Diplomas awarded to 30 Sunapee seniors

By ARCHIE MOUNTAIN
SUNAPEE — Thirty Sunapee Middle High School seniors, 15 boys and 15 girls, received their high school diplomas Friday evening, June 7, in a graduation ceremony at Sherburne Gymnasium.

Diplomas were presented by Jesse Tyler, chairman of the Sunapee School Board.

Valedictorian Nicole Malanga closed her address with a list of impressive numbers documenting the time those 30 seniors had spent together in 13 years to get to their graduation night.

There were 13 years, 156 months, 8,112 weeks, 56,784 days and 1,362,816 minutes, Malanga revealed.

“That’s how long I’ve sent with most of you, and not one of those minutes were wasted,” she stated.

“We did it. We did it together.”

Malanga also had more advice for her classmates.

“As we enter the ‘real’ world, some of us are eager, some of us are nervous, and most of us are somewhere in between. I guess if I want my fellow classmates to take anything away from my speech today, it is this: Everything happens for a reason. Everything eventually falls into place. This may sound like a naïve statement, and yeah, it very well could be.

“But I just want all of you to know, that you are doing exactly what you should be doing and to not worry, because no matter if it takes one year or 50 years, you will find what you’re looking for out of life. You’re going to have to work for it, no doubt. But I have full faith that each and every single one of you will get to where you went to in this life.”

Salutatorian Blaise O’Mara featured a touch of humor at the outset of his speech.

“Apparently, you’re expected to take care of yourself when you become 18; so, I am currently in search of another set of parents to mooch off for the next 18 years. I can clean, cook, mow the lawn, stack wood…I could even be your remote control.”

He spoke of the great potential members of the Class of 2019 have.

“But, the question is, how will you use that potential? How will you distinguish yourself? How will you build your utility as a person? How will you remain the original, one and only human being you were born as?

“Each person here on stage—each person here in this building, has the answers to these questions. And it is within the depths of the individual where these answers lie.”

O’Mara told his classmates to strive to be a better person every day. “Time moves only in one direction, and you don’t want to get caught in the dust. Without adversity or challenge, life is purposeless, and frankly boring. Yet with goals and objectives, mistakes and failures, dreams and aspirations, life is worthwhile, he advised.

O’Mara also welcomed the audience to the graduation ceremony. Elizabeth Bennett and Amanda Hanson shared the class history report and Principal Sean Moynihan announced the scholarship winners. The Sunapee Middle High School Band played “Pomp and Circumstance” for the processional and recessional. The Sunapee Middle High School chorus sang “United We Stand.”

Class Marshals were Jordan Chappell and Skylar Hathorn. Class Advisors were Amanda Barton, Tom Coverdale and Dawn Emory. David Chaves was the accompanist and the music director was Dana Pruett.

Scholarships

Blaise O’Mara, $300, Alice Josephs Memorial Scholarship

Abigail Rowell, $50, Amanda Marie Burrill Memorial

Elizabeth Bennett, Hannah Cooney and Blaise O’Mara, $500 each, Captain Dave Hargbol Memorial

Alexis Miller, $100, Catherine T. Harold Memorial

Jacob Austin, $250, Charles K. Flint Memorial

Elizabeth Bennett, $1,000, Claremont Kiwanis Charities Scholarship

Alexis Miller, $200, David and Agnes Sherburne Memorial

Blaise O’Mara, $2,000, General Federation of Women’s Clubs Scholarship

Jacob Austin, $300, Herb Ripley Memorial

Ashley Heino, $200, Herbert B. Sawyer Memorial

Erin Moynihan, $200, Herbert O. Williams Memorial

Alexis Miller, $1,000, Jake Maxfield Literacy Connection Scholarship

William Keegan, $250, John M. and Della U. Emerson Scholarship

Hannah Cooney, $500, John P. Molloy Memorial

Star Lucas, $100, Knights of Pythias Scholarship

Blaise O’Mara and Abigail Rowell, $750 each, Lake Sunapee United Methodist Church Meacham Scholarships

Elizabeth Bennett and William Keegan, $500 each, Lt. Col. Raymond Patrick Smith Memorial Scholarships

Alexis Miller and Emma Platt, $500 each, Mary Felicia Falzarano Scholarships

Elizabeth Bennett, Hannah Cooney and Ryan Fleury, $1,000 each, Mary Felicia Falzarano Scholarships; Connor Fleury, Katherine Frederick, Miles O’Mara, Abigail Palin, William Palin, Benjamin Pollari and Samantha Rossignol, post graduates, $500 each, Mary Felicia Falzarano Scholarships; Aubrey Porter, Suzanne Rickard, Taylor Santti, post graduates, $1,000 each, Mary Felicia Falzarano Scholarships

Lane Smith, $500, Michael and Gaila Kennedy Scholarship

Liam Gurney, $500, Michael Nemcovich Memorial

Ryan Fleury, $1,000, Moran Family Scholarship

Elizabeth Bennett, $50, Murvin A. Bailey Award

Blaise O’Mara, $1,000, New England Red Sox Service Scholarship

Elizabeth Bennett, Hannah Cooney, Ryan Fleury, Nicole Malanga, Alexis Miller, Erin Moynihan, Blaise O’Mara, $1,000 each, New London Rotary Club Scholarships

Blaise O’Mara, $250, New London Rotary Club Service Above Self Award

Brendan Kelleher, $1,000, Prospect Hill Antiques Scholarship

Justin Claus, $100, Raymond W. Leone Memorial.

Blaise O’Mara, $5,000, Red River Charitable Foundation Scholarship.

Elizabeth Bennett, Hannah Cooney, Alexis Miller, Blaise O’Mara, Abigail Rowell, $3,500 each, Robert and Joyce Obekotter Family Foundation Scholarships

Hannah Cooney, $1,000, Sonny M. Armstrong Memorial

Lawson Boucher, $200, Steven C. Bailey Memorial Scholarship

Nicole Malanga, $1,000Sugar River Bank Scholarship

Elizabeth Bennett, Hannah Cooney, Ryan Fleury, Erin Moynihan, $250 each, Sunapee Booster Club Scholarships

Elizabeth Bennett, Alexis Miller, $500 each, Sunapee Chapter of the National Honor Society Scholarships

Ryan Fleury, Emma Platt, $500 each, Sunapee Lions Club Chuck Goyette Scholarships

Blaise O’Mara, $250, Sunapee Middle School Student Council Award

Hannah Cooney, Ryan Fleury, Liam Gurney, Alexis Miller, Robyn Salvitti, $500 each, Sunapee Seniors Thrift Shop Scholarships; Elizabeth Bennett, Emma Platt, $1,000 each, Sunapee Seniors Thrift Shop Scholarships; post graduate, $1,000,Taylor Santti, Sunapee Seniors Thrift Shop Scholarship

Hannah Cooney, William Keegan, Alexis Miller, $500 each, Sunapee Teachers Association Scholarships

Emma Platt, $1,000 Sunapee-Kearsarge Intercommunity Theatre Steven Mendelson Memorial

Matt Nangeroni, $1,000, Tom and Judy Tuohy Memorial

Abigail Rowell, $500, Univesal Physical Therapy Scholarship

Ryan Fleury, $3,000, University of New Hampshire 4-H Scholarship Program.

Elizabeth Bennett, $500, Vicki Goss Memorial Scholarship

Robyn Salvitti, $250, Wendell W. Rude Memorial

Class of 2019

Grace Elizabeth Aldrich

Jacob Michael Austin

Elizabeth Kathleen Bennett

Lawson John Boucher

McCartney James Cahill

Justin McCaul Claus

Grace Emma Clay

Hannah Elizabeth Cooney

Ryan Patrick Halpin Fleury

Madison Elizabeth French

Louise Mary Groton

Marybeth Groton

Liam Henry Gurney

Amanda Kate Hanson

Gabriel Benjamin Hastings

Ashley Dianne Heino

William Patrick Keegan

Brendan Michael Kelleher

Star Alexandra Lucas

Nicole Jacelyn Malanga

Alexis Marie Miller

Erin Elizabeth Moynihan

Matthew Richard Nangeroni

Blaise Xavier O’Mara

Andre Blaze Partlow

Em E. Platt

Abigail Olivia Rowell

Robyn Jean-Louise Salvitti

Sean Edward Shisko Jr.

Lane William Smith