2014 COMMENCEMENT

Prout graduates have the imagination, heart to make a difference

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KINGSTON — High school goes by in the blink of an eye, said Kathryn Burke, the valedictorian for The Prout School's Class of 2014, who remembered freshman year when she and her classmates were awkward 14-year-olds with "gigantic backpacks."

"Then all of a sudden with no understanding of where the time went, you are getting your license, taking the SATs, deciding on college, going to senior prom, and now here," Burke said during Prout's 46th graduation ceremony June 3 at the University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center.

Burke, who will be attending Sienna College/Albany Medical College in the fall, is one of 167 Prout graduates who are moving on to the next stage of life. More than 98 percent of the graduates will be attending colleges across the country, including Boston College, the United States Naval Academy, Brown University and San Diego State University.

Of those not attending college, two Prout graduates will be participating in junior hockey programs around the country.

Combined, Prout's Class of 2014 participated in more than 4,000 hours of community service. Eighteen graduating seniors also received the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The Class of 2014 was also offered more than $11 million in college grants and scholarships, school officials said.

Burke, who plans to pursue a medical career and volunteered her time at Kent County Hospital, said her classmates displayed great imagination, enthusiasm and dedication, from raising money by having a teacher kiss a pig to overcoming adversity, including the loss of Pasquale “Pat” Castelli, a beloved foreign language teacher at Prout who died in April 2013.

"No one ever changed the world playing it safe, and our class has the imagination and the heart to make a real difference," Burke said.

David J. Carradini, principal of The Prout School, urged the graduating seniors to embrace life's opportunities and challenges, and to have the courage to reinvent themselves on their life journeys.

"It's hard to let you go because you have made such an impact on the school, on each other. You guys are just incredible," Carradini said.

Andrea Rose Vuono, the class salutatorian, said a significant part of her classmates’ years at Prout was discovering their individual identities.

“We are all seeking to discover what we can contribute to society and how we can apply the various teachings of high school,” said Vuono, who will be attending Northeastern University in Boston to study speech pathology. Vuono said her time at Prout taught her and her classmates to make positive contributions to the world they live in, through whatever career fields they choose.

“I have witnessed our class grow into strong intellectuals and informed citizens who genuinely care about our community,” Vuono said. “This is seen through the many students who participated in the sleep out for the homeless even when the weather was freezing, or who brought Christmas presents to the children at Bishop McVinney School.”

Celine M. DeSantis, the senior class president, said “willingness and enthusiasm” enabled her class to twice win Spirit Week, the “most coveted event” held at Prout. As a class, as a family, the graduates formed “a deep bond” not seen in other classes, DeSantis said.

“In fact, one of the most amazing qualities about our class is our ability to come together almost simultaneously when something of great magnitude occurs in our school, whether that be to voice our concerns and offer our suggestions, or to sit in silence and offer our condolences,” DeSantis said.

After receiving their diplomas, and tossing their mortarboards into the air in celebration, Prout’s graduating seniors processed outside the Ryan Center to meet their loved ones and face their futures. For Brian R. Lamendola, 18, that means working a summer job to earn some money before heading off to Western New England University to study business.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet. The students and teachers, they were all really nice,” said Lamendola, a parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich.

Xiao Wu Ma, who is from China and will be studying international business at the University of Rhode Island, said his four years at Prout “passed by so very fast.”

“I’m really glad to be going to college,” he said.

Alexander Pollan, 18, of Coventry, had mixed feelings, saying the graduation was “somewhat depressing” even as he looked forward to the freedom that college provides.

“We have our eyes focused on the future,” said Pollan, a parishioner at Saints John and Paul Church who will attend Providence College to study political science. He plans to enjoy the summer with his family and friends before heading off to college and all its adventures.

“And I’d like to see the world,” Pollan said.

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The Prout School Class of 2014

Christian J. Amante

Thomas R. Amaral

Rachael M. Amore +*^

Samantha Angell +*^

Dylan A. Armstrong +*^

Charles N. Baetjer *

Nelson A. Baetjer +*^

Joseph M. Barbera

Lauren J. Beauchamp *^

Alexander P. Benoît +*^

Aren B. M. Blondal ^

Logan Bradley

Payton A. Bradshaw +*

Kevin A. Brew *^

Emily T. Brockmann *^

Madeline D. Brown *^

David A. Buckley

Kathryn M. Burke #+*^

Kathleen N. Burns +*^

Mitchell Burns +*^

Frank R. Cappuccio *

Marlena J. Casarella *^

Joseph F. J. Catalano +*^

Tiernan Elizabeth Chase +*^

Mia Catherine Chiappone +*

Alexandra Marie Chretien +*^

Brittanie Christine Clarke +*^

Taylor Ann Coli +*^

Christopher Condon^

Kevin Patrick Connors +*^

Claire Elizabeth Conway #+*^

Edward Lovell Cooper ^

Hannah Elizabeth Corio *^

Hope Wen Qiao Courtney #+*^

Laura Rose Cowell #+*^

Jerry Zhao Cui +*^

Katelyn Emery Cusick +*^

Lindsay Evelyn D'Alfonso *^

Brandon F. Dauray ^

Aaron Jacob Deady

Julian Andrew DelGiudice *^

Nicholas John Delmonico *^

Alexander B. DeLuca #+*^

Morgan Lyn Deming *

Lauren Falls Dennis #+*^

Celine M. DeSantis #+*^

Brittany Lynn DiPrete ^

James Anthony DiSanto

Meredith Lynne DiSchino ^

Adriana Maria DiSilvestro #+*^

Brandon J. Dolce *^

Sarah J. Doyal +*^

Kelsey Ellen Doyle^

Jessica Marie Elliott +*^

Luke Emby *^

Victoria Rose Eno +*^

Casey Sean Farrell ^

Lorenzo Nicholas Finamore #+*^

Grace Lillian Flaherty +*^

Alison Flath +*^

Marissa Flood

Jillian A. Franco +*^

Brandon Michael Gagnon *^

Tyler Owen Gardiner *^

Alexandra Marie Garofano

Harrison G. Gatch *

Sarah Elizabeth Gelineau ^

Molly McQuade Giudice +*^

Robert Christopher Golden, Jr.

Briana Kaitlyn Gomes *^

Miguelangelo L. Gonzalez *^

Claudia Ann Gramlich +*^

Collin Green ^

Madeline Hagerty +*^

Kayla A. Harrington +*^

Brook Lynne Hawkins ^

Ellen K. Henry *^

Lauren Samantha Henry *^

Brittany Ann Hunt +*^

Alexander Michael Husak #+*^

Delaynie H. Johnson +*^

Kaitlin Leigh Johnson +*^

Katherine Elizabeth Koretski ^

Ryan J. Korsen *^

Marc R. Laflamme #+*

Grace Griffin Lambrecht +*^

John Laurence Lambrecht *

Brian R. Lamendola ^

Caitlin Elizabeth LaMountain +*^

Paul Langevin +*^

David Norman Lavallee, Jr. +*^

Ana B. Laverty

Jason A. Leone ^

Abigail C. Lyons +*

Xiao Wu Ma

Andrew George Mace #+*^

Gabrielle Delia MacLeod ^

Kassandra Lynn Makowski +*^

Alycia Elizabeth Marsello *^

McKenzie Spencer Marsh +*^

Daniel James Martineau *^

Julia Jerolamon Martínez ^

Makena George Masterson +*^

Victoria Lee Matrullo +*^

Emily Brideen McCarthy +*^

Bryan Louis McCormack +*^

Devon Kenneth McDonald *^

Mariah Kirsty McDonald #+*^

Ryan Sara McGowan +*^

Casey Erin McGuirl +*^

Miranda Kelly McLean +*^

John Patrick McLinden, Jr. +*^

Ashley Lynn Medeiros +*^

Morgan Taylor Medeiros +*^

Matthew Nicholas Mitrelis

Hannah Redding Moffitt *

Joshua James Moniz +*^

Kaitlin Riley Morgan *^

Sarah Anne Motta +*^

Meaghan Davis Natal

Alexandra Lyn Neill ^

Ian O'Donnell *^

Reagan Theresa O'Loughlin #+*^

James Michael Pardington III ^

Peter Harrison Parente *^

Christina Elizabeth Pearson ^

Campbell Houghton Peck ^

Molly Elizabeth Pelosi +*^

Grace McCarty Pendergast

Ryan Daniel Pinch #+*^

Lindsey Elizabeth Planchon *^

Alexander Michael Daniel Pollan #+*^

Amanda Elisabeth Powell *^

Zacharie James Provensal *^

Laura Gail Richard +*^

Jacob Christopher Rondeau

Alexandra Dagmar Rooney +*^

Charlotte Jessie Roos +*^

Christine Elizabeth Rossi +*^

Madeline Elise Rousseau *^

Michael Louis Ruzzo

Catherine Victoria Schmidt *^

Zachary James Shepard +*^

Gabrielle Simmons ^

Catherine Small +*^

Zachary Smith +*^

Nyle Sockbeson

Megan Springer +*^

AnnaRose Squillante +*^

Kristen A. St. Jean +*^

Samantha Steele ^

Jolie Stewart ^

Nicholas S. Sullivan *^

Katina Lee Tanionos ^

Lindsey Taylor Tarbox *^

Tara E. Temkin *^

Adam M. Thatcher +*^

Erica Theroux #+*^

Devon Toro +*^

Samantha M. Troll #+*

Cherie Nicole Ueno +*

Andrea Rose Vuono +*^

Sarah Catherine White +*^

Peter James Williams ^

Dylan Louis Winward *^

Jessica M. Winward +*^

Maria Ann Louise Zonfrillo +*^

+National Honor Society #International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate

*Rhode Island Honor Society ^Scholarship Recipient

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