WOONSOCKET — On Sunday, June 10, graduates of the Mount St. Charles Academy Class of 2018 were welcomed warmly by their families, friends and their school community at their commencement held in the school’s gymnasium.
In his address to the graduates, Alan Tenreiro, president of Mount, encouraged the class of 2018 to use their greatness to give back to those in need.
“Giving unlocks your greatness. When you use your talents, your time and your treasures to help those who live in the shadows of life cast by poverty, or illness, or violence, or ignorance, you become the living image of God’s love.”
No matter what changes in their lives, everything they have experienced these past four years is embedded in their hearts, explained salutatorian Matthew Melynchuk.
“Mount might finally renovate that fourth floor, or add hardwood to the gym, or modernize the Arena, but the spirit of Mount, forever unchanging, will live on vicariously through all who have been lucky enough to walk through these doors.”
In a special way, Mount honored those who graduated in 1968 with their 50th anniversary diplomas. Mistress of Ceremonies Rachel Breitenbach shared that she hopes her fellow graduates will be able to emulate the kind of courage and integrity that Mount’s class of 1968 showed as they transitioned from childhood to adulthood.
In a courageous address to her fellow graduates, Julia DiSpirito discussed her own personal travails in dealing with insecurities in which she felt compelled to fit the mold shaped by society. She challenged her peers to become who they believe they are.
“Be who you believe you are and do so with confidence,” she said. “Today we are making a first step towards our transition to the adult world. Decisions will no longer be made for us. We can take the easy route and follow the path, or we can create our own path as we change the world.”