Despite the cloudy skies over Blocksidge Field on Friday night, the mood was anything but dim as Swampscott High School celebrated the Class of 2025.
At the center of the ceremony was English teacher Michael Mastone, who was chosen by the senior class as their guest speaker. In a commencement address packed with honesty, humor, and powerful life lessons, Mastone captivated the crowd and left a lasting impression on graduates and families alike.
“It was like a fever dream. It feels like it didn’t even happen, to be honest,” Mastone said. I’ve been nervous for weeks and weeks and weeks. And then finally, to let it all out, it feels great now. I feel like I’m going to float home.”
Mastone, now in his 12th year of teaching and 10th at Swampscott High, was visibly moved by the honor.
“It was very humbling,” Mastone said. “I mean, there’s so many people who I honestly think deserve it way more than I do. So for them to choose me was just something I’m never going to forget.”
At the heart of Mastone’s message was a quote from fellow Swampscott High School faculty member, Jeremy Wein: “What-ifs do not exist. They are not real.”
“Remember that you are bigger than those two little words,” Mastone told the graduates. “You’re stronger than those two little words. You are who you are and there’s nothing those two little words can do about it.”
Mastone concluded his speech with a final message of encouragement to the 163 graduates of the Class of 2025.
“Don’t be scared of uncertainty,” he said. “Embrace it, cherish it. Each of those possibilities is a blessing because, in the end, it is just another opportunity to show the world what you’re made of.”
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Merrimack College, Mastone teaches primarily 10th-graders as well as serves as an adviser to both the Model UN and creative writing clubs.
Mastone’s full speech (found at 24:50) and the entire commencement ceremony can be viewed on the “Swampscott Public Schools” YouTube channel under the “Past Live Streams” section.
