PROVIDENCE — Ninety-two young men and women graduated from St. Raphael Academy in a June 14 ceremony at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul that recognized the many ways that the school has changed them for the better and shaped their futures.
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Salutatorian Vanessa Dos Anjos told of how her teachers had gone out of their way to help students, either through extra help, lecturing on the value of homework, or simply showing they cared.
She also thanked her family. “Everyone here knows that a Catholic, Lasallian education is expensive, so thank you for working so hard to allow us to receive this education. Thank you for your patience while we pulled all-nighters to finish a paper or project that we waited until the last minute to do,” Dos Anjos said.
Recalling the anxiety and uncertainty she had felt as a freshman, she urged her classmates to learn from those experiences as they once again find themselves as newcomers in an unfamiliar setting — what for 98 percent of students will be either college or the military.
“Remember the anxiety and dread we felt as ninth graders coming to high school. Acknowledge that some of the risks we took as those scared ‘little freshmen’ led us to this cathedral today,” Dos Anjos said. “I hope that, in the future, you will remember this speech and take a risk that enriches your life for many years to come.”
Valedictorian Auston Gillis said faith had united what was a class of diverse backgrounds.
“I see that in each of us, there is a similar core belief; that there is a greater force directing us to discovering ourselves and achieving everything that we are capable of achieving. This force may come in different shapes or forms for each person, but the faith in this presence is there nonetheless. It is with faith that we put our trust in something else and acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with being imperfect,” Gillis said.
Gillis encouraged graduates to venture outside of their comfort zones into the unknown. “From the knowledge we acquired at St. Raphael Academy, along with faith, reassurance, and the desire to venture into the unknown, each of us can leave our ‘city of comfort’ and head into the ‘wilderness of intuition’ through hard work and risk,” he said, quoting actor Alan Alda.
In addition to the top two students, the school presented Daniel Arteaga with the Edith Peck Phillips Memorial Award, which recognizes the significant contributions of a student to the St. Raphael community. He was also the winner of a diocesan Lumen Gentium award this year, presented in May to individuals who “toil in the vineyard of the Lord” by offering their service to the Church.
Several other students stand out for their individual achievements in their senior year: Alfred Dorbor made the 1st Team All State and was recognized as the Gatorade Football Player of the Year; Josh Alves landed a spot on the 2nd Team All State and received the state’s Golden Dozen award; and Ryan Goyette was a U.S. Presidential Scholar nominee.
As a group, the Class of 2015 impresses as well. About half the class is a member of at least one honor society and a dozen seniors were Moore Scholars, meaning they maintained an average in their classes of 85 or higher.
Earlier in the year, Principal Daniel Richard promised to shave his head if the entire class raised their SAT scores by 5 percent. They did — and he shaved his head at the spring pep rally. “Thank you for saving me some money; I haven’t had to pay for a haircut since February!” Richard told graduates.
In sports, nine teams had playoff runs. Two of them went undefeated this season: girls soccer and football.
In his remarks, Richard told graduates to live out the values that St. Raphael had instilled in them. “What I want you to remember as you begin your journey is to follow your dreams; but as Lasallians I expect you to do more than just that. I challenge you, as a Saints graduate, to care passionately, work tirelessly, give generously to others and find the courage to go out and change our world,” he said.
“We pray that your years at St. Raphael Academy will help you make decisions based on the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Richard added.
Auxiliary Bishop Robert Evans delivered the final blessing at the end of the ceremony.
After the ceremony, one graduate had mixed emotions. “It’s bittersweet — exciting, but I’m also going to miss my classmates,” said Francesca Almonte, of Providence, who is headed to the University of Rhode Island in the fall to study neuropsychology.
“I’m very proud of my daughter,” added her mouther, Madeline, who said Francesca was the last of her children to complete high school. “This is the last of my Mohicans.”
