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THOMPSON — The Marianapolis Preparatory School graduation was held virtually May 30. The class of 2020, which graduated 99, hails from three states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island), and 11 countries (Austria, China, Czech Republic, Ireland, Kuwait, Mexico, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, U.S., and Vietnam).
The class of 2020 will be remembered in the history of Marianapolis for several reasons, not only due to the unique ending to their high school career. Beginning in the fall of 2016, the class of 2020 was the first to take part in the Ninth Grade Experience - a combination of a Humanities course and the Casimir Seminar. Both courses aimed at better preparing the freshman for the remainder of their high school years. Beyond the Ninth Grade Experience, the class of 2020 is the first class to graduate members from the Centers of Excellence. In addition to their diplomas, 18 seniors also received certificates from the Business & Entrepreneurship and Civic Engagement & Service Centers.
Salutatorian Elizabeth Schoemer, who will be attending Trinity College, reminisced on the last four years, and while the class has had its ups and downs, and may not be perfect, “We make up for it by being us. By being: ‘resilient, strong, cool, determined, epic, creative, hard-working, perseverant, powerful, talented, unforgettable, weird, smart, ridiculous, wild, fun, memorable’ and, the most sentimental of all of the Google Form responses, a ‘family’.”
Valedictorian Brendan Phaneuf echoed Schoemer’s sentiments – saying that the class has grown stronger together through many unpredicted obstacles, “No matter what unexpected things were brought our way, we had each other to rely upon. And I don’t think that’s been more evident than in these past few months. Despite being kept apart; we’ve found our ways to keep connected. When obstacles came our way, we could unite to become an unrelenting force. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a resilient group of people in my life, and I don’t know if I ever will again.”
During his farewell address, Head of School Joseph Hanrahan touched upon the impact that the class has had on Marianapolis saying, “It is obvious to me that the class of 2020 is destined to reach heights that are not yet imagined,” he said. “You are educated in the Catholic tradition of excellence. You are prepared to meet any challenge. You are prepared to create opportunities for yourselves and others. You are prepared to effect change for good and what is right. Your faith, your creativity, and your passion will carry the day.”
Graduates:
Ali Abdel-Jalil, Bayan, Kuwait; Michael Acquaah-Harrison, Charlton, MA; Lily Alessandro, Pomfret Center, CT; Owen Alicandro, North Oxford, MA; Zachary Atwood, Woodstock, CT; Ryan Barnwell, Danielson, CT; Nicholas Basley, Danielson, CT; Phuong Bui, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Francesca Capalbo, Worcester, MA; Marielle Caparso, Worcester, MA; Panachai Chauychoo, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Pannawat Chauychoo, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Aidan Cook, Uxbridge, MA; Julia Crosby, Whitinsville, MA; Benjamin Daggett, Dudley, MA; Anh Dao, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Nina Darvish, Worcester, MA; Paul Davey, Oxford, MA; Eva Dellea, North Oxford, MA; Emily Dodos, Charlton, MA; Khanh Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam; Uyen Duong, Binh Duong, Vietnam; William Engle, Plainfield, CT; Gilbert Fournier, Putnam, CT; Zichen Gan, Kunming, China; Caroline Gardiner, Grafton, MA; Serena Godin, Glendale, RI; Juliette Golden, Millville, MA; Ethan Gosper, Danielson, CT; Zachary Hall, Plainfield, CT; Shuyi Han, Dalian, China; Michael Hanrahan, Thompson, CT; Alyson Hartman, Holden, MA; Madeline Hollett, Charlton, MA; Katelyn Jacoboski, Willington, CT; Sydney Kennison, Somers, CT; Julia Kilroy, Upton, MA; Doyoon Kim, Seoul, South Korea; Leonie Krutina, Breitenfurt bei Wien, Austria; Ben Laconto, Oxford, MA; Ava LaRoche, Stafford Springs, CT; Andie Lee, Charlton, MA; Syhyoung Lee, Seoul, South Korea; Kaiyin Li, Beijing, China; Landuo Li, Fuyang, China; Linwei Li, Beijing, China; Eve Listerud, Uxbridge, MA; Chenxi Liu, Changzhou, China; Yuran Ma, Chengdu, China; Lauren Makie, Webster, MA; Ryan Martin, Douglas, MA; Hunter Moon, Shrewsbury, MA; Daniel Moors, Uxbridge, MA; Connor Murray, Southbridge, MA; Jocelyn Nguyen, Auburn, MA; Nhi Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Aaron Nkrumah, Worcester, MA; Kaylynn Nolan, Oxford, MA; Jared O’Connor, Sutton, MA; James Olivieri, Douglas, MA; Yasmeen Osborne, Brooklyn, CT; Ngoc-Minh N. Phan, Hung Yen, Vietnam; Brendan Phaneuf, Danielson, CT; Colby Pion, Danielson, CT; Olivia Pisegna, Oxford, MA; Aleksandar Poturica, Belgrade, Serbia; Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Dublin, Ireland; Sara Powers, Grafton, MA; Niamh Raftery, Thompson, CT; Andrew Raps, Webster, MA; Jonathan Reardon, Fiskdale, MA; Ashley Robert, Plainfield, CT; Patrick Sabourin, Uxbridge, MA; John Sarantopoulos, Pomfret Center, CT; Elizabeth Schoemer, Oxford, MA; Xiangyu Shi, Shanghai, China; Ashley Smith, Holden, MA; Ivana Smyckova, Horni Sucha, Czech Republic; Elena Spangle, Brooklyn, CT; Alex Stawiecki, Thompson, CT; Christopher Sullivan, Charlton, MA; Emre Topcu, Istanbul, Turkey; Jeronimo Vazquez Usabiaga, Celaya, Mexico; Barbora Virtova, Pardubice, Czech Republic; Minh-Hang Vo, Hanoi, Vietnam; Mary Wall, Northborough, MA; Mary Walsh, Thompson, CT; Ethan Watson, Plainfield, CT; Zhenlin Wei, Shenzhen, China; Zachary Willard, Thompson, CT; Brian Woz, Woodstock, CT; Yukun Wu, Taiyuan, China; Zhenyu Wu, Beijing, China; Haozheng Xu, Beijing, China; Mingyou Xu, Shanghai, China; Yaxuan Xu, Beijing, China; Haipei Yang, Nanjing, China; Lucas Yash, Webster, MA; Jianghan Zhang, Beijing, China.
Awards:
Chinese Medal: Michael Acquaah-Harrison
Computer Science Medal: Sara Powers
The Congregation of the Marian Fathers Centennial Award in Honor of Fr. Timothy Roth, MIC: Elizabeth Schoemer and Zachary Willard
Dance Medal: Lauren Makie and Elizabeth Schoemer
Distinguished Leadership Award: Nina Darvish
Dr. Louis Loffredo Memorial Award: John Sarantopoulos
Drama Medal: Brendan Phaneuf
English Medal: Marielle Caparso
Eric Gustavson U.S. History Medal: William Engle
Fr. Albin Gurklis, MIC Mathematics Medal: Owen Alicandro
Fr. Casimir Kuckell, MIC Memorial Award: Sydney Kennison and Ryan Martin
Fr. John Petrauskas, MIC Memorial Award: Sara Powers
Gertrude Salvas English Language Medal: Mingyou “Samuel” Xu
John Kendrtarvich Memorial Award: Nhi “Rosa” Nguyen
Marianapolis Alumni Merit Award: Caroline Gardiner
Marianapolis Service Award: Chenxi “Ellen” Liu
Marilyn S. Ebbitt Award: Nhi “Rosa” Nguyen
Mothers of Marianapolis Award: Doyoon Kim
Music Medal: Ryan Barnwell
Physics Medal: Mary Wall
Religious Studies Medal: Nhi “Rosa” Nguyen
Salutatorian Bowl: Elizabeth Schoemer
Social Studies Medal: Yasmeen Osborne
Spanish Medal: Lily Alessandro
Tom Perkins Art Medal: Yaxuan “Lisa” Xu
Valedictorian Bowl: Brendan Phaneuf
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