior year of high school, I tore my ACL and meniscus. I had knee surgery on what would have been the first day of my junior year of high school. As a three-sport athlete that lives to compete, this dramatically changed how my school year was going to go. It was both physically and mentally difficult. I decided to make the most of the situation I was dealt, focus on the things I could do, and I worked hard for eight months to rehab so I could get back to athletics. This situation taught me that I am stronger than I ever thought I could be, and I learned to cherish every moment and opportunity given to me, because it can be taken away at any time.

Abigail L: Taking Calculus B completely online was challenging for sure.  The course forced me to learn to ask for help — whether it was from my professor, a previous teacher, or someone else.

Rachel L: Like most people from our class, Covid was definitely a big challenge for me. It made it very difficult to learn certain things, for me Math was more difficult on Zoom than it was in person. With that being said, I learned how take online classes effectively. This definitely helped with the online college courses that I took.

Q. Name three things from your high school days you are most proud of and why?

Melissa M: I am proud to have been a good teammate and student in good times and in bad. I think it is important for people to know they can rely on me no matter the circumstances.

I am proud that I took risks and did things like run for class officer and got involved in as many things as I could. Doing this put me in a position to encourage other people to get involved and I always tried to make people feel like they could take part in class activities and feel welcome.

Growing up, I was incredibly lucky to have so many people and organizations that helped shape me as a person, so I am glad that I was able to give back to my community by volunteering particularly through youth athletic camps and clinics. I think I was a good role model for my peers and younger students, and I am proud of that.

Abigail L: An obvious answer would be being the salutatorian for my graduating class. It serves as a reminder that hard work does eventually pay off; it may take years, but with enough determination, hard work does pay off.

A lesser known fact that I am proud of would be taking Calculus B — what many call the hardest Calculus course — completely online during my senior year. The course resulted in many sleepless nights and countless hours of practice problems, but it was all worth it in the end. I can proudly say that I ended the course with an ‘A.”

One last thing I’m proud of is all of my fellow graduates. The majority of our high school career was filled with uncertainty, and yet we learned to adapt to anything that was thrown at us.

Rachel L: I am really proud of my photography. I am very happy that it was displayed at Portland Museum of Art, because it opened many doors for me. I love photography so I am very happy that I was able to incorporate it into my education.

I am really proud that I was third in my class. This isn’t something that I had a goal of, but because I worked so hard and took classes that I enjoyed I was able to keep my grades up.

I am very proud of the friendships and relationships I made while in school. I have good relationships with all of my teachers, and I know I could ask them for help with anything and they would be there for me. I am also proud of the friendships I made because I know I have friends that I can count on to help me through anything.

Q. What was the greatest lesson you learned during your high school days, and how will it help you in the future?

Melissa M: The greatest lesson that I have learned is that if you want to be successful, you have to have the courage to try and really go for it. You can’t let the fear of failure hold you back. I know this will help me in the future. I am just as nervous about the next step in life as everyone else, and who knows, I might fail, but if I do, at least I know that I tried my best.

Abigail L: Resilience in the face of “failure.” Academically speaking, students will always view “failure” differently and that’s okay. But as I experienced my personal version of “failure,” I learned to adapt and persevere, and developed the ability to learn from my mistakes. Learning and developing these skills, allows for one to continue striving for their goals even if said goals may seem impossible and far-stretched at times.

Rachel L: Time management is the greatest lesson I learned. I learned this by taking classes, doing sports and working. It is very important to be able to juggle many things at once and know how to effectively use my time. This will help me with my future education and career in many ways.

Q. What is next for you? Where are you headed; have you decided on a career path, and if so, what lead you in this direction?

Melissa M: I am going to go to the University of Maine at Farmington to study Actuary Science. I decided to pursue this path because I love math and problem solving.

Abigail L: I will be studying Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University (otherwise known as Penn State). I have yet to decide on a specific career path, but I know it will involve numbers as they have always made sense to me.

Rachel L: In the fall, I am going to be attending Endicott College. I will be majoring in Psychology and minoring in Photography. I hope to someday become a therapist.