Chrabaszcz remembered at Toll Gate graduation

By Brandon Maxwell
Posted 6/20/17

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

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Chrabaszcz remembered at Toll Gate graduation

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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

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