Congratulations Lyme-Old Lyme High School Class Of 2013!

Like the high school, Lyme-Old Lyme seniors see themselves as much improved since Freshman year. They, however, describe themselves as still under construction.

Here's the full list of graduates in the Class of 2013. Congratulations to all!

Erik Knut Abrahamsson
Gunnar Stephan Abrahamsson
Vincent Robert Angeli

Maria Awwa
Sebastian Blaize Bakoledis
Jackson Church Bennett
Blaise Nash Berglund
Jeffrey David Berry
Nicholas Elliott Berry
Lilly Marie Birk
Olivia Susan Borsari
Gabrielle Faith Borzillo
Alexandra Marie Bowker
Alex Richardson Brault
Michael Allen Bray
Paul Edwin Burdick
Amanda Rose Burke
Dylan Joseph Burton
Devin James Byrne
Nathan Todd Carabello
Kayla Marie Carberry
Erik Leighton Carlson
Micaela Elizabeth Caulkins
Patricia Louise Celone
Madalyn Adelle Cika
Lauren Carol-Helen Colburn
Samantha Lorraine Constantinou
James Bennett Cromarty
Jabez Alan Crook
Sean Xavier Crowley
Nathan Daniel Crysler
Georgia Morrell Cummins
Daena D'Mello
Chris Anthony Espinal
Keegan Rain Fecher
Agatha Ruth Forstein
Tyler Miguel Franco
Matthew James Fuller
Andrew Michael Ganey
Michelle Gao
Gregory John Garrison
Richard Arthur Gaudet
Anthony Ramiro Goncalves
Slater Broderick Gregory
Frederick John Harrison
Lily Claire Hartmann
Matthew Joseph Harty
Hunter Graham Holmes
Audra Jayne Inglis
Trevor Talbot Kegley
Najee Nicole Keller
Steven Wayne Klimaszewski
Lindsey Brooke Knepshield
Jennifer Kay Kowalski
Molly Kristen Labriola
Veronica Oddny Lee
George Harold Logan
Cara Lord Lucey
Agatha Luma Magalhaes
Georgia Elizabeth Male
Tanya Malih Malik
Carly Janette Mangs
Michael Austin Mann
Kathryn Rachel Mastrianna
Allyson June McCarthy
Robert William McDonald
Isabelle Erin McKeon
Lucky Hana McLaren
Mercedes Marie Mercado
Anne Elizabeth Meyer
Victoria Jane Montanaro
Dylan Joseph Morrissey
Elliott Patrick Mueller
Erik Gunnar Nicholson
Meghan Ellen Nosal
Aidan Brooks O'Donnell
Paige Elizabeth Palenski
Kelly Biren Patel
Shawn Patrick Pelissier
Andrew Masayoshi Pitman
Rory Elizabeth Plyler
Robert Edward Poirier
Katherine Mary Quinn
Travis George Russell
Taylor McCall Saunders
Lindsey Beverly Scott
Crow Jared Sheehan
Arielle Rose Sherman-Golembeski
Timothy James Shoemaker
Audrey Elizabeth Spina
Samuel Thomas Stadnick
David Benjamin Sturgell
Samuel Brooks Sweitzer
Nora Binti Syed
Sarah Allyn Talcott
Xinyue Cynthia Tan
Taylor Marie Teixeira
Arin Jean Thomas
Alexis Rayanne Thornton
Brooke Andrea Tinnerello
Caroline Kay Tompkins
Rebecca Grace Tompkins
Andrew Robert Tyrol
Amber Gabriella Vernacatola
Brenna Rose Visgilio
Spencer Thomas Ward
Caleb Isaac Weissinger
Lucille Iva Welles
Morgan Ward White
Samuel James Wilkie
Alexis Marie Wright

The Speeches

Michelle Gao—Honor Essayist

1,460 days ago I looked over a field towards a blue and white building hunched over itself in the June heat. Its windows were layered with pollen, yellow floors had seen too many feet, and the courtyard was a concrete prison for wilted flowers. High schools never look their best in the weeks before summer vacation, but this one was a special brand of dejected neglect. However, in one solitary corner someone had propped open a door. That door sagged on its hinges, its shadow leaning against the asphalt for support, but at least it was open. Now, 1,460 days later, a different structure lives next to that field in a case of chrome and glass, but even though the door is newer and no longer rusts the most important part is that it's still open to us.

If I had to describe the population of Lyme-Old Lyme High School through a single, concrete object, I would use an open door, the traditional symbol of opportunity. However, doors are also thresholds on the wall that separates the past from the future, the end from the beginning, childhood from adulthood. On one side of our wall are those middle school years. Years some of us would like to forget because we were too awkward for our budding teenage egos and were still scrabbling for some semblance of understanding of that thing called the self. On the other side of the wall lies mortgage payments, college loans, marriage, careers, kids, retirement planning, and realizing that the face in the mirror isn't a child anymore, but in between, in that thin threshold, is high school.

High school has been both the worst and best time in the life, depending on who you ask. For some of us here, high school was getting up for clubs at obscenely early hours, for others it was staying after in seasonal sports, and for others still it was a treacherous slope of social drama and ever shifting group dynamics. I cannot speak for the universal experience because there is no such thing; each of us has a different perspective on these four years, but the one thing that ties us together is the fact that we have all grown in this doorway to adulthood.

Looking at old photographs, one realizes that the freshman who was petrified of the seniors throwing bottles down the stair wells no longer exists. That freshman is now a senior, a graduate, and an adult. Why? Because, for four years, the class of 2013 has lived through tropical conditions in the old building during winter (especially the math wing), survived CAPT testing while jack hammers thundered above, witnessed several water safety scares, waved goodbye to many much beloved teachers, participated in musicals, won states for sports, made All New England for music, driven clubs, won awards, and patiently waited for a building to reach the end of its renovation. Our journey through that open door was not the hardest one we will ever take, but it was the last step in childhood and the first one for the rest of our lives.

As for the symbolic door itself, it is no extravagant affair. At times there are temporary boards in place of a real framework as parts of the school were gutted and refurbished, and the floor beneath it is pitted with unexpected events and small delays, but the door remains a riot of creative ideas and tenacious thinkers that had the audacity to pursue passion despite circumstances. On that door, are memories of everything we have seen and felt during these four years, but the most important aspect of it is the fact that it remains ajar. It will never close, and so LOLHS will always be a place that rests in the fragile wall between the child and the adult that is open to all who have passed through it. While we may not admit it now, years from today, that thought will be a comfort because in the future we will make mistakes. In the future, we will sometimes leap and not reach the other side of the jump, and while we will succeed, sometimes we will fail, and that's okay because this door, this school is still open to remind us of what we have been through.

Therefore, if I could ask the class of 2013 to listen to one thing I say today, it would be to remember to leave no doors unopened. An open door is many things, from opportunity to a safe haven, but a closed door is only regret. If opening the door presents a risk, take it not because you are young and brash, but because you want to see a new perspective, place, and person once you have crossed, and if the next door before you is weather beaten, if it is too tall to see past, or if it is something that frightens you beyond all belief, look back at the door you have just come through with everything it has represented, smile forward, and step through that threshold. 

Maria Awwa—Salutatorian Speech

A long time ago in a high school not too far away, we were the incoming freshman, inheriting a building that, all in all, wasn’t too great. The ceilings were falling down in places, traces of ancient carpet could be found littering the floors of the hallway, and don’t even get me started on the different climate zones (quick tip- if you’re hot, head to Mrs. Burke’s room, if you’re chilly, Mrs. O’Leary’s will heat you right on up). 

Then, in our sophomore year, construction, that ever-present phantom that had thus far haunted our educational careers at Lyme- Old Lyme, reared its ugly head, and we were once more forced to endure the sounds of jackhammers, the smell of drying paint, and staircases that changed so frequently that if you didn’t know any better, would have you think we were attending Hogwarts, not a small public school in costal Connecticut. But, like we had done many a time before, we kept on marching through the clouds of sawdust and continued on our merry way. 

As junior year approached, we began to feel more comfortable among the construction, and even somehow developed immunity towards the sounds of saws during our AP Chemistry tests. By the time senior year rolled around, all that was left to do on the building were the finishing touches, and much to our surprise, the school was able to remain somewhat quite during midterms. 

Now, standing here as soon-to-be high school graduates, we realize how much like this school we’ve been over the past four years. When we first arrived here as freshman, we needed more than our fair share of fixing up- we didn’t have the slightest clue as to what we wanted to do with ourselves, let alone which clubs to join, what teams to try out for, or what friends to make- we were a lot like the old school- caught in an awkward stage between two different phases of our lives. 

Coming from middle school, we all had bits and pieces of our personalities, but we didn’t have the whole picture- I know for a fact that the team X-ers were just trying to get over the fact that they had more than the same ten kids in their classes. We were still adjusting from middle school, where we were taught things such as R2, to high school, where we were first introduced to the term paper and thought to ourselves, man, this is a lot more homework than my average worksheet. Where we thought that seniors were the coolest people on that planet, and that pep rallies were the most terrifying thing, as the shouts of upperclassmen telling us to “sit down” rang through our ears. Where classes such as High School 2013 were the most of our worries. As sophomores, the main experimentation stage was over, and we really began to dig into the work that high school brought on with it- our homework got longer (two worksheets a night? Who did these teachers think they were??), we got more involved in our extracurriculars (no more sitting bench on JV- this was our year to actually play… on JV), and we began to lay down the foundations of our new selves, just like the school was laying down its new foundations. No longer were we the ones told to sit down- no, our naïve freshman selves were long gone, as we were mature and wise sophomores- we were the ones telling people to sit down now. As juniors, we were finally able to settle into that comfortable rhythm that was high school- we were in the main stage of our construction. We learned how to deal with the terror that is Advanced Placement classes (some people’s hands will never be the same after all those APUSH notecards), we moved up to Varsity sports teams, we got the lead parts of the musicals, we got to run the techno ticks robot, we got to submit our artwork to the big contests and for some of us, we got our licenses (I can’t include myself in this category, I just got mine this February). 

Finally, as seniors, we began to place the final touches on ourselves, our likes and dislikes, our personalities, and most importantly, on our future.  We became the kings and queens of the school, and we made sure that nobody forgot that- from our pep rally entrances, to our senior pranks, to our techno Tuesdays and jorts Fridays, we, like the school, were finally progressing towards completion. With all that said, I think its safe to say that this building has become more than just a project for us seniors; it’s become part of us. 

However, just like the school, we’re not fully complete yet- we have yet to discover all of our hopes, dreams, and goals, and that is where all of the construction has yet to touch- and that’s where places like college come in. Now, as this school stands here before us, ready to bring on the new wave of students, we stand here, ready to bring on our own future. We’ve all endured our fair share of “construction,” and now the time has come to open the doors to our future, and, like Mr. Wygonik and Mrs. Dean do every day, greet it with a smile.

Jennifer Kay Kowalski—Valedictorian Speech

So this is it. This is the moment that we, students, parents, friends, and faculty alike, have been waiting to share with each other. We are the class of 2013. Now, thirteen is a very interesting year in which to graduate. What do we know about 13? Well, it comes after 12 but before 14. It is the 6th prime number. It also just so happens to have a term “triskaidekaphobia” (tris-kai-dic-a-phobia) (hopefully that’s about how you would pronounce that) that describes the abnormal fear of the number itself. 

Why is it that 13 is considered to be so unlucky? Why do buildings avoid labeling the 13th floor? Why is Friday the 13th an ominous day to dread? Well, part of it could have to do with the fact that…there are 13 steps leading up to the gallows…witches have been known to gather in groups of 12, with the devil being the 13th attendee…and Apollo 13 was the only unsuccessful US mission to land on the moon by NASA. 

But, I am obviously not going to talk to you about how our class year is unlucky. I ask you to now consider Wilt Chamberlain (one of the greatest NBA players of all time), who donned the number 13 throughout his career. Or how about the American flag which contains 13 stripes. And I mean really, if Taylor Swift’s lucky number is 13 who are we to disagree. The matter of the fact is, for our class, the class of 2013, we have been nothing but lucky. Ed Bradley explained his concept of luck saying, “Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.” 

We are lucky because we have become the young adults that we are today by means of supportive parents, attentive teachers, and amazing friendships.  So it is these three points that I will share with you all this evening.

So first:

Our parents have grown with us throughout our childhood. Do you remember the days in elementary school when we were excited to ride the bus for the first time, but of course our parents were all in their cars right behind the bus to ease our (or rather their) nerves? And then there was middle school…at this point we were just too cool to ride the bus, so our parents were forced to go out of their way and bring us everyday. Lastly, now that we have our licenses, we go screeching through the teachers parking lot every morning simply to bypass the parents clogging up the other lane. It is the farthest thing from unlucky to have parents that are willing to support us, no matter how silly or ridiculous it may seem at the time.

And now I want to take a minute to personally thank my family. Mom, dad, you have always been there for me. Whether it was reading to me for hours (literally hours) each night before going to bed when I was younger, encouraging me to keep going when I had already been doing hours worth of homework, or supporting me in my extra curriculars, I could not have done it without you! Thanks! And I am sure my Grandma, out there somewhere in the audience, is proud as can be that I have followed in her footsteps as class valedictorian! I truly was lucky to always have my family behind me 100%!

And now the second point of the night…Teachers:

The class of 2013 was lucky to have been taught by such caring teachers throughout our schooling. It is impossible to remember every instance, or to individually thank each and every one, but it is of the utmost importance to note that whether we realized it at the time or not, everything you have done has helped make us the students we are today.

How about the fact that Mr. Dombrowski started in Lyme-Old Lyme our freshman year, and he simply cannot stand to imagine the thought of being here without us, so he is leaving with the class of 2013 as well!

And let us, both the few that had the pleasure of being there, as well as the many that heard the story relayed a countless number of times, remember how we were stopped by the secret service as we hopped the fence unnecessarily waiting in line going to see President Obama speak – thanks Mr. Eckhart

And lastly, a thank you to Mrs. Burke who has helped almost every single one of us make the most important decision we have had to thus far –college! All of the time you took to read over our numerous drafts of every possible essay topic and by simply being there to talk and give advice when we needed it the most was appreciated.

On behalf of the entire class of 2013, I thank our teachers and administration!

The third and final topic is…Friends:

Some of us have been together since play group, others sporadically after, with the majority of our grade uniting in middle school. If you think about it, we are a family in ourselves. We know everything about each other, whether we want to or not, and of course we occasionally have our differences, but no matter what we are there for each other. The transition into high school would not have been as seamless had it not been for our camaraderie. I mean, no one even laughed on the first day of freshman year, when one of our very own (Lindsey Knepshield), was searching for her bus and then ran right into a pole. And she didn’t even get a bloody nose, talk about lucky! 

You know you have true friends when you can completely be yourself, not caring what others think, and have an absolute ball doing it. I personally, have been known to wear a renaissance-esque dress on multiple occasions (if you’ve ever been in one of my classes I am sure you know what I am talking about). In fact, all of the extra credit that I received from this dress may very well be the reason that I am standing in front of you as valedictorian today!

Or to have someone who will always celebrate accomplishments with cupcakes and will not hesitate to spend hours doing your hair before prom (thanks Micaela!)

The point is, we are lucky to have friends that are always there for us. There are so many people that I did not specifically mention, and I am sure that all of you have a special place in your heart for a group of friends of your own. I hope that all of us can continue to treasure these friendships even when we begin to move in separate directions…I guess luckily I just began accepting friends on Facebook right?!? But, we should also strive to make new, equally important friendships as we continue on to college or the work force.

I could continue to reminisce for hours, and could give a laundry list of things that we should all strive to do. But, that is not necessarily what is important at the moment. What is important is knowing that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you may have. I truly have the confidence that our class will continue to bust the myth of the unlucky number 13. Class of 2013, in all of your futures, wherever they may take you, I wish you the best of luck!    

Nora Syed—Class President Graduation speech

Welcome families, friends, faculty, students, and of course, class of 2013 graduates. Thank you all for joining us tonight in our celebration of success. Tonight marks a significant turning point in our lives and we are doing it together. We have seen each other grow up over the years, some of us sharing memories as far back as the little league and Girl Scout days, and sticking it out through the awkward middle school phase. Our last four years in Lyme-Old Lyme High School have been a growing experience for all of us, both physically and mentally. Our families and our teachers have shaped our morals and ethics and helped us to develop our intellects. They have taught us to strive for excellence, try our best, pick ourselves up when we’re down, and learn from our mistakes. With these key lessons in mind, we as a class have been able to grow and develop during each day spent at LOLHS. From sporting events to pep rallies, we have been able to demonstrate our school spirit and camaraderie as a class. From sitting down when seniors yelled “sit down freshman” three years ago, to cheering on Vince Angeli as he inhaled a watermelon during our last pep rally, we’ve really come a long way.

We’ve been able to hurdle any obstacles and break any barriers that we’ve encountered. As fifth graders at Lyme Consolidated or Center School, the thought of sitting near unfamiliar faces the following year was scary. During the first week of sixth grade, every day at lunch, the Old Lyme kids sat with the Old Lyme kids and all twenty Lyme kids sat with the Lyme kids. It only took a few days for us to come together and realize that we would be spending the rest of our middle school and high school careers with each other.  Our initial fears subsided and friendships formed over the next three years. As freshman year approached, we knew we would be facing older kids and the possibility of getting lost while trying to find classes. Before we knew it, freshman year arrived and we soon formed new friendships with peers from other grades. Also to our surprise, we found out that the high school really wasn’t as big as we had thought.

Sophomore through senior year, though we were now comfortable students at Lyme-Old Lyme high school, the construction project quickly became a new chapter in our lives. On a regular basis, we swiftly avoided perils of construction and successfully took tests with drilling below our feet.

In retrospect, we as a class have impressed our families, staff and most importantly, ourselves with our ability to deal with adversity. From being uncomfortable sixth graders to being confident enough to wear jorts and a belly shirt to school (Sam Stadnick), we have proved to everyone including ourselves just what we could do.

Moving forward on our journeys, we will be attending college, joining the workforce, serving our nation, or deciding what comes next. No obstacle is insurmountable as a result of our experiences at Lyme-Old Lyme High School. Though our paths diverge after tonight, we will always remember our place in this community and the impact it has had on us as a result of the support from family, friends, and staff. Congratulations class of 2013, we did it!