Windham Raymond Adult Education celebrates graduates who overcame obstacles with resilience and hope

By Masha Yurkevich

For the 18 graduates recognized last week during the Windham Raymond Adult Education commencement ceremony, earning a diploma represented much more than completing coursework. It marked perseverance, renewed confidence and the courage to pursue a different path.

Windham Raymond Adult Education recognized 18 graduates
during its 2026 commencement ceremony held on Wednesday,
June 10 at Windham High School. Three students earned high
school diplomas and 15 completed the HiSET high school
equivalency program. Top row, from left, are Kynzlea Trefethen,
Logan Thompson, Alex Barnhart, Caleb Brown and Trey Soksrey.
Middle row, from left, are Emily Willings, Ellissa
Steeves-McCormick, Tre'jon Williams and Eitan Freiden.
Bottom row, from left, are Allyssa king and Makayala Cormiea.'
COURTESY PHOTO     

 

Windham Raymond Adult Education recognized 18 graduates during its 2026

commencement ceremony held on Wednesday evening, June 10 at Windham High

School. 

The graduates' stories showed determination in the face of significant challenges. One student completed her final HiSET exams just days before giving birth to her daughter. Another will enter military service shortly. Another student had already begun taking community college courses before graduation and is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in forensic science this fall.

Giuffre-Renaud said many students arrive believing graduation is out of reach.

"I want our graduates to know how much we are in awe of what they have overcome to reach this milestone," she said. "I want them to know what it feels like to be seen and to feel special for the right reasons."

Many participants overcome barriers that extend beyond academics. Transportation is often a challenge after students leave traditional high school and lose access to school buses. Others struggle to obtain government-issued identification required for HiSET testing or juggle employment while trying to complete coursework.

The commencement speaker this year was artist Charlie Hewitt, who echoed those themes throughout his keynote address.

Windham Raymond Adult Education Director Thomas Nash said he invited Hewitt after hearing him speak at a statewide wellness summit last winter.

"His genuineness, approachable nature and his powerful message of remaining hopeful in times of turmoil, stress as well as in our everyday lives resonated with me," Nash said. "I thought his message would be well-received by our graduates and their families and friends."

Known nationally for his illuminated "Hopeful" public art installations, Hewitt spoke about growing up in Lewiston, pursuing his dream of becoming an artist in New York City and eventually returning to Maine to begin a new chapter in his life. His message centered on determination, resilience, and choosing hope during difficult times.

The ceremony also recognized exceptional student achievement through the presentation of the Scholar of Distinction Award to Eitan Freiden. Freiden earned his HiSET while taking advantage of multiple educational opportunities offered through Windham Raymond Adult Education. In addition to completing pre-college course work that included a college success class in partnership with Southern Maine Community College.

Freiden also completed a statistics course through York County Community College's Early College program and is now pursuing an Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification through YCCC that will lead into an associate degree in behavioral health.

Windham Raymond Adult Education graduates are now embarking on a variety of next steps. According to Maine College and Career Access Coordinator Jessica Trimmer, members of the Class of 2026 are enrolled in programs including forensic science, behavioral health and business administration at York County Community College, Central Maine Community College and Southern Maine Community College. Several graduates are exploring apprenticeships and careers in skilled trades, while another has chosen military service.

Support from Windham Adult Education does not end when students receive their diplomas. 

Through the Maine College and Career Access program, students receive individualized college and career advisement designed to prepare them for post-secondary education and employment. Services include career interest inventories, pre-college courses in math and writing, assistance completing college admissions and financial aid paperwork, as well as resume and cover letter support.

For Nash, adult education creates benefits that extend throughout the community.

"When adults go back to school, whether to learn English, finish a high school equivalency, pick up a trade or master digital tools, the benefits ripple far beyond the individual student," he said.

He noted that adult education strengthens the local workforce, fosters connections among people from diverse backgrounds and contributes to healthier communities through improved literacy.

As one graduating class celebrated its achievements, Giuffre-Renaud was already looking ahead.

"There is no rest for the weary," she said. "I am already enrolling students who will work this summer to also sit on stage and celebrate their graduation next June."

For the graduates on Tuesday night, however, the focus remained squarely on the accomplishment before them – proof that with persistence, support and hope, a second chance can become a life-changing opportunity. <

Artist spreads hope through unique Maine sign campaign

Artist Charlie Hewitt has been spreading his 'Hopeful'
message to people in Maine and a few other states since
2019. His 'Hopeful' artwork is now displayed on Route 302
in Windham with his intention being to affect as many people
as possible in a positive way. COURTESY PHOTO  

By Masha Yurkevich

Hope – aspiration, desire, wish, dream – call it what you want it, but it is what gets us through life. Nearly every old proverb, popular saying or quote roots off hope. It is a part of our everyday lives that is often overlooked; hope is so important and so essential. Having hope is affected a lot by what you think and who you are surrounded by. What happens when we lose hope? Charlie Hewitt won’t let that happen and especially in Windham.

It all started on a dark December night in 2019 when artist and director of Speedwell projects in Portland, Jocelyn Lee, asked Hewitt if he would consider making a work of art for the roof of the Speedwell building in Portland. Hewitt agreed and instantly knew that this piece needed to be about light.

“Maine is a dark place in the winter, and I felt compelled to illuminate that corner of our world,” said Hewitt. “Just then I didn’t know how or what with.”

With some time and thought, creativity began to spark. Hewitt had been working with neon and enjoyed light and color, but he knew that to get something like that on the top of the Speedwell building would be a challenge. After yet some more thinking, he found the bright lights and marquee lights with which he would portray the message.

But how, a bigger question lay before him: what would the message be? 

After weeks of thinking through all the possibilities, Hewitt had an epiphany while in a discussion with his art dealer and friend, Jim Kempner.

“The word “hopeful” popped up somewhere in our conversation and right there and then I knew that would be the message,” said Hewitt.

The font that Hewitt chose with the help of David Wolfe fit perfectly with the message. It’s a retro automobile design and brought Hewitt back to a time when the highway was the frontier and when the car and road signs danced in harmony in a country excited by possibilities.

He says that it reminded him of a bright future illuminated by marquee road signs and littered highways, extolling the prospects of great meals, fine nights and adventures.

Hewitt was born in 1946 in Lewiston, and is a painter, printmaker and public artist. His works are part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, New York Public Library, Library of Congress and more.

From what started as bright billboards, “Hopeful” can be seen on paintings, bumper stickers and pins worn on lapels. Hewitt is now trying to expand the “Hopeful” message to other states and to a digital campaign across the country.

To date, the “Hopeful” message has been spread across seven states at many different sites, both public and private. It even included an appearance at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.

Since his first “Hopeful” project on top of the Speedwell building in Portland, Hewitt has completed more than 28 Hopeful installations. His work is not just limited to the state of Maine but has also appeared in other states like Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York and ranges from sculptures to billboards and to paintings.

Several of these “Hopeful” signs can now be seen in Windham on Route 302 when driving between Westbrook and Windham. The “Hopeful” images have been as large as 30 feet with light bulbs and electronic billboards as large as 20 by 60 feet.

There are also “Hopeful” messages in private homes and in public libraries such as The Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. There are also bumper stickers and flags.

“Hopeful is presented in many mediums in the public and private domain,” said Hewitt. “I'm proud of all formats. It's not the medium that's important to me, it's the message.”

Hewitt’s public art focuses on the approach and creation of large-scale graphic art pieces that merge into existing public spaces to provoke community interaction, inspiration and discourse.

The Hopeful Project has also given Hewitt the opportunity to expand the platform to show support and raise funds for Ukraine.

Hewitt said every time people drive by or see the message, the word “Hopeful” serves as a reminder for people to strive for the best.

“Hopeful is not a passive work – it’s a challenge and a responsibility,” said Hewitt. “It’s a silent prayer, it’s a leap of faith you take that it’s going to be better. To be hopeful requires action, it requires commitment, it requires opening your eyes, it requires being part of something. It requires being passionately in love with your country, passionately in love with your family, and passionately in love with everyone in your community. That passion and that love I want back. I want a resurgence in my soul for that kind of life.” <