PROVIDENCE — During the 86th commencement exercises held June 9 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence, graduates were welcomed into the venerable legacy that Saint Raphael Academy has cherished for generations. Throughout the past four years, their experiences in faith, service and community have strengthened their relationships with each other and with God.
When Ashley Jackson was told that she was the salutatorian this year, she was filled with joy and excitement. She said that since the beginning of their time together, her class has always been full of diversity.
“All of us came from different heritages, different backgrounds, different belief systems, and yet we did not judge based on these differences,” she said. “We got to know each other for who we really are and grew closer every year as a result.”
Jackson shared her gratitude to the educators of Saint Ray’s, who taught that hard work goes a long way, but reminded their students that work needs to be balanced with happiness.
“Our teachers have taught us this same lesson,” she said. “Through all of the homework, papers, tests, and projects, our teachers motivated us to put all of our effort into getting good grades and be the best students we could be.”
As much as he is looking forward to attending Rhode Island College in the fall for accounting, Christopher Karalis of Seekonk, Mass., said that he is going to miss his beloved high school.
“It was a rollercoaster ride,” he said. “But, it was a great time. I loved it and I am going to miss it very much.”
When John Paul Rosa of Pawtucket woke up the morning of his graduation day, he couldn’t be more anxious, he said.
“I was nervous, but then the excitement took over,” he said. “I’m definitely going to miss it and the good friends that I have made.”
The Class of 2013 is distinguished as a group of accomplished young adults that will be remembered said Valedictorian Lauren Gaj, who added that the graduates made a name for themselves on their Pawtucket campus.
“Because of each one of us, the Class of 2013 will never be forgotten,” said Gaj. “We left our legacy on Walcott Street. Now, as we move forward in our lives, my hope for you is that you carry three things with you from Saints. I hope you continue to discover, to learn and to cherish.”
Gaj shared in her address that now is the time to search the world and to find what they need to give their life meaning. She motivated them to find and pursue their passion, deepen their faith and discover their true self.
“Learning is the key to success,” she said. “Make mistakes but learn from them. Your failures will be steppingstones to your growth. Take time to step back, relax and evaluate.”
Finally, the young valedictorian encouraged her fellow graduates to cherish love in themselves and in others.
“Find inner strength and the courage to stand up for what you believe in,” she said.
“Cherish support because you cannot do it all on your own. Cherish your friends and find friendship in family; they always have your back.”
Patrick McVay’s years at St. Ray’s were fantastic, said his mother Annmarie.
“From the first day he walked in, he loved it,” she said. ”It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior, you know everybody and they make you feel right at home.”
Tina Paiva of Cumberland, a proud Saint Ray’s parent, said that her daughter Katie’s experience at the academy strengthened her. Katie will attend Rhode Island College in the fall where she plans to study psychology.
“Saints made her more outgoing academically,” she said. “Her experience at Saint Ray’s was simply wonderful. It was the best years of her life so far. I’m so proud of her. She worked very hard for this.”
Her grandmother Gertrude Dube only had a few words of advice for her beloved grandchild.
Class of 2013
Adonis Alvarez
Kristen Amaral
Jiwoo An
Sydney Armand
Andrea Asermely
Vincent Baccari
Marrissa Ballard
Alexander Battista
James Berry
Julianna Bigelow
Nicholle Boisclair
Thomas Calabro
Bryce Capracotta
Christopher Carman
Steven Carvalho
Eddy Cezario
Hannah Coderre
Jason Colon
Douglas Cooper
Charles Correa
Shamir Costa
Taneia Costa
Jordan Cruz
Brandon Dasilveira
Michelle DeNuccio
Benjamin Duarte
Tyler Duffy
Nicole Duphily
Quinci Eacueo
Marisa Faltus
Shawn Ferland
Alexandria Ferreira
Laura Gagnon
Lauren Gaj
Joshua Garcia
Michael Garcia
Kathryn Giacobbi
Ryan Gingras
Kaitlyn Ashley Gonzalez
Arianna Haddock
Daniel Hennigan
Catherina Henriquez
Alexandra Hernandez
Jordan Hutnak
Amelia Hutnak
Christiana Iaconelli
Ashley Jackson
Ibrahima Jahumpa
Andrew Jerauld
Christopher Karalis
Colby Kingsbury
Joshua Laurila
Eduardo Lima
Nicolas Mays
Kevin McCarthy
Matthew McGuire
Patrick McVay
Zachary Mitsmenn
Xavier Monteiro
Erika Moreau
Nathaniel Murphy
Julio Nunez
Hennessy Ogni
Katie Paiva
Michelle Palacio
Vanessa Palacio
Jordan Peguero
Ebbi Pereira
Leitrim Peters
Christopher Piti
Kaylin Proffit-Dwyer
Christian Rainone
Cindy Ramirez
Mellany Rodas
John Paul Rosa
Ty Seaton
Lauren Sequin
Jessica Simpson
Nicholas Sisto
Danielle Stonely
Patrick Sullivan
Christa Thomas
Victoria Tumidajski
Christopher Ventura
Sabrina Verrechia
Ricky Vichroski
Andrew Vieira
Anthony Vitali
Alexandria Wall
Devyn Walton
Jonathan Weaver
Max Zalk
Morgan Zonfrillo
