Allie DiPaolo, a graduating senior, writes a message in the yearbook of Scituate High School vice principal David Sweet at the close of graduation rehearsal yesterday. The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

SCITUATE — With 28 years of service under his belt, Scituate High School principal David H. Light could have retired two years ago, but he had unfinished business.

The year before, 2004, the incoming class of freshman was slated to be the first to go through a new set of standards in order to earn their high school diploma. The mandates, unlike anything that had been asked of previous classes, put pressure on the class from day one, says Light.

It made his decision that much easier.

“They were under the gun and they were frightened,” Light said. “I did not want to abandon them. It would not be fair. I told them that I would see them through it.”

Light, who has served 30 years as an administrator in the district (23 as high school principal), stayed true to his word. And today, he and the Class of 2008 complete a journey started four years ago.

The 140 seniors in the 2008 graduating class of Scituate High School will receive their diplomas beginning at 6:30 p.m. today on the village green across from North Scituate Elementary School. The commencements exercises –– the school’s 51st –– will be Light’s last: he retires at the end of the school year.

Senior class President Chelsea Colaluca, 18, said that the new requirements were “stressful” and “frustrating” because the class did not have the benefit of another class’s example to follow. But being the test subjects, or “guinea pigs,” for the new requirements gave the class an opportunity for growth that few before were exposed to.

“Going through it and maturing brought us together,” said Colaluca, who plans to study public relations at Suffolk University in Boston. “From all this we learned that everything goes on. We learned from the bad experiences and learned from the good.”

Class adviser Christopher Bagley agreed: “Being singled out as the first class, they did as well as we could have hoped for them to do. They learned what they had to do and did it well.”

Bagley has worked with the class for the past four years and says he has come to know many of the students.

“It’s a good class. Within the larger group they are individuals, but they still are aware of their place in the group,” he said. The class was his first advisory group since he joined the school four years ago. “It will be strange to see them go,” he said.

He hopes the students continue to pursue knowledge and satisfy their curiosity. “Don’t stop learning just because you’re out of high school,” he said.

Valedictorian Laura Gould, 18, said the class was unique. “There is a lot of talent, athletically and academically. And there are good people too.”

The class was the first to lose “senior privileges,” including the right to come to school late or leave early if they had a study hall. Those rights were rescinded because of state mandates related to the number of class hours required in a school day.

“I’ve always been impressed with the class’s ability to roll with the punches and jump through the hoops,” said Gould, who will study human services and international affairs at Northeastern University in Boston.

The environment of the small school encourages healthy competition, she said. “It is a group of kids that want to do the best for themselves but are not all about being better than anyone else.”

Salutatorian Laila Miller, 17, will be attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland to study history. She had a simple piece of the advice for her fellow classmates: “Keep doing what you love and what makes you happy. And be ambitious.”

Scituate High School graduates1

Justin R. Albanese

Ryan A. Almonte

Alexander R. Amylon

Andrew L. Antonelli

Ani M. Arzoomanian

Kevin M. Aubin

Anthony Balasco*

Ian D. Barkley

Kenny J. Barroso

Sarina J. Bartlett

Andrea R. Bassi

Justin J. Bergeron+*

Timothy A. Bertram+*

Derek N. Botelho

Kelsey N. Boyer

Marisa-Lynn Branch

Brittany L. Burke

Thomas R. Bush

Helene A. Butler*

Sara E. Cathcart+*

Alissa M. Capotosto+*

Matthew C. Capotosto

Holly M. Chace

Ashley M. Choiniere

Rebecca A. Cichy+*

Ashley A. Cinquegrana

Madison A. Clarke+*

Chelsea L. Colaluca*

John B. Colvin+*

Nathaniel A. Colwell

Emily A. Converse+*

Talia M. Coppola

Heather L. Cost

Roxanne A. Dahlin

Sarah D. Dalmazzi

Marissa S. DeAngelis+*

Kayla J. Dellefratte+*

Allison K. Delmonico

Thomas P. DeRensis+*

Anthony DeRoy

Bianca A. DiChiaro*

Bethany H. Diciolla

Matthew W. DiLuglio*

Alexandra DiPaolo

Kevin M. Durning

Joshua Durst+*

Sarah L. Durvin+*

Alexandra J. Earle+*

Melysa S. Faria*

Thomas I. Ferranti

Gabriel I. Fine+*

Ryan D. Flynn

Timothy C. Forbes*

Joseph H. Frederickson

Caleb T. Gaddes

Matthew B. Gillen

Peter F. Girard*

Adriane R. Gorski

Laura A. Gould+*

Heather M. Grady

Corey R. Grange

Melissa A. Gregoire

Joseph J. Guerreiro

Robert Guglielmo+*

Ashtyn E. Gunderman

Matthew F. Hawkins

Jennifer L. Hawksley

Ashley R. Hicks+ *

Jacob D. Hopkins

Carissa J. Johnson

Katherine E. Karlberg+*

Christopher J. Kenney

Ethan W. Kerrigan

Jessica C. Killian

Nicole E. Kusche

Maegan A. Langlais*

Alyssa A. LaPrade

Tanya J. Laroche*

Anastasia L. LeBrun

Peter R. Long

Corrie A. Louton

Bryan R. Luther

Allie R. Macamaux

Elizabeth M. Maggio

Nicholas A. Mancini

Richard T. Marcello*

Gregory C. Marsella

Matthew M. Marrapese

Mary L. Marzano*

James R. McAlees

Kayla McKenna

Courtney E. McKiernan*

Lana M. Messina

Daniel C. Miller

Emily P. Miller

Laila L. Miller*

Chad Minakin

Derek A. Montecalvo

Andrew D. Mowry

Sean T. Murphy

Melanie L. Muto+*

Anthony Napolitano

Sarah L. Notorantonio

Gabriel S. Oldham

Rachel E. Olivieri

Christopher T. O’Neill

Jillian E. Pedro+*

Ashley E. Phillips*

Ashley R. Pickering

James P. Picot-Vierra*

Stephen P. Piekarski

Alycia A. Pierce

Sarah E. Pimentel

Aurora D. Pinkey-Drobnis+*

David F. Ray

Jenna M. Riddensdale

Daniel R. Rivard

James G. Rotondo Jr.

Perry M. Round

Bradford P. Rourke

Ben M. Salvatore

Shelby A. Saute

Nina M. Sepe

David P. Sherman Jr.*

Meredith R. Sibley+*

Rachel E. Sibley+*

Ashley M. Smith

Kristina M. Soprano+*

Joseph J. Spicola

Jennifer A. Stasiowski+*

David J. Tasca Jr.

Evan Therrien

Elizabeth S. Tipple

Mical M. Travis

Ashley E. Valentine

Corey D. Vandall

Tiffany L. Vincent

Jessica M. Waddell*

Christina L. Wallitsch

Michael W. Wilbur

Nickolas T. Winchell*

Aimee E. Young

+ - National Honor Society

* - Rhode Island Honor Society

pmarcelo@projo.com