Seniors at the University of New Hampshire donned their caps and gowns this weekend for graduation ceremonies. For many in the class of 2024, college was bookended with upheaval – beginning with the onset of the pandemic, finishing with campus protests of Israel’s war in Gaza, some of which ended in arrests.
For many of this weekend’s graduates, college was also what it has been for generations of alumni: a place to learn new things and meet new friends.
“It’s rare to have this opportunity to be in such a tight-knit community for so many years in a row,” said Seth Rupp, who majored in music. “I don’t know if we’ll have that again in life.”
Rupp said his high school graduation was far from normal – and the start to his college career was disorienting, too.
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“Going right into college with virtual classes and kind of limited social capabilities and quarantining and covid testing is kind of a really strange world. So it’s really cool to graduate and kind of have reached a point where it’s sort of normal again,” he said.
The campus protests have been a big part of his last weeks as an undergraduate – he says they’re on everyones’ mind. But he says it wasn’t an interruption – just another part of his college experience.
“I personally was pretty proud of my community, to see people just showing up for what they believe in and using their voices,” he said. “It’s been a little tumultuous and tense, but we made it nonetheless.”
Rupp’s friend Anna Coulobme, who majored in psychology and justice studies, said her favorite parts of college were the new people and opportunities.
“Some of the stuff that I’ve done here I’ve been nervous to do,” she said. “And that’s ended up being some of the stuff that I’m most thankful that I did.”
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Seth Rupp and Anna Coulombe met during their senior year through a mutual friend.
Advice from the class of 2024
Mason Davis, who studied history and played football, said he didn’t get a real graduation from high school, so this one felt particularly special.
His team won the Coastal Athletic Association conference championships in 2022, which was a highlight. And Davis said making lifelong friends was one of his favorite things about college.
“It’s like a small town in Durham,” he said, “but it’s like a big group of people that always have your back and will support you no matter what.”
His advice for college students is to work hard and seek out advice from professors.
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“They’re there to help you, big time,” he said. “Have fun as well, enjoy it. You only get to be in college one time.”
Mason Davis said the class of 2024 has bonded over their experience of the covid pandemic.
Rachel Dalai, who majored in political science and loved being a resident assistant, said students should make the most of their time in school.
“Make it worth it,” she said. “Do an internship, go abroad. Make good professional relationships.”
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Rachel Dalai is going to law school after graduation.
Joy Woolley and Clarissa Gowing said the key to college is getting involved — namely through joining clubs and studying abroad.
Both graduated from high school as the pandemic was starting. Woolley’s high school commencement was in a parking lot. She got her diploma in a plastic bag, while her parents watched from the car.
They met on Instagram, and then became friends in a Zoom class, talking on the Zoom chat. Now, they live together. And they started a club, Reading Rainbow, where members read books together by queer authors and authors of color.
“It will build you such a good support system, and you’ll meet so many people that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” Gowing said.
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Joy Woolley and Clarissa Gowing said the pandemic was a big part of their first year on campus — but as they finished college, things felt more normal.
For Gabriela Onasanya, a political science and justice studies major, exploring campus was the best part of college. And having her family watch her graduate on Saturday was exciting.
Her advice? “Be open to new experiences. Be open to new people. Just be open.”
Gabriela Onasanya’s family watched her graduate on Saturday.
Sam Flynn, who studied mechanical engineering, had similar wisdom: “Join clubs, talk to new people they wouldn’t normally.”
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Sam Flynn stands in front of a wildcat on the UNH campus
“Find your people. Find people who you click with,” said Adam Dapolit, who majored in political science and international affairs.” And it might not be right away, but just find people who you can surround yourself with and really make the experience what you want it to be.”
Adam Dapolit said he’s hoping to find a career in state government, after studying political science and international affairs.
Isabella Hart, who studied fine art and food systems, said starting college with the pandemic was tough. But by sophomore year, she’d found her place. She started working as a tour guide and lived with seven roommates.
Isabella Hart poses with her diploma after her college graduation.
She was frustrated by the university’s response to protesters earlier this month. But she said it was exciting to see students getting involved and coming together.
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Hart was looking forward to graduation, and she said it went by too fast. Her advice for future students is to build community and try new things.
“Get involved and talk to as many people as you can,” she said. “I think you’ll find your connections in the most random places.”
A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison for involvement in a child exploitation case — almost double the mandatory minimum.
Stacie Marie Laughton, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children after soliciting and receiving nude photos of three toddlers from an ex-girlfriend who worked at a daycare.
Lindsay Groves, 41, of Hudson, N.H., was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to the same charges as well as an additional count of distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Groves took the photos of the victims in 2023 at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsboro, where she was a teacher, during designated bathroom breaks and nap times.
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She then sent the photos to Laughton, who requested the images and asked that Grove touch one of the minor’s genitals. In the conversation included in the records, the pair sexualizes the victims.
“Did the girl give you an issue,” Laughton texted after receiving the photos.
“No… the boy didn’t either,” Groves texted back.
In a sentencing memorandum, Laughton’s counsel had argued that she should receive a shorter sentence than Groves and asked for the minimum mandatory sentence, which would have 15 years for each count to be served concurrently.
“Stacie Laughton is a complex 42-year-old woman,” the memo said, noting that she was the first openly transgender woman to be elected to the New Hampshire legislature.
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The filing described Laughton’s history of mental health, substance abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma as mitigating factors the judge should consider.
“One of the few consistencies in Ms. Laughton’s life is her challenges with mental health illnesses,” the memo said. “She began receiving mental health treatment at the age of four and has been in and out of extensive treatment programs ever since.”
The death of Laughton’s wife in 2020 and a tumultuous relationship with Groves also added to her mental health struggles, the memo said, stating that the defendant drank every day and had tried heroin for the first time leading up to her arrest.
A doctor quoted in the filing said that Laughton likely had a low IQ, tied in part to her premature birth, as well as “normal sexual interests.”
“This finding shows both how caught up Ms. Laughton was in her relationship with Groves that she participated in activity counter to this and is … an important factor in considering whether Ms. Laughton would be a future threat upon release,” the memo said.
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The filing described Laughton’s actions as “horrendous, reprehensible, and shocking,” but said that even though the crimes were “utterly inexcusable,” she should still receive a shorter sentence than her codefendant out of a sense of justice.
However, in their own sentencing memo, federal prosecutors requested Laughton receive 40 years in prison.
“These crimes only came to light when Laughton reported them in an apparent attempt to punish Groves for ending their relationship,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant, of course, did not disclose her own role in the creation of the imagery.”
“She ultimately admitted that she told Groves to touch one child’s penis, and claimed that she was feeding Groves’s attraction to children,” their memo said.
The prosecutors said that Laughton’s voice was the “more prominent one” in the conversation about exploiting children.
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In addition to her prison sentence, Laughton will also serve five years of supervised release.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement that she felt the sentence fit the crime.
“The victims in this case were toddlers – children who were not yet old enough to care for themselves and, in some cases, not even fully verbal. Everyone who learns about the conduct in this case should be outraged,” United States Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. “The sentences imposed reflect the depravity of the conduct and the seriousness of the crimes. My office will seek the most serious charges and the stiffest sentences for anyone who preys on children.”
Three people suffered injuries in a two-vehicle collision early Tuesday morning in Hooksett, New Hampshire.Courtesy of New Hampshore State
Three people suffered serious injuries Tuesday in a two-vehicle crash in Hooksett, N.H., police said.
The head-on collision happened around 5:40 a.m. on Interstate 293 northbound, State Police said.
Police said that Timothy Hubbard, 43, of Rome, Maine, was traveling south when he lost control of his car and crossed the median into oncoming traffic, police said.
Hubbard, his passenger, and the other driver were taken to hospitals to be treated for serious injuries, police said. The injures were not believed to be life-threatening.
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Police said speed was believed to be a factor in the crash, which is under investigation.
Hannah Goeke can be reached at hannah.goeke@globe.com.
Franklin, NH – Sara Jane (Sanford) Doherty, 79, of Franklin, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully at her home on June 11, 2026. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Sara was born on June 5, 1947, in Hanover, New Hampshire, to Harold and Sadie (Pettengill) Sanford.
As the daughter of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee, Sara spent her childhood moving throughout New England, living in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. She graduated from high school in Hudson, Massachusetts, and later returned to New Hampshire, eventually settling in Franklin, where she made her home for more than forty years.
Sara built a successful career in the textile industry. She worked as a seamstress at Howland Originals before joining Star Specialty Knitting, where she began as a stitcher and, through hard work and determination, advanced to Plant Manager. She retired in 2003, and one of the greatest joys of her retirement was caring for several of her grandchildren, whom she adored.
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Sara was a remarkably talented and creative artisan. She sewed clothing for her children when they were young and later created outfits for her grandchildren and their dolls. She was a gifted painter and artist whose extraordinary drawings and paintings brought joy to those around her. An accomplished seamstress, knitter, crocheter, cake decorator, and musician, Sara had an exceptional ability to create beauty in many forms. Her handmade gifts and treasured creations will be cherished by her family for generations to come.
Her talent for cake decorating blossomed into a successful side business that spanned more than thirty years. Sara created hundreds of stunning and imaginative cakes, including wedding and birthday cakes for her own children and grandchildren. Her passion for baking was so well known that for many years her license plate proudly read “CAKES+.”
Sara also had a remarkable gift for bringing people together. She hosted countless family reunions, each one more creative than the last. With elaborate themes, games, prizes, delicious food, and endless laughter, she created memories that her family will treasure forever. She was also known for her generous holiday gatherings, often welcoming more than thirty family members and friends into her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Summers brought cherished Fourth of July cookouts by Webster Lake, where Sara delighted in decorating the waterfront and gathering loved ones to enjoy the annual boat parade.
Sara’s love of giraffes was known by all who knew her. She spent years collecting hundreds of them, giving each a special “G” name. Before her passing, she shared one of her favorites, “Geebri,” with her granddaughter Sydni, who is expecting Sara’s first great-grandchild.
Her warmth, creativity, generosity, and love of family touched everyone who knew her. To say she will be missed is a vast understatement. She was truly the heart of her family.
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Sara leaves behind her devoted husband of 43 years, Joel Doherty; her sons, Todd (Michelle) Chapman of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, and Paul (Cheryl) Chapman of Northfield, New Hampshire; her stepdaughters, Ali (Oliver) Frates of Amherst, New Hampshire, and Kate Hodge of Durham, New Hampshire; and her beloved grandchildren, Shelby, Sydni, Morgan, Owen, Duncan, Calum, Macy, and Elyse, and Step-grandchildren, Matthew, Jennifer, Eric, & Kevin.
Sara was predeceased by her parents.
Sara’s family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Franklin VNA for their rapid and seamless response in setting up hospice, and to The Payson Center for their dedication and care, which gave us more precious time with her.
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 11:00 AM in Franklin Cemetery, Thompson Park in Franklin.
For more information or to leave the family an online condolence, please visit www.smartmemorialhome.com.
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