By BRANDON MAXWELL After a school year that began with the unfortunate passing of Principal Stephen Chrabaszcz and a merger with Warwick Vets, Toll Gate High School sent 263 graduates across the stage at the Community College of Rhode Island Wednesday to
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
|
After a school year that began with the unfortunate passing of Principal Stephen Chrabaszcz and a merger with Warwick Vets, Toll Gate High School sent 263 graduates across the stage at the Community College of Rhode Island Wednesday to receive their diplomas for what would be the last time the entire class of 2017 was together as students.
Chrabaszcz passed away unexpectedly in late-September from a heart attack at the age of 67 just weeks into the school year. He had been the principal at Toll Gate since 2006 and was known for going above and beyond to help his faculty, students and their families whenever he could. He was one of the longest serving principals in the state before his death.
The school’s 45th commencement exercises began with a greeting from Chrabaszcz’s successor, Principal Candace Caluori, who addressed a near-capacity audience of students, friends and family with congratulations to Toll Gate’s newest alumni, as well as recognition for all the community has had to overcome since September.
“Your journey goes beyond your diploma,” Caluori said. “It speaks to perseverance, dedication and a willingness to do what needs to be done in order to reach a goal. This year has presented many challenges: the loss of Mr. Chrabaszcz, which affected so many deeply. Consolidation of schools, which I would like to recognize was not easy for those who had to relocate but has gone exceptionally well. Moving forward is not always an easy process. You, the class of 2017, have done it with dignity and grace.”
In an emotionally-charged speech, Class of 2017 President Zachary Colon paid tribute to Chrabaszcz and thanked everyone that helped the students reach the stage to receive their diplomas, especially Caluori for stepping in as principal at such a difficult time.
“Your job this year was to fill shoes that no one could,” he said. “I know a lot of us expected him to be here tonight.”
Mayor Scott Avedisian also addressed graduates, urging them to remember their roots and where they come from and to take time to enjoy their accomplishments. He also said, the collective spirit, enthusiasm and energy were his favorite traits of this year’s class.
“Take time to learn, to create, to cultivate your passions and find new ones,” he said. “Engage with the people around you, put yourself out there. Take chances, make mistakes and rejoice in the wondrous beauty that is all around us.”
Salutatorian and one of the 53 seniors from Vets that were consolidated into Toll Gate, Madeline Axtmann, urged her classmates to avoid letting the fear of failure stop them from living their lives and setting out to reach their goals. Axtmann was a member of the Rhode Island, National and French honors societies among other academic accomplishments.
“None of us know what kind of future lies in the days ahead of us, but one thing we can be sure of is we are not defined by the things that happen to us, but by the way we choose to act upon those experiences, Axtmann said. We can choose to let the world bring us down, or we can choose to let light guide our lives and have hope in the midst of darkness. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and we have to remember this.”
Valedictorian Elizabeth Carcieri was the last to speak to her fellow students before the presentation of the class gift and conferring of diplomas. Carcieri was also a member of the Rhode Island and National honors societies, as well as the Italian Honor Society. Even with all of the hard work and challenges that have gone into the last four years, Carcieri said that she would look back on high school with fond memories.
“Since September 2013 to June 2017, all of us have grown a lot from nervous freshmen to mature seniors,” Carcieri said. “We are now young adults who are ready to take on the world. Today marks the definitive end of a chapter and the start of another. The next chapter of our lives is not yet written. We are at the cusp of limitless opportunities that will determine if [it is] a best seller.”
Students from this year’s graduating class not entering the workforce or joining the military will attend more than 100 different colleges and universities across the United States, and even Canada, in the fall.
Toll Gate Class of 2017
c Samuel Abaga
Anderson Adames Gonzalez
Julia Marie Aguire
Joseph Alexander
*sxN Marcus Brooks Alexander
Cameron S. Allspach
*x Afnan Ali Altekreeti
Logan Edward Amirault
Marcia Victoria Andrade
DzxN Sydney Therese-Maria Andrade
Allison M. Aquino
*z Ani Armenakyan
DzxN Madeline Joy Axtmann
* Umair M. Ayaz
c Joel Corey Baker
Isabella Marie Barry
Julia Egan Barta
c Jarred Barth
c Jared Austin Bates
c Adam Lawrence Beatrice
c Austin William Bell
Alexis F. Beltran-Perez
John Mario Bennett
Robert Bennett
Alexandria Lilia Bernard
x Briana Lynn Bettey
Isabella Annette Bianchi
*x Emanuel Xavier Bjorklund
*c Kristen Rachel Boyd
Jacob R. Boyle
Danielle Emma Breault
Alexandra M. Brennan
Meghan Elizabeth Bromage
* Kyle Christopher Brown
David Michael Brunt
XN Breanna Nicole Buker
+x Tess Jordan Bussick
c Brayden Peter Cabral
Marc Alexander Cafaro
Sx Gregory Joseph Caldarone
Bersan Sena Calisir
c Mia Rose Camerlin
DsxN Katie Marilyn Campanelli
DixN Elizabeth Ann Carcieri
IxN Braelyn Casacalenda
Kristi S. Castellone
Andrew Castro
*x Alicia Rose Censabella
c Timothy Joseph Chaffee
c Shelley Rose Charpentier
sxN Celine Boje Christiansen
c Arianna Cifelli
Stephen Cinquegrano
Timothy Cole
Joshua Richard Coleman
x Zachary Alexander Colón
Nicholas James Conley
Victoria Marie Costa
+xN Sarah Rose Coutu
x Bianca Elise Cozza
Macey Mariah Crehan
Justin David Croll
Aidan Timothy Cunningham
*c Christopher Victor Cunningham
sxN Makenna Mary Dacey
Alex Paul DaCosta
Jorden DaPonte
Jason Andrew Davey
Alexandra Deanna Davignon
zx Martha Elizabeth Davis
* Robert Thomas DeCorpo
David DeFusco
Caitlyn Elizabeth DeGala
sxNAshley Jordan DeLeo
x Diandra Lori DelSignore
* Mitchell Walter Dengel
c David F. DiGiacomo Jr.
Anthony Pasquale DiMuccio
Rory E. Dobbins
* Sydney J. Duffney
Katelynn Marie Dugdale
Jasmine Duru
Alex James Edmiston
Cameron James Eldredge
Paige Ashlee Ellis
x Henri D. Emery
Aidan J. Estrella
* Andrew R. Falso
DxN Alyssa M. Ferreira
Tyler David Ferreira
* Meghan Marjorie Flanagan
Jailyn B. Flores
Gregory M. Fontaine
Lily Marie Fortin
Cc Makenna Ashley Fortini
*Cc Jakob Hunter Francois
Aaron M. French
Kyle David Fulford
Raven E. Gaines
DixN Jasmine Marie Gallo-Fusco
sxN Casey Caelin Gannon
Delia Aracely Garcia
zx Miguel Garcia-Bello
Amanda M. Gardner
* Emily Maria Gauthier
*x Haley L. Gayer
Marisa Lyn Giard
Victoria Summer Giarrusso
sxN Kate Prentiss Godfrey
sxN Ethan Daniel Golditch
Devin Gosselin
x Madison Louise Gothberg
Joshua Grant
* Corinne Eve Gregoire
sxN Sophie McCarty Gregory
x Meghan Rosalie Hanley
Austin Michael Hines
Madeleine Hirsch
c Victoria Catherine Holroyd
John Michael Hopkins
*Cc Nicholas William Horne
* Grace Anne Huggins
Courtney Elizabeth Iadevaia
Michael Paul Isles
c Taylor Jackson
Salman Javed
* Wyatt Charles Jencks
* Brody Patrick Johnson
+x Jenna Lee Johnston
* Briana Lee Jutras
sxN Gwendolyn Elizabeth Kalian
Nicholas K. Kazandjian
zxN Lauren Nicole Kellerman
c Matthew Ryan Kelly
Alexander Kenney
David Steven Kowalik
*z Olivia Therese Laiter
* Adeline Lucia Lancellotta
sxN Emily A. Langevin
Aidan LaPierre
Brittney Lee Larkin
Hannah Leahy
Jacob Ryan LeBeau
D Steven T. Lee
*xN Jaimie Marie Legault
* Hunter James Leigh
x Brian R. Lemos
*sx Madison Leon
Everett Clinton Lewis IV
*ixN Jennifer Li
Mariah F. Lill
Megan Maria Lima
c Daniel A. Lobato
xN Noah Benjamin Locke
Karisa Nicole Longo
Savannah Ana Maria Lopez
*x Matthew Leonard Lubin
*xN Madison Taylor Luisi
x Sophia Snow Lusignan
Evan Samuel Vernon Maggs
Sarah Amanda Marino
Kyle Stephen Marsh
* Nicole Marie Mascia
DxN Lindsey Megan Massey
c Stacy Mauricio
Ian Thomas McDougall
Dsx Thomas Edward McGrath
Cameron McKenna
Hunter Jacob McMullen
Briana Lynn McNeil
x Hannah Catherine McNulty
Karinne Tayla Medeiros
siN Tyler Barrett Merrow
c Jennifer M. Miller
c Natalia Jean Miller
Mackenzie Rose Mills
Jacob Michael Mitchell
Katie May Renee Moore
ixN Kasey Rose Moorehead
Tyler Morey
Daniel Mowry
Elizabeth Marie Murphy
Matthew John Murphy
* Meghan Murray
Matthew Steven Myers
xn Matthew John Nazareth
+ Shelbe M.J.G. Neves
s Thao Nguyen Thi Ngo
Elyssah Seng Nong
Jasmine Alana Otero
Gianna Marie Ottone
Austin Kyle Pacheco
+xN Emily Marlene Pacheco
s Sienna Lee Padgett
Arianna I. Pafume
c Aubra Palazzo
x Kyle Christopher Palumbo
* Rachel Lauren Paolantonio
c Jacob Christian Paul
Troy Mackenzie Pearson
*Cc Derek J. Penta Jr.
*sx Precious Lyra Peov
Nicolas Andres Perez Useda
Zachary Joseph Pero
Rhianna Perron
Wesley Perry
DsxN Thao Pham
zxN Elissa Lourdes Pierce
Jacob Spencer Plouffe
zx Faith Danielle Porter
Alexander Emerson Potter
x Tessa Elizabeth Potter
* Daniel John Pratt
David Francis Rascoe
Cc Jason James Rathbun
+xN Dayna Nicole Razza
* Katelyn M. Retelle
Scott Daniel Ribeiro
Alexis Joanne Rice
Melodic Aura Rivera
c Kylie Marie Rivera-Gonzalez
c Kathleen Jenney Romano
Perla M. Rosario
Taylor Alexis Rossi
*x Brittany Lynne Roy
Tylor Cameron Rubeira
*c Alex G. Russell
Rebecca Salome
sxN Hannah Marie Senerchia
DzxN Julia Henna Sharma-Mathias
Hunter Daniel Sirois
Jonathan T. Smith
Kristen Marie Smith
sxN Kate Snyman
*z Katelyn Rose Stamps
*x Lauren Danielle Stamps
DsxN Briana Marie Stevenson
Connor Patrick Sullivan
Meagan Elizabeth Sullivan
c Randy C. Summers
DzxN Jonathan Maynard Sundstrom
x Danial Ahmed Tariq
+xN Laurel Lyon TenEyck
Benjamin Soua Thao
DsxN Tarek Jelalian Thebarge
Jea-nea M. Thomas
*x Daizha Dazhon Thompson
DsxN Emily Virginia Trahan
*sN Amy Tu
Kordell Collins Umoh
c Brianna Renee Vinacco
* Shelby Elizabeth Vinica
c Maxwell Robert Vosburgh
*x Kerry-Ann Nicole Walker
Dx Veronica Rose Weaver
* Eleanor Lee West
*x Zackary C. Whelan
* Christopher D. Williams
Justin Tyler Wilson
Nathaniel Levi Wilson
DsxN Karla M. Wolstenholme
Christian Lee Woods
Tristan David-Noah Wyns
* Nadia Llyn Xavier
c Nikolas Anthony Zulla
N National Honor Society
x Rhode Island Honor Society
z French Honor Society
s Spanish Honor Society
i Italian Honor Society
c Warwick Area Career & Technical Center
C Skills USA Winner
D Senior Project – Passed with Distinction
* Senior Project – Honorable Mention
^ NECAP
+ Running Start Students
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here