White House climate advisor to Fontbonne graduates: 'Your opportunities are limitless'
MILTON – The White House's first ever national climate advisor returned to her Milton alma mater Thursday to encourage Fontbonne Academy's graduating class to "do this school proud."
"Fontbonne has challenged you to think critically. It has challenged you to question what is and wonder what could be," Canton native Gina McCarthy said. "How to learn not just from your teachers, but from one another. To be passionate and compassionate, and to understand the value of service to others. To not just be open to change, but to embrace it, look for it, grab it."
McCarthy and several other members of the Class of 1972 joined administrators in congratulating the 61 students who graduated Thursday night. Clad in all-white robes and caps, the tight-knit class reflected on what it means to be "a Fontbonne woman."
"You are a woman of wisdom and grace, gracious hospitality, leadership, service, integrity an faith," said head of school Maura Spignesi. You are entering a world that desperately needs your passion for social justice, your integrity to stand up for what you believe, your courage to be the voice for those who are on the margins, and your faith to bring hope to those who are suffering."
Celebrate the 2022 graduation season with the Patriot Ledger: Here's everything you need
Class of 2022 President Kamilah Deslouches called her peers "loud, energetic and full of hope" She reflected on the class word of "presence," which she and her classmates chose their freshman year.
"We're both a present to this community, as well as present in every moment," she said. "With each day, we were able to strengthen our presence with our laughter, our shouts, our curiosity, our passion and all of the qualities that define our class.
Students Renee Han and Madeleine Manno were chosen as the honors speakers.
"No matter what challenges may arise and where we might be in our journey of life, there is always an opportunity to make a difference," Manno said.
Class of 2022:
Boston — Simone Algere, Leighanna Broome, Sydney Browder, Patricia Cadogan, Abigail Jean-Michel, Sarah Joseph, Isabella Marino, Mary McDonald, Regine Medor, Ariana Morales, Veronica Phillips, Alexis Ramsay, Eileen Rezendes, Caroline Smith, Margaret Smith, Nashla Suero-Polanco
Braintree — Mary Duncan, Renee Han
Brockton — Cecilie Elie, Olivia John, Tiffany Ngige
Canton — Anne Accime, Laura Barron, Sheneika Desrosiers
Dedham -— Kathryn Gentile, Emma Paparazzo
East Bridgewater — Olivia Zitter
Framingham — Ananya Barton-Shiner, Anna Marini
Hanson — Isabella Tatem-Welch
Milton — Bernadette Dunphy, Sophia Estee, Norah Finch, Kiley Fitzgerald, Ava Hanley, Ava Lundbohm
Norwood — Grace Manning, Keegan McCarthy, Ava Petrosino, Caitlin Slattery
Quincy — Lily Baldwin, Jordyn Geary, Irene Kelly, Helen Osunsanya
Randolph — Lily Chansyna, Kamilah Deslouches, Esosasehia Owens, Alicia Ward
Stoughton — Emily Russell
Walpole — Madeleine Manno, Helena Sabbagh
Weymouth — Emily Ferro, Dominique Habchi, Mackenzie Murphy
China — Xiaohan Di, Shiqi Feng, Jingchu Liu, Mingwei Wu, Hangqi Wu, Zilu
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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: White House climate advisor returns to guide Fontbonne 2022 graduates
