Cranston East holds annual convocation ceremony

By Pam Schiff
Posted 5/25/16

The auditorium of Cranston High School East was filled with proud families and friends of the members of the class of 2016 during the May 19 academic convocation ceremony. Following the processional and presentation of the colors by the

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Cranston East holds annual convocation ceremony

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The auditorium of Cranston High School East was filled with proud families and friends of the members of the class of 2016 during the May 19 academic convocation ceremony.

Following the processional and presentation of the colors by the East JROTC Color and Honor Guards, senior Justin Cruz sang the national anthem.

Assistant Principal Joe Potemri served as the master of ceremonies for the evening. Principal Sean Kelly welcomed everyone as the first speaker of the evening.

“As a group you have distinguished yourselves in the classroom and on the field of competition, be it in the band, athletics, JRTOC, other our other competitive academic teams, and the awards and scholarships you will receive tonight are your just rewards,” he said. “Students, I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of each and every one of you. You have met and exceeded my expectations. You have been accepted at some of the finest colleges and universities in the nation. Tonight, you will receive over $128,000 in scholarships, and all told your class has earned, in know scholarships and financial aid, over $1 million.”

Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse continued the accolades and good wishes with her comments, noting this was her first convocation ceremony as superintendent.

“Cranston East holds a very dear place in my heart. Like you, my time at East shaped my skills, allowed me to develop great friendships, and became a place where I learned much about myself,” she said. “Having spent seven years here as an administrator, I am keenly aware of how special Cranston East is to its students and staff. You will always be a part of its rich history. Long after you leave this special school, I would encourage you to carries its values and lessons with you – to always continue to learn, to grow, to make friends, and be open to new opportunities.”

Bringing greetings and regards from the city of Cranston, Mayor Allan Fung addressed the room.

“For you students, these are exciting times. The countdown has begun. You are not just celebrating this year’s achievements, but all the years of your Cranston education,” he said. “All of us in the city administration are proud of you, and we offer congratulations to Mr. Kelly and his staff for consistently preparing you seniors for college and the world beyond. Continue on your paths, and do the best you can, not just in school but in life.”

The last speaker was Stephanie Culhane, representing the Cranston School Committee.

“Looking at all of your hard work and impressive accomplishments, no one can say that public schools are failing our students. You have proven that not to be the case,” she said. “You have all worked so hard, and for some, made great sacrifices to get where you are today. I want to impart some advice that you probably didn’t hear much in your four years in high school. And while it may not be the most profound advice, it is important to make memories. So take chances – skip a class, to go to a ballgame, stay up late with your friends, I mean really late, all-nighter late, and laugh, laugh so hard that it makes you cry. Because what you will truly remember, long after you have earned your degree, is the fun you had, the people that came in and out and back in again to your life. It will be the little memories in life that when added all together will shape who you will become.”

With all the speeches out the way, it was time to get down to the business of giving out awards, recognitions, and scholarships.

Potemri called up a group of 97 students who were being inducted into the Thunderbolt Honor Roll. A tradition at East since 1998, the Honor Roll recognizes those seniors who made the school honor roll the first three quarters of the school year.

For the Rhode Island Honor Society, 17 students received membership cards, blue cords, and their pins.

Sixty-four National Honor Society students were given gold cords, membership certificates, and pins, and were inducted into the Presidential Honor Society for maintaining a 3.5 GPA and performing community service.

Having done more than 50 hours of community service since they were inducted into the Honor Society as juniors last year, another 20 seniors received the society’s Spirit of Excellence Award.

Again this year, seven students who were honored for their high academic potential based on their SAT scores, and were recognized as Rhode Island Scholars.

Potemri read off an extensive list of achievements and personal qualities that highlighted the academic careers of the class salutatorian and valedictorian. Emily Ou, who is the salutatorian, will be attending Northeastern University to study pharmacy. Valedictorian Ethan Gomez is going to Boston College with a double major in business and health science.

While many of the awards and honors were won by single students, several school awards were given to multiple students.

The English and World Language department awards were each given to six girls, the JROTC award went to seven students and the music department award was presented to 18 students.

Potemri had music teacher Mark Colozzi stay on stage for a round of applause for his years of dedication and service to the students of Cranston and the music department.

Kevin Chen, Qi Wen Chen, Ethan Gomez, Hui Ying Huang, Kevin Li, Oluwaseyi Orioye, and Sayira Silverio are the seven seniors who each received a $10,000 scholarship from Picerne Properties.

The Ross Family Scholarship gave 20 students $500 scholarships, and the Agnes Meade Tramonti Memorial Scholarship was divided among six students who each received $500.

Seven seniors received the Rhode Island National Guard Award. The U.S. Marine Award was presented to six students.

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