PROVIDENCE — During her valedictory address, St. Mary Academy - Bay View graduate, Emily Sulanowski, 18, noted that “being Bay View” is easier said than explained. It doesn’t stop at the end of each school day or when students graduate.
Click here to view or purchase photos!
“‘Being Bay View’ is holding yourself and those around you to higher standards of achievement and character,” Sulanowski told the assembly gathered at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul on June 9. “It is about the type of person you become when you have been a part of a community of young women who support and inspire each other, and of teachers, staff and administrators who believe in the ability of their students to succeed.”
Sulanowski, a Cranston resident who has been a student at Bay View since fifth grade, further spoke of the camaraderie that’s celebrated at the all-girls Catholic school, which is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. She quoted the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, to convey her point.
“‘There is nothing more conducive to the good of society than the education of women,’” said Sulanowski, a parishioner of St. Timothy Parish in Warwick who plans to study architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “I believe that we are, and will continue to be, living proof of [McAuley’s] wisdom. We have been well educated in so many ways, and we stand on the cusp of opportunity to prove to the world what we can do with that education.”
Patricia Williams, a retired Bay View English teacher and department head, said Sulanowski has already proven her many capabilities. Williams commended not only Sulanowski’s academic and artistic abilities, but also her “wonderful” personality.
“She is extraordinarily well-balanced,” said Williams, a 1958 Bay View graduate. “She is the least arrogant person I’ve ever met in my life with the kind of talent she has. Beyond all of that, she is a woman of principle.”
Sulanowski is one of 115 graduates who say the class of 2014 flourished due to the “uniquely encouraging and nurturing environment” of Bay View. Salutatorian Shannon Coffey, 18, and Alexandra Scala, 18, the third-ranked graduate, agree that the school’s spirit of sisterhood helped them prosper. Both intend to study business in college, with Coffey heading to Fordham University, and Scala to attend Brown University.
“After my four years at Bay View, I feel so much more confident and empowered as a woman,” said Coffey, a Warwick resident and parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich.
Scala, who lives in East Providence and is a parishioner at St. Margaret Church, feels the same.
“At an all-girls school, it’s different because you can be yourself,” she said. “We are all really close.”
School President Vittoria Pacifico-DeBenedictis urged graduates never to lose that sense of sisterhood. She also encouraged them to remain merciful.
“For me, mercy has shown itself through mentorship,” Pacifico-DeBenedictis said. “Mentoring is essential. Women need to help women get ahead. In fact, there are studies that show it; Men are currently more likely to give other men a helping hand than women are to give other women. I hope you, the class of 2014, will be different.”
Two graduates who personify mercy are “Principal Award” winners Hannah Shea, 18, and Emily Geoffroy, 17. According to a press release, the award recognizes “extraordinary, persistent effort and dedication. It marks the achievement of noteworthy personal and academic goals, as well as a student’s unique contribution to enhance the quality of life in the Bay View community. The…recipient must demonstrate very positive personal growth and a level of maturity that distinguishes her among her peers.”
While Shea plans to attend University of Rhode Island, Geoffroy will head to Roger Williams University. They each will study elementary education.
When she joined Bay View during her freshman year, Shea was soft-spoken and reserved. Now, she said, she’s outgoing and self-assured.
“It’s definitely made me break out of my shell more,” said Shea, a member of the school chorus. She lives in Warwick, where she is a parishioner at St. Gregory the Great.
Geoffroy enjoyed challenging herself both in and out of school. Whether she enrolled for more difficult courses or kicked up her athletic abilities a notch by taking dance classes at Dance Works in Bristol, she’s busy improving herself, as well as building up others. During an interview with Rhode Island Catholic, she spoke not only of her own accomplishments, but complimented Shea.
“She’s an amazing singer,” Geoffroy said of Shea.
Shea went on to say that a faith-based education offered them opportunities to strengthen their bonds with Christ. Coffey and Scala feel the same, noting that religious educators helped them enhance their trust in God.
“They teach us how God is present in our everyday lives,” said Coffey, with Scala adding, “They focus on the fact that we are children of God and made in the image of God.”
Sulanowski said her classmates, as well as their educators, have enriched her faith. She feels “overwhelmed” by the women she says she will be forever privileged to call classmates.
“You can really see God in everyone’s face,” she said to a Rhode Island Catholic reporter. “I can’t wait to see what we’re all going to do in the world.”
sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. She quoted the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, to convey her point.
“‘There is nothing more conducive to the good of society than the education of women,’” said Sulanowski, a parishioner of St. Timothy Parish in Warwick who plans to study architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “I believe that we are, and will continue to be, living proof of [McAuley’s] wisdom. We have been well educated in so many ways, and we stand on the cusp of opportunity to prove to the world what we can do with that education.”
Patricia Williams, a retired Bay View English teacher and department head, said Sulanowski has already proven her many capabilities. Williams commended not only Sulanowski’s academic and artistic abilities, but also her “wonderful” personality.
“She is extraordinarily well-balanced,” said Williams, a 1958 Bay View graduate. “She is the least arrogant person I’ve ever met in my life with the kind of talent she has. Beyond all of that, she is a woman of principle.”
Sulanowski is one of 115 graduates who say the class of 2014 flourished due to the “uniquely encouraging and nurturing environment” of Bay View. Salutatorian Shannon Coffey, 18, and Alexandra Scala, 18, the third-ranked graduate, agree that the school’s spirit of sisterhood helped them prosper. Both intend to study business in college, with Coffey heading to Fordham University, and Scala to attend Brown University.
“After my four years at Bay View, I feel so much more confident and empowered as a woman,” said Coffey, a Warwick resident and parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich.
Scala, who lives in East Providence and is a parishioner at St. Margaret Church, feels the same.
“At an all-girls school, it’s different because you can be yourself,” she said. “We are all really close.”
School President Vittoria Pacifico-DeBenedictis urged graduates never to lose that sense of sisterhood. She also encouraged them to remain merciful.
“For me, mercy has shown itself through mentorship,” Pacifico-DeBenedictis said. “Mentoring is essential. Women need to help women get ahead. In fact, there are studies that show it; Men are currently more likely to give other men a helping hand than women are to give other women. I hope you, the class of 2014, will be different.”
Two graduates who personify mercy are “Principal Award” winners Hannah Shea, 18, and Emily Geoffroy, 17. According to a press release, the award recognizes “extraordinary, persistent effort and dedication. It marks the achievement of noteworthy personal and academic goals, as well as a student’s unique contribution to enhance the quality of life in the Bay View community. The recipient must demonstrate very positive personal growth and a level of maturity that distinguishes her among her peers.”
While Shea plans to attend University of Rhode Island, Geoffroy will head to Roger Williams University. They each will study elementary education.
When she joined Bay View during her freshman year, Shea was soft-spoken and reserved. Now, she said, she’s outgoing and self-assured.
“It’s definitely made me break out of my shell more,” said Shea, a member of the school chorus. She lives in Warwick, where she is a parishioner at St. Gregory the Great.
Geoffroy enjoyed challenging herself both in and out of school. Whether she enrolled for more difficult courses or kicked up her athletic abilities a notch by taking dance classes at Dance Works in Bristol, she’s busy improving herself, as well as building up others. During an interview with Rhode Island Catholic, she spoke not only of her own accomplishments, but complimented Shea.
“She’s an amazing singer,” Geoffroy said of Shea.
Shea went on to say that a faith-based education offered them opportunities to strengthen their bonds with Christ. Coffey and Scala feel the same, noting that religious educators helped them enhance their trust in God.
“They teach us how God is present in our everyday lives,” said Coffey, with Scala adding, “They focus on the fact that we are children of God and made in the image of God.”
Sulanowski said her classmates, as well as their educators, have enriched her faith. She feels “overwhelmed” by the women she says she will be forever privileged to call classmates.
“You can really see God in everyone’s face,” she said to a Rhode Island Catholic reporter. “I can’t wait to see what we’re all going to do in the world.”
