The Prout School 2019 Graduation

PROVIDENCE — Ninety-five Crusaders processed into the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul on Tuesday, June 11, to celebrate The Prout School’s 51st annual commencement exercises, an occasion which saw members of this year’s senior class being offered nearly $14.5 million in grants and scholarships.

“Our hope is that you leave tonight with a good idea of who these graduates are as individuals and who they are collectively as the Class of 2019,” said Principal David J. Estes, in welcoming everyone to the cathedral.

Father Bernard Healey, pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in East Greenwich, offered the Invocation.

After Senior Class President Isabella Bianco led the gathering in the Pledge of Allegiance, Choir Director and Prout faculty member Philip Faraone led the graduating senior choir members in singing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Then, Sarabeth McClain delivered the Welcoming Speech, in which she spoke of the inspiration she derived from the E.E. Cummings poem “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in).”

“During my years here at Prout, I have tried so many things, discovered what I want to do for the rest of my life, and met some of my best friends. I stepped out of my comfort zone, played a new sport never tried before, and became friendly with as many people as I could,” McClain said.

After Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans presented diplomas to the graduates, assisted by Principal Estes and Catholic Schools Superintendent Daniel J. Ferris, Gregory Violet delivered the Farewell Speech.

Violet, who will attend Brown University this fall, lamented that he was “too idealistic” as a freshman, with a penchant for always looking ahead to where he wanted to be instead of appreciating the moment he was in.

“Instead of wanting to be in the present moment, as a 14- or 15-year-old going through school, I wanted to be somewhere else. Looking back at it, I realize that this was not the right decision. Rather, I should have focused on living each moment with the quality of my experience in mind,” Violet said.

“We should not be measuring the success of our lives based on the finite, quantifiable attributes that others may expect of us, like earning a high salary or GPA. … Success in life is more related to the quality of the experiences that we have.”