Griffin Taylor #1

Valedictorian of Pilgrims Class of 2023, Griffin Taylor, spent his high school years soaking up every moment of it whether playing sports, tutoring, or exploring his passion in computer science. Taylor will be attending Brown university this fall where he plans to major in computer science and applied mathematics. He will also be playing on the squash team.

Taylor was President of his class, on the Robotics Team, and a member of the Academic Decathlon. He also enjoyed participating in the Unified Club. He was a Nationally Ranked Junior Squash Athlete and Captain of the Varsity Lacrosse team. He founded the Salty Scholar Tutoring and developed the Patriot Peer Tutoring App.

“Throughout my four years, I will remember the unique and diverse community of Pilgrim high

school. Whether it was the Friday meetups with the Unified Club, or the Academic Decathlon study sessions, I enjoyed everything our school had to offer. I am also glad to have been a partof Pilgrim’s state championship caliber teams, from robotics to lacrosse,” wrote Taylor.

Taylor won a plethora of awards and scholarships including; The 2023 Coca-Cola Scholar (150 high school students out of 91,000 applicants), 2022 United States Youth Senator, 2022 American Legion Boys Nation Senator, 2023 Boomer Esiason Sacks for Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship, 2022 Winner of the Rhode Island Samsung Scholarship, 2022 Qualifier for the United States Junior Squash Open, Recipient of the Silver Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, and 2022 First Team All-Division Defensemen (lacrosse).

“My ambition to succeed comes directly from my supportive family and encouraging teachers. With their help, I learned not to take any opportunities for granted, along with the importance of giving back to the community around me. After being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in sixth grade, I felt it necessary to live each day to the fullest without regret, which drives my daily motivation,” wrote Taylor

Emily Goldman #2

Emily Goldman, salutatorian, will attend Rhode Island College on a Presidential Scholarship. She plans to major in history. Goldman held various leadership positions including Prop Manager and Vice President of Pilgrim Players Drama Club, Team Captain of the Science Olympiad Team, and delegate for Pilgrims Rhode Island Model Legislature. She was also on the Class of 2023 Executive Committee.

“I will definitely remember my after-school activities the most. Spending Tech Weeks getting ready for the plays and cheering for my friends on the Science Olympiad Team are some of my happiest memories,” wrote Goldman.

She has also earned the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, the Middlebury College Book Award for French, and the Claiborne Pell Award.

“My parents have contributed the most to my high school success. Even before Pilgrim, they supported me academically and provided an environment at home which allowed me to place my full focus on school. They are my favorite people, and I would not change their close involvement in my education in any way,” wrote Goldman.

Alexander Hang #3

Third in the class, Alexander Hang, is looking forward to exploring his passions for robotics, one he has had since a kid, at the University of Rhode Island where he plans to major in both electrical engineering and computer science.

“What really motivated me to excel was my desire to work in engineering. As a younger kid, I would always see advanced robots doing complex tasks, and that’s when I really decided to work hard in the hopes that I could work in that field, or at least know how to build those systems,” wrote Hang.

Hang was a programmer for the Robotics Club and a member of the Science Olympiad team. He also played the violin in the school orchestra. He was a Violinist in All-State Orchestra and a Violinist in the Symphony Group for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Hang received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award.

“The fondest memory I have is auditioning for and joining the All-State Orchestra for the first time in 2019, and the feeling of playing together with an entire orchestra was absolutely magical,” wrote Hang.

Ava Schobel #5

Ava Schobel, fourth in the class, was not only a strong student but an athlete as well. She played field hockey all four years and was captain her senior year. She was on the lacrosse team in junior and senior year. Schobel was part of the gymnastics team all four years as well. She earned all academic team for field hockey. She will be attending the University of Rhode Island where she plans to major in psychology.

“I will most remember all of the bonds I formed with people and all of the memories I made during everything I got involved in, like sports teams, games, spirit weeks, clubs, etc. Getting involved made my high school experience so much better,” wrote Schobel.

She also served on the executive committee of VAASA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse). She was a member of the Foreign Language Honors and the National Honors Societies. She received the URI Book Award and was on High Honor Roll all four quarters for all four years of high school.

“The people who contributed most to my success are definitely my parents because they always push me to do better and keep me on top of things. My teachers as well have largely contributed to my success, because they are the ones who taught me everything I need to know and have helped me throughout my years at Pilgrim,” writes Schobel.

Rowen Klyberg #6

Rowen Klyberg’s time in high school was full of music. She ranked sixth in the class and will be attending Salve Regina University, majoring in Social Work with a minor in Music. Klyberg will be participating in their 5-year Masters of Holistic Counseling.

“I will never forget all the chorus concerts I participated in. There is nothing more powerful than creating art with those closest to you. Specifically, I will never forget when we performed“Lullaby” by Billy Joel, which was dedicated to Mr. Habershaw,” wrote Klyberg.

She was in the Chorus and Chorale and served as Treasurer of the National Honor Society. She was in the  RIMEA All-State Choir all four years, NAfME All-Nationals Choir junior year, and NAfME All-Eastern Choir senior year.

“I attribute much of my academic success to my grandparents, who taught me good study habits and always encouraged me to go above and beyond. I also must thank my choir director, Mrs.Soares, for being a constant source of support throughout my high school years,” wrote Klyberg.

Xiao Ke Lin #7

Attending the University of Connecticut next year and majoring in Environmental Science, number seven in the class, Xiao Ke Lin, was impacted by the people she met during her years at Pilgrim.

“I will remember the people and friends I spent time with the most. The impressions people at this school made on me are unforgettable. The time spent with my friends brought me tremendous joy and were what made me look forward to school,” wrote Lin.

She served as lead tech and soundboard operator for the Drama Club, an Environmental Club member, and participated in the Science Olympiad in cell biology, anatomy and physiology events. She was part of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Lin received the SWE Certificate of Achievement.

“My teachers have definitely made high school delightful and contributed the most to my success. They encouraged me to learn and participate, to push my boundaries. Their enthusiasm towards the subject and their sense of humor made each class unique. High school would not have been as enjoyable without them,” wrote Lin.

Alexa Canestrari #8

Alexa Canestrari is heading down South for college to attend the University of South Florida and major in architecture. She will miss her parents the most as they have most impacted her.

“The people who have contributed most to my success are my parents. They have always supported me and pushed me to do my best no matter what. With their help I was able to do very well in school and I couldn’t have done it without them,” wrote Canestrari.

She was part of the Executive Committee and a Member of the National Honors Society, the National Foreign Language Honors Society, and the Visual Arts Pathway.

“What I will remember most about my high school years are all of the memories and friendships I have made. I have had so much fun throughout the years getting to know new people and sharing new experiences with them,” wrote Canestrari.

Michael Becker #9

Ranked ninth in the class Michael Becker will be staying close to home this fall when he attends Salve Regina University. He plans to major in Cultural and Historic Preservation, with a potential  minor in Anthropology.

“I think the things I’ll remember most about high school are the new experiences I’ve had and the friends I’ve made,” wrote Becker.

Within school he was in the Dungeons & Dragons Club for all four years and served as Dungeon Master for the last two years. Outside of school he participated in karate and was a drummer in the Pawtuxet Rangers Fife & Drum Corps.

“The people who have contributed most to my success in high school are my parents. They have supported me and encouraged me to do my best, and taught me the importance of education and how fun learning can be. Without them, I never would have been where I am today,” wrote Becker.

Becker received the  Saint Michael’s College Book Award  and Silver Biliteracy Seal (Spanish). He was a member of the National Honor Society and the Foreign Language Honors Society

Madison Tatarian #10

Madison Tatarian worked hard in school finishing tenth in her class not just for herself but for her family. She will be the first person in her family to attend college this fall at the University of Vermont majoring in Microbiology.

“Being the first in my family to go to college as the oldest sister motivated me to try my hardest in order to set a good example for my siblings. Seeing how hard my parents work and how they instilled in me at an early age that hard work trumps everything and also helped push me to do my best with my education,” wrote Tatarian .

She was on the Varsity Girl’s Swim Team and served as Co-Captain. She was part of the National Honors Society and the French Honors Society. She also was part of the Science Olympiad Team. Outside of school she worked as a lifeguard and barista at West Shore Coffee Bar.

When speaking about her greatest influencers, Madison wrote, “Definitely my parents who pushed me to work my hardest but also encouraged me to go out and enjoy my high school years. I would also say my swim team where I met some of my closest friends: Kara and Erin, who have really helped shape me not only into a better swimmer but also showed me how to let loose and go out more. My two oldest friends April and Nia were always there for me from elementary to high school and seeing them excel pushed me to work just as hard as they did. Finally, I had some really great teachers at Pilgrim that made me actually enjoy going to school and a lot of them were there for me even after I had finished my classes, sothank you to them.”