Ellington grads reflect on end of eventful high school years

Jun. 11—ELLINGTON — The local high school's Class of 2022 was celebrated on Friday, and many seniors reflected on what they have learned and how they have grown over the past four years.

More than 200 students were honored during Friday night's graduation ceremony, which featured moments of reflection, exuberant cheers from audience members, and even some acrobatics — as one giddy student back flipped on stage after accepting his diploma from Superintendent Dr. Scott Nicol.

Before accepting their diplomas and turning their tassels, graduates looked back on their time at EHS, reveling in the memories but also acknowledging some of the hardships that helped shape their experience.

Some students spoke about the importance of extracurricular activities and the role these played during high school. Others voiced their appreciation for EHS teachers, saying they served as dedicated and caring role models.

Ryan King and Matthew Gervin, who play in the school's concert band, both said before the ceremony that extracurricular activities helped them become more confident. When students attended school in a hybrid setting because of the COVID pandemic, King said, he was the only percussionist assigned to play in his section of the band.

"There was about a month where I was the only one playing in the back, but it helped build confidence," King said, adding that after graduation he will attend the University of Hartford to study civil engineering.

Gervin, who also played three sports during his high school years, said those activities "really helped define who I am as a person." He also said the school's band program influenced him to pursue a major in music education at the University of Rhode Island next year.

Bailey O'Brien, whose cap was festively decorated with butterflies and a quote from one of her favorite movies, "Corpse Bride," said extra curricular activities heightened her high school experience. O'Brien, who will attend Rochester Institute of Technology to study American Sign Language, said before the ceremony got started that she belonged to the school's drama department and color guard.

"Through those activities I feel like I've met some people that I never would have been able to meet otherwise," O'Brien said. "The memories I made with them is what is going to stick out to me,"

In an interview, Ryder Bidwell discussed the influence of EHS teachers and the tight-knit relationships they were able to forge with students because the school is relatively small. He especially thanked an English teacher for letting him dive further into the subject through an independent study.

"That's what I'll remember is the teachers who were there for me and allowed me to explore a little bit more," said Bidwell, who will attend Stevens Institute of Technology in the fall.

During the ceremony, senior class Vice President Jennifer Canavan told a story about an impromptu encounter she had with a teacher while having a bad day at school. The teacher, who was also struggling, told Canavan that "being a human being is really hard," words that she said made her feel understood.

"I realized that someone I looked up to could have and also be aware of human struggles," Canavan said. "It was an important moment for me because I felt seen as a person, not a student."

Some graduates reflected on some of their most intimate and personal moments during high school. Marieta Winkel, an exchange student from Germany, said she was afraid of traveling to America for the first time to attend EHS, calling it a "roller coaster ride of emotions."

"Imagine flying across the ocean into an adventure where you don't even know what to expect," Winkel said. "I can tell you already it went way better than I could have ever imagined."

Salutatorian Julia Wilson recounted grappling with the recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers. She told her fellow graduates and the audience to cherish the "gift of life" and don't take it for granted.

Wilson said she will attend the University of Florida to study public relations.

Valedictorian Easha Patel concluded student remarks by revealing how she has learned to overcome her fear of failure during high school, urging her peers to do the same as they go forward.

"Don't avoid the best parts of life because you are afraid to fail," Patel said. "So fail and learn as much as you can, and don't regret any of it."

The following students graduated from Ellington High School on Friday:

Zachary Abbruzzese, Katherine Adams, Annabel Agyekum, Benjamin Allegue, Mallory Almeida, Lian Alzubali, Raghad Alzubali, Olivia Ambrosi, Sam Andrew, Ava Andrews, Nathan Ansong, Joseph Audet, Owen Babiec, Benjamin Baehre, Moses Bahler, Yoseph Baker, Simon Barone, Jordan Bellman, Joshua Bellman, Alexander Bianca, David Bidwell, Catherine Birmingham, Anna Bocchino, Michael Bontempo, Carlie Bouchard, Kyle Bourgoin, Colby Brennan, Jacob Brown, Jessica Brunelle, Fiona Budd, David Burns.

McKenna Cahill, Jack Campise, Jennifer Canavan, Ryan Cantin, Ava Caron, Emma Carpenter, Allana Castro-Vega, Maya Celotti, Priyanshi Chakravorty, Aubrey Charbonneau, David Charest, Gianna Chiarenza, Erin Chichlowski, Joscelin Conner, Kristie Couture, Nasir Cuffie, Alexis Cushman, Jonelle Dacres, Keziah Darko, Tyler Dennis, Christian Derosier, Henry DeSantis, Olivia Diamond, Andrew DiGregorio, Alexander DiRienza, Elizabeth Domingos, Jillian Donie, Isabel Donner, Deanna Dostie, Ryan Ducharme, Alex Dumez, Kaitlyn Duplin, Nicholas Duplin, Danielle Durao, Madeline Duskocy, Leo Dutkewych, Anna Einsiedel, Drew Ellis, Justin Fackrell, Alexander Filip, Erin Fitzgerald, Tanner Flori, Zachary Fox.

Shannon Gaer, Nicholas Gallo, Riley Gavigan, Jonathan Gayton, Matthew Gervin, Nicholas Giordano, Riley Giordano, Chloe Goodin, Jeffrey Gordon, Louis Gosselin, Jake Griffin, Jack Griffith, Ruby Grotton, Emma Hall, Nathaniel Hamilton, Lindsey Hany, Arianna Harned, Shea Harnois, Bailey Heard, Alexandra Hill, Lily Hinckley, Valerie Histen, Peyton Holden, Shaye Holden Mira Houghtaling, Isabelle Hoyt, James Ivancso, Riley Jarvis, Megan Johndrow, Nathan Johnson, Archit Joshi, Cassandra Keilty, Zachary Killoran, Ryan King, Brionna Koehler, Alison Kozik, Gabriella Krajewski, Mason Krawczynski, Peyton Kubas.

Kylie LaDestro, Hailey Laliberte, Drew LaPlante, Lucia Leal Betancor, Kyle Lenz, Alyssa Lewis, Roger Mandeville Jr., Dominic Mangiafico, Srivarshini Manivannan, Mikayla Marques, Oliver Martin, Thomas Martucci Jr., Eve Mattson, Rachel McLean, Zachary McTighe, Nate Miller, Kirsten Moller, Sima Mondschein, Nicolas Monteleone, Elias Moreau, Kaylee Moreau, Anna Moser, Ella Moser, Grace Motisi, Nathan Munn, Dillon Murphy, Taylor Murphy, Victoria Naumec, Madison Nichols, Emily Niger, Bailey O'Brien, Easha Patel, Madelyn Pereira, Eva Perkins, Matthew Pierson, Praveen Rangaswamy, Jacob Redekas, Matthew Rein, Alex Repass, Tyler Richards, Destinie Rivera-Ortiz, Donovan Rodrigues, Tiyanna Rodriguez.

Siya Sachdeva, Drew Sagendorf, Nequan Sammy, Aidan Sanville, Ryan Sardinha, Stefanie Schmelter, Caleb Schweitzer, Timothy Scott Jr., Joshua Segal, Emily Shaw-Winans, Jackson Shea, Kareem Shreidi, Abigail Shuman, Vincent Sivo, Christopher Skyriotis, Kathryn Small, Cristian Spriggs, Griffin St. Pierre, Reave Stafford, Madalyn Stanley, Ida Stenzel, Julia Sternat, Emma Stevenson-McCoy, Aidan Stratoudakis, Caroline Sullivan, John Takach, Oliver Terranova, Eric Thibert, Tori Trantolo, Sarah Trottier, Colby Upson, Alessandra VanGasbeck, Akaash Vincent, Philip Vrakas, Rose Walder, Ava Walker, Ally Wang, Joshua Wilkie, Madeleine Willett, Hannah Williams, Emily Willis, Julia Wilson, Marieta Winkel, Daemond Wong, Molly York, Diego Zaffanella, Zachary Zdrojowy.