MADISON -- Like horses that race at the Belmont Stakes tomorrow, graduates do not get where they are without training and support, Allyson Hughes Handley, president of the University of Maine at Augusta told the 2008 graduating class of Madison Area Memorial High School Friday night.

Horses and graduates alike have spent the formative years of their lives training, preparing and getting ready. Even the long shots have earned their place at the starting line, Handley said.

"You have arrived at this place and point in time through a lot of hard work and determination on your part -- and with a lot of help from so many: teachers, counselors, coaches, parents, families and friends. Be sure to thank them."

Handley told the graduates that like Big Brown, they now need to run the best race possible and maximize the results. To do so, she said, each one should consider a college degree.

Adults with a high school diploma, she said earn on average $27,915 a year. That same person with an associates degree can drive that up number to $38,000, she said, and with a bachelor's degree it could go as high $51,206, on average.

"That's almost twice as much money for the person with a bachelor's degree over the person with just a high school degree -- and the difference is getting larger with each year," Handley said.

Over a lifetime, Handley said that is almost $1 million more.

"In horse racing parlance, a bachelor's degree would be called quite a payoff, " she said. "It's better than winning the trifecta."

Handley told the graduates about two of their own, including Cynthia Tranten Nesbit, a 1983 Madison graduate and current student at UMA who is serving as the university's student representative to the System Board of Trustees, "where she participates in the process of developing higher education policy for Maine.

She also mentioned Eric Allain, a 1996 graduate of Madison who completed a music degree at UMA and now works there as a student advisor while he continues his musical performance career.

Class president Katelyn Kirk offered a similar message of appreciation to friends, family and teachers in her welcome. Valedictorian Mykayla Stoutamyer offered the farewell.

Madison Area Memorial High School 2008 graduates are :

Sara Abbott, Lacey Ashbrook, Travis Bagley, Jacob Bailey, Peter Belanger, Samuel Brazier, Casaundra Brown, Mathew Brown, Samantha Brown, Ashley Clement, Amanda Costa, Erika Dean, Richard Dennis, Hillary Doiron, Craig Dyer,

Meghan Elias, Thomas Elias, Nicholas Ellis, Briann Emery, Khristopher Flanders, Michele Flanders, Adam Foss, Abigail French, Patrick Gayne, Tiffany Gould, Nathan Grivois, Anna Gunther, John Harlow, Jacob Harrington, Ryan Hawley, Jessica Hayden,

Danielle Hebert, Jennifer Hutchings, Brandon Irvine, Damien Kelley, Katelyn Kirk, Steven Kirkwood, Brittney Lichtenfels, Ross Martikke, George McLean, Allen Mercier, Sarah Mercier,

Monica Moody, Anders Olafson, Joshua Paine, Jonathan Quimby, Brittany Rich, Jeff Richards, Joshua Richards, Arick Rodden, Margo Russell, Joshua Schleier,

Duanne Secker, Alexandra Smith, Mykayla Stoutamyer, Dustin Whipple, Charles Whiting.

Darla L. Pickett -- 474-9534, Ext. 341

dpickett@centralmaine.com