PROVIDENCE — On June 8, 114 fourteen women proudly sporting white caps and gowns, and wearing white gloves, processed up the shining floors of the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul to receive their diplomas and say their goodbyes to St. Mary Academy – Bay View.
“At Bay View, I learned the importance of us staying together as women in this world. I think that’s one of the most important things I learned here,” said Catherine Amoriggi, a parishioner of St. Gregory the Great in East Greenwich. “We all learned to appreciate the value of each other, of every individual.” Ms. Amoriggi will soon be taking her respect for all humanity to Emerson College.
Click here to view or purchase photos!
The values learned at Bay View are being widely dispersed into the world, once again, this coming academic year. The graduates plan to attend a wide variety of universities this fall. Many will be heading to the Boston area, including Christina DesVergnes, who will be studying music at Wheaton College. Some will travel further still. Daria Delfino will be leaving Cranston to attend Loyola University in New Orleans.
It is not uncommon for Bay View graduates to “go far.” Olivia Culpo, a former Miss Universe who graduated from Bay View in 2010, was in attendance, supporting her sister Sophia Culpo, a member of the Class of 2015. Olivia took the stand to deliver the cue for the graduates to move their tassels. “You did it!” she cheered, as thunderous clapping began.
“You should never be afraid to speak up in the classroom. My teachers really reinforced that with us,” said Jenna Krapf, a parishioner of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Pawtucket, who is heading to Providence College to pursue a degree in social work. Another graduate who is thankful for the sense of self-confidence the school has fostered was Abigail Dolan, who was especially appreciative of the strong encouragement she received to compose her own music. Erin Devin, a parishioner of St. Mary’s in Bristol, will treasure the importance of “keeping an open mind” that the Sisters of Mercy instilled in their pupils.
The Sisters were not the only teachers commended.
Mr. John Souza was a favorite teacher for Devin, whose science instruction supported her decision to pursue mechanical engineering as a career. Caroline Letendre of St. Gregory Parish, Warwick claimed St. Mary’s Academy “has the best math teachers ever,” while Sarah Lathrop appreciated that Mr. William Goodwin “made physics fun.” Lathrop will soon be studying chemical biology at St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia.
The ceremony got underway with a scripture passage read by honors student Yaewon Ha, opening the proceedings with a theme of faith and confidence. This was immediately followed by an enthusiastic medley of songs from St. Mary’s choir, which encouraged graduates to “fill the world with love,” to “Believe in Angels,” to know “The Heart Will Go On and On,” to “Sing Your Praise to the Lord,” to “Listen to the Music of the Night,” “Dream the Impossible Dream.”
“Bay View has taught us to question the principles of society, even the most well-established,” said Kirsten Hanlon in her valedictory address. “We have been empowered to change facets of the world that others may not even realize are detrimental. We have been given the strength needed to find success in any and every endeavor we choose to tackle. Most importantly, we have developed the character to stand up for our convictions in the face of opposition.”
Praising the ability to think critically as vital in the path to success, Hanlon added, “I am honored to have spent four years learning with women who have become my sisters. We can be anyone or do anything that we choose. There is no limit in what we are able to accomplish. The most challenging part of finding success is finding the goal that we hope to accomplish. Once we choose a goal, we are equipped with the intelligence, confidence, and character to make it a reality. Today is a celebration of our preparedness to make a difference in the world.”
“Why are Bay View women so powerful?” asked President Vittoria Pacifico-DeBenedictis in her address. “Because they are educated in an environment where they are supported as human beings with inherent value and worth, because they are taught to recognize their responsibility as global citizens, because the single gender experience -- research shows -- makes women feel more confident, more likely to participate, more likely to lead, and more likely to be challenged and engaged in the classroom. Because the Mercy tradition of the belief in the power of educating women continues today.”
The president encouraged the graduates to be “women for others.”
Alison Guilmette, a tall senior with a lovely smile, is heading to Bryant University in the fall. “I’m really, really going to miss my friends here,” she said simply. Her feelings were echoed in the many tears that were shed as the ladies filed out of the cathedral.
They do not leave empty-handed however.
“At Bay View, one of the most important things I’ll take with me is the call to respect everyone,” says Elizabeth Guarino, who will study fine arts at URI.
For Elizabeth Moretti, who will join the golf team at Lewis and Clark University this fall, her most fond memory of St. Mary Academy Bay-View is the lesson she and her classmates were taught in which they were told to “be true to yourself, always.”
