Three Valedictorians featured at Newport graduation exercise

By ARCHIE MOUNTAIN
NEWPORT — A brief shower failed to dampen the spirit of the 62 students in the Class of 2019 at its graduation ceremony Wednesday, June 5 on the Newport Common.

The soon-to-be graduates sat through the shower as the ceremony continued on the gazebo. Some three dozen spectators came prepared with umbrellas that were opened up to deal with the rain.

There were speeches from each of the three Valedictorians. Alia Gonzalez, Benjamin Jachim-Gallagher and Elizabeth Tremblay.

There were also three Valedictorians in the Class of 1989, exactly 30 years ago. They were Mark Tremblay, (Elizabeth Tremblay’s uncle), Dawn Boucher and Denise Colby. The Class of 1983 also featured a trio of Valedictorians, Darrin Rodeschin, Sandy Demeis and Susan Budd.

Gonzalez was the leadoff Valedictorian speaker at the graduation exercise of the Newport High School Class of 2019.

“We have been led down a road for our whole lives until this very moment,” Gonzalez stated. “Our supportive families held our hand as we walked into Kindergarten. Then amazing teachers grasped the other to help us become the people we are now.

“Tonight, we start our own journey. Once we graduate, the road ahead is our own to navigate. Gonzalez continued. “After surviving high school, arguably the hardest time of our lives socially and stressfully, you can make it through any roadblocks the future throws at you.

“Even on the road ahead, whatever road that may be, don’t be afraid to turn around. This community will always accept us back into its loving arms if we get lost on the road ahead, whatever road that may be,” she continued.

In closing, Gonzalez spoke to her classmates.

“Thank you all for everything you’ve done for me on the road I’ve been on for the past four years. Being accepted into your class has been one of my greatest blessings, and I hope all of your paths take you into a bright future.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I actually have no idea. And I think that’s okay,” said Jachim-Gallagher. “Traditional indicators of achievement—grades, position, influence, basically all the boxes—are fine enough, but they don’t dictate happiness.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned across these four years of burning myself out, time and time again, is that you don’t need to check all the boxes. For me, it’s more important that I’m happy with myself, rather than how impressed other people are with me,” he revealed.

Jachim-Gallagher also had a suggestion for his classmates. “Take some time in the next few days and think about what set you on the path you are on now, and if it is really what you want to be doing, or if it is just what you have been told will be best for you. Try and go after what you really want without a fear of failure. Don’t be afraid to fail,” he concluded.

Tremblay said over the years she has learned a lot from school, much of which she has already forgotten, but there are a lot of things that have stuck with her.

Tremblay mentioned things she learned from several Newport teachers and coaches

‘From Mrs. McHugh I learned that teachers care about us more than we know. And some of them are more than willing to let us use their classrooms as closets when need be.

“From Mr. and Mrs. Thurlow, I learned that value of keeping up to date on the latest news, while also remembering not everything has to be done with technology.”

“And finally, from the community, parents, teachers, friends and graduates, I learned that the old platitude is true. It really does take a village. I have grown up in this community and I have been shaped every step of the way by the people in it. We all have.

“The close-knit hometown feeling is what has molded so many great teachers. This place, this town, and especially the people in this audience, really care about its youth. I would like you to all know that we, the youth, really care about you all as well, even if we don’t show it as much as we should.”

Class Officers

Selena Coronis, President

Megan Howard, Vice President

Emily Wellman, Secretary

Emily Guyett, Treasurer

Kayleigh Spadafora and Bill Thurlow, Class Advisors

Austin Malool-Juneau and Annika Randall, Class Marshals

Graduation Awards

Selena Coronis, Vaios and Mary Spanos Memorial Scholarship

Selena Coronis, Remington B. Woodhull Scholarship

Selena Coronis, Bill Bates Memorial Scholarship Award

Benjamin Jachim-Gallagher, Sugar River Bank Scholarship

Gavin Lovely, American Legion Model Student Award

Elizabeth Tremblay, Class of 1976 Model Student Award

Ayesha Nezambadi, Condon-Teague Memorial Scholarship

Selena Coronis and Benjamin Jachim-Gallagher, The Jake Maxfield Connection: The Spirit of Jake Maxfield Scholarship

Selena Coronis, The Davis C. Hemingway Athletic Scholarship

Ethan Carley and Gavin Lovely, U.S. Marine Corps Awards

Anna Pysz, Tyler Currier, Allison Howe, Mary Felicia Falzarano Scholarships for Alumni

Anna Pysz and Daniel Chassee, Newport Lions Club Scholarship

Allison Howe and Anna Caccavaro, Alumni Trust Fund Scholarship

Abigail Paquin, Justin Rollins Memorial Scholarship

Natasha Whipple and Mason Martell, Peer Pride Award

Class of 2019

Joseph David Ackerman

Aiden Mark Almstrom

Joshua Scott Almstrom

Justin Armstrong

Reilly Benjamin Avery

Isaac James Bailey

Jacob Robert Bailey

Odell Brice Bedell

James Andrew Blaine III

Hunter Boardman

Monique Amber Nicole Bocash

Catherine Elizabeth Boles

Jennifer Rae Boomhower

Angel Ann Branch

Grace Brown

Victoria Alynn Burroughs

Abigail Jules Carley

Ethan James Carley

Ann Rose Caron

Kaitlin Michelle Carroll

Kristie Marie Clingenpeel

Selena Aexis Coronis

Marisa Nichole Cota

Lisa Marie Currier

Nathan L. Currier

Michael James Denaris

Austin Riley Eaves

Rileigh Beth Frye

Kobe Thomas Gallo

Devon Glidden

Alia Lynn Gonzalez

Emily Ruth Guyette

Logan Connor Harper

Joshua Wayne Hannigan

Logan Connor Harper

Megan Riley Howard

Benjamin Daniel Jachim-Gallagher

Kayla Marie Jensen

Sylvanna Rose Landry

Gavin Meacham Lovely

Abigail May Lee Lussier

Savannah Martin

Hannah Lane McFadden

Cole Ryan McNamara

Daniel Merritt

Jackson Blake Miller

Brittany Lynn Mills

Fancy Moulton

Ayesha Nezamabadi

Michael James Osgood

Alexis Page

Abigail Louise Paquin

Nolin Otis Rankin

Anthony Michael Robertson

James Robert Smith III

Dylan M. Stark

Nathan Eric Andrew Stark

Isaiah Andrews Stephens

Trunks Xavier Thomas

Elizabeth Mae Tremblay

Maria Faustina Wallace

Emily Wellman