West Hartford’s Conard High School graduated 339 students on Monday night in the school’s gym.

By Ronni Newton

Rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the 339 students who graduated from Conard High School on Monday evening, even though it was the first time ever that the West Hartford school had to hold commencement in the gym.

Conard’s 58th commencement, presided over by Assistant Principal and emcee Matt Pace, included energetic and inspiring speeches by several students as well as the principal, assistant superintendent, and a representative from the Board of Education. Health and Physical Education teacher Ronald Wziontko was chosen as faculty speaker by the Class of 2015. Senior members of the Conard choir and concert jazz band provided musical interludes.

“I have the utmost confidence that each and every one of us has been provided the tools we need and we have Conard to thank,” Class President Becky Palma told her peers.

“What is the secret to success?” Conard Principal Julio Duarte asked the Class of 2015. He said he learned what it took to succeed from his grandfather, who was orphaned and living alone on the streets of Portugal before coming to the United States, working hard, and never giving up.

“In the course of life you will have to deal with adversity. Work hard and never give up,” Duarte advised the graduates. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure,” Duarte said, quoting the words of Colin Powell.

Assistant Superintendent Nancy DePalma had the entire audience laughing as she told the graduates she decided to provide them with “inspiration, wit, and wisdom” to guide them on their next adventure from “the Holy Grail of finding out out everything you need to know about the graduating class” – the Conard yearbook.

The graduates’ quotations, which DePalma said she chose at random, ranged from Vince Lombardi’s “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” to “Just keep swimming” from Dory in “Finding Nemo,” to Albus Dumbledore’s (“Harry Potter”) “There will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”

DePalma included a few of her own favorite quotes as inspiration, too, including Christopher Robin’s advice to Winnie the Pooh: “… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

Board of Education Vice Chair Tammy Exum, whose son Evan is a member of the Class of 2015, advised the students that it’s okay to choose their own path.

“Life is a journey, not a destination, so please feel free to dream and dream big,” Exum said. “There is room for all of you to choose and follow your unique path … be the best of whatever you are.”

“Embrace the challenges that you will face,” was Wziontko’s advice to the class. He urged the graduates to use the support of and also show their appreciation to those around them, and to “be reliable and lead by example.”

Class speaker Lia Negron spoke to her peers about not being afraid to fail, and how failure is an important part of the learning process. She spoke of struggling with an AP Computer Science class until she realized that “scores are just numbers.”

“I’ve learned that we shouldn’t just be afraid to fail because of the concept … we should see that it’s okay to fail as long as it’s part of the learning process. I now understand that we have to fail to stand on our own,” Negron said.

Henley Solomon was the other class speaker. Solomon, a Hartford resident who attended West Hartford schools as part of the “Open Choice” program and has been the Conard student representative to the Board of Education this year spoke to his fellow student about the “rags of life” – the things that we have that we “cast off” because we don’t realize their importance.

What’s also important, Solomon said, is perception. “If you want to know how to kick life in the butt, change your perception,” said Solomon, and “do not stop, keep going.”

“It’s time to turn our ‘rags’ into robes for all the world to admire … Go out and show the world your robes of life,” Solomon advised.

As the final graduates received their diplomas, the audience broke into rousing applause and gave the Class of 2015 a standing ovation.

“This is the proudest day,” Duarte said as he made the graduation official by asking the class to move their tassels from right to left.”

As graduates gathered outside the school where the rain had finally stopped, some lit up celebratory cigars.

“It’s not real yet,” said parent Kerry Bell, whose oldest son Ryan graduated and will attend the University of Rochester in the fall. The hard part, she said, will be sending him off to college.

“It’s all very exciting,” said Lisa Bugos. Her daughter Molly will attend UConn in the fall, and she said that experiencing graduation with her second child was “a little bit easier.”

“You get caught up in all the activities and the hype, but it’s a huge milestone,” said Liz Santoro, whose oldest son Brian will attend Roger Williams.

A complete list of graduates follows.

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Conard High School Class of 2015:
Travis Dillon Abrahamsen
Julia Shae Adams
Catarina Braz Aleixo
Tahreem Akhter Ali
Trevaughn Mark Allison
Brittany Anderson
Juan David Ariza
Matthew Thomas Ashley
Matthew Doyle Baisden
Bryan William Baker
John Anthony Balkun
Alexa R. Barrett
Mairead C. Barry
Anusha Basnet
Kenneth Scott Bayley
Randy James Begin
Ryan Michael Bell
Edward Johnathan Bello
Constance Bena
Katie Ellen Berry
Alen Bihorac
Keenen I. Black
Jared N. Blinder
Jeremy Scott Blue
Brittany Von Bobo
Molly G. Bohman
Noah Mae Bohrer
Michael Boni
James Jhon Bordiere Jr
Joseph J. Bouchot
Christian Lukasz Bouzyk
Zachary J. Braga
Molly V. Brandner
Paul James Brewer
John A. Bristol
Brandon A. Broadhurst
Hakeem S. Brown
Keleigh Brown
Yamil Ezequiel Brucelis
Molly Barbara Bugos
Anthony Bui
Francesca Naniel Bustamante
Anil R. Butler
Margaret J. Byrne
Aiyana A. Callas
Kasey Canga
Dylan Joseph Carneiro
George Edward Carney
Michael Carpio
Brianna Christine Carson
Lizmarie Castro
Tessa M. Cavello
Jean Pierre Chaparro
Franklin N. Charonesuk
Elizabeth Anna Christensen
Josue Brandon Cintron
Yuki Shane Collins
David Colon
Victoria Lynn Conelli
Joshua J. Cooper
Catlin M. Corrales
Heath Thomas Costello
Matthew O. Costello
Ebbett Carneiro Couchman
Molly Claire Crafts
Ali Caitlin Crossley
Franlly Cruz
Elodie Orla Currier
Andrew Curtis Cutting
Molly Lauren Daigle
Brendan Murphy Dakin
Ly T. Dang
William H. Dean
Julia Elizabeth DeLutrie
Angelyka Nicole Diaz
Ernesta Rose Diffley
Brian Dindial
Christopher Paul DiPietro
Daniela Andrea Doncel
Neil Thomas Droney
Joshua Paul-Carrol Dufault
Michael V. Duong
Eric Duprey
Mark N. Ehnot
Carly Eileen Emonds
Samuel Jacob Epstein
Stephen E. Espinal
Brian Lee Espinosa
Karina Marie Estremera
Evan Earl Exum
Catherine Anne Falvey
Cody Benjamin Farley
Maureen E. Farrell
Marcus Isaiah Feliciano
Yayddy Feliciano Santiago
Alec Talbot Ferguson-Hull
Jose Yadiel Fernandez
Isabel Cristina Fernandez-Gil
David Isaiah Ferrer-Guarin
Andrew Thomas Festa
Prescott Alexander Fields
Timothy S. Fisher
Eilish Anne Flaherty
Lorenzo M. Fontana
Bryson Michael Fountain
Henry O’Connor Fracasso
Emma Reed French
Vanessa A. Funkhouser
Madison Quinn Gaetano
Vincenzo Gagliardi
Luke Henry Garneau
Kevin Gates
Nasharia Kamoni Gaynor
Elizabeth M. George
Julia E. Gibson
Samantha A. Gibson
Daijilyne Viola Gilbert
Ryan Paul Glover
Jahson Christopher Gobin
Jessica Christina Gobin
Karon O. Golding
Timothy A. Goodrich
Edward John Goyzueta
Brianna J. Grande
Daesha A. Gray-Gallagher
Christina M. Green
Gianella Y. Gutierrez
Mark Allan Guzick
Benjamin Reed Hadra
Griffin James Haggerty
Kelsey Reed Hammond
Neil Kenneth Harris
Nickolas W. Hartman
Danielle R. Hartshorn
Ali Abdullahi Hassan
Barwako Abdullahi Hassan
John Morgan Haverty
Jessica Lyn Hendsey
Anselmo Miguel Heredia
Joralemar Hernandez
Toby A. Hollertz
Fernando Gabriel Huapaya-Rios
Cierra N. Hungerford
Mehreen Hina Hussain
An Truc Huynh
Emily Huynh
Xuan Kim Huynh
Rosalynn Elizabeth Hyatt
Madison Kelly Hyland
Corey A. Jackson
Margaret Ann Jamin
Mary K. Jastrzebski
Nathaniel Nielsen Jeremiah
Ibrahim Jibrell
Brittany A. Jones
Edwin Arthur Jones
Frederik Bruun Jorgensen
Syed Ebadulah Kaleem
Simranjit Kaur
Jonathan Michael Keach-Longo
Jeffrey Alan Kent
Mohammad Bilal Khan
Emily Kleban
Cassidy Elizabeth Kotyla
Alexis Claire Krantz
Eric Cameron Krueger
Emma C. Kutscher
Joseph J. Kyle
Amanda M. Lagueras
Dawa Chhutin Lama
Janessa Margaret Laureano
Elaisa Sabalboro Laureta
Elizabeth Blair Lavelle
Gianna Maria Thanh-Thu Le
Jennifer H. Le
Isabella Quinn Lefante
Hank Graham Leitzke
Julia Mary Leone
Gabrielle Imani Leslie
Brian Lin
Wei Lin
Zakariah Amari Lindsey
Thomas Kelly Link
Miranda Louise Litke
Jennifer Maria Lombard
Michelle Ann Long
Michelle Marie Lopes
Asia Leah Lopez
Natalie Frances Lynch
Daniel Ritz MacGillis
Mifrah Malik
Madeleine Ann Manders
Austin Joseph Marques
Nicholas Gary Martell
John Robert Martin
Matthew S. Martin
Ashley M. Marzano
Spencer David Maslin
Michaela Masood
Erin E. Massey
Ashwin Mathew
Arilson O. Mayuri
Precious Ochechukwu Mba
Brittany Alexandra McCabe
Benjamin Louis McDonough
Shayla Nicole McKeown
Malcolm Xavier Medrano Aldarondo
Christopher Dillon Mello
Patrick Joseph Melly
Kevin Mendez
Daija Luz Merced
Catalina Anais Michea
Lianne Elizabeth Miller
Carson Millican
Gabriel Minacapelli Filho
Jacob Roy Mobley
Jose Morales
Lucas Jose Morales
Patrick Kenneth Moyle
Jordan Thornber Muchin
Callie B. Murphy
Alyssa C. Murray
Robert Parker Murray
Abhimanyu Dulipsingh Natarajan
Justina M. Navallil
Chidebe Ndibe
Haddy Ndure
Lia C. Negron
Robert S. Nelson
Leah H. Nguyen
Phi Minh Nguyen
Jordin Rae Alexandra Nicolae
Jocelyn Lee Noonan
Kathryn Rose Novak
Juan L. Nunez
Libnerys Nunez
Kelly Ann O’Donovan
Christopher Paul O’Sullivan
Isaac Paul Oda-Bayliss
Nicholas J. Oddo
Yao Adecoule Ogountola
Isabel V. Olano
Mikayla M. Oliveras
Kyle E. Ortiz
Jacqueline Elena Palermo
Rebecca Rose Palma
Daniel Paredes
Keith Parsons
Leslie A. Paulino
Joshua Edward Pavano
Issiah Cyrus Percy-Campbell
Arielle Elizabeth Pereira
Ariana Lizé-Almeida Perez
Alexander Robert Perron
Luke Pountney Peterson
Khanh Bich Pham
Minh Hai Pham
Kaila Mollie Piscitelli
Samuel Lawrence Prescott
Kenny Fernando Puerta-Perez
Kennedy Tyler Quirk
Juan Sebastian Ramirez Delgado
Erin S. Regan
Lily Shayna Reisner
Sebastian Marcelo Rengifo Amblodegui
Michael Blake Retrum
Kayla J. Reuben
Kiara Reyes
Jake Edward Reynolds
Erik K. Ribeiro
Shane Michael Richardson
Katherine Anne Riedling
Brett Patrick Riley
Alfredo Rivera III
Brandy Alize Rivera
Chantal Lorein Rivera
Elioenaid Rivera
Dayson Anthony Rodgers
Michelle J. Rodgers
Marina K. Rodrigues
Amanda Noel Rodriguez
Genesis Rodriguez
John Raul Rodriguez
Kimberly Aleisha Rodriguez
Sabrina Mercedes Rodriguez
Thalia Jennipher Rodriguez
Alix Marcella Royce
Daniel Alexis Ruffasto
Caleb Thomas Ryor
Huda Samakaab
Joshua Sanchez
Brian Robert Santoro
Elena Gracinda Santos
Anna Elizabeth Schone
Danielle Lauren Schuman
Ana H. Serrano
Frank T. Signorello
Samantha R. Simoni
Tessa R. Sinatro
Paras Singh
Inga Marie Smith
Vanessa Solano
Henley Anthony Solomon
Mairin M. Sone
Kanish Fathema Sonia
Madison Dineen Soucy
Alex Michael Steiner
Nathaniel Straus
Amanda K. Sullivan
Grace Tessier Sullivan
Robert J. Sullivan
Leslie Nahbila Tajam
Michael A. Terranova
Aliah Terrero
Matthew James Thomas
Nimi Maria Thomas
Tibu Thomas
Brian Joseph Torsiello
Hannah Katherine Townsend
Carolina Hoang Tran
Nobel Tran
Kristin Uschkureit
Sadie Maya Valdez
Aquins Varghese
Gabriel Camilo Vega-Calderon
Roger Velasquez
Ethan J. Velazquez
Deanna E. Villafane
Mary C. Volpe
Lucy Elizabeth Walker
Daniel Eric Walsh
Tristan Raymond Watson
Hayley Louise Welch
Alexander J. White
Margaret Tehan Whittel
Graham Hulon Wilcox
Alexia A. Williams
Jamar Nevonn Williams
Joshua Vonyea Williams
Laura Philine Windhorst
Linda S. Yang
Jessica Yao
Elise Mary Youmans
Rachel E. Yousman
Jamie Elizabeth Zaslowsky
Aulona Zeka