Despite a gray day in West Hartford, the Conard graduating class of 2019 was nothing but bright and happy celebrating the years spent together and looking ahead to the future as they go their separate ways.
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
By Zoe Pierce. Photos by Ronni Newton
For the 62nd Commencement ceremony of West Hartford’s Conard High School, more than 300 students walked across the stage as family, faculty, and friends looked on from seats in the schools’s gym as well as the auditorium, where the ceremony was being live-streamed.
Class President Flore Barrillon began the ceremony by thanking the faculty, administration, parents and guardians for giving the graduates confidence and support throughout their time as students.
“Today is the day. Our continuous hard work and eagerness for success is moments away from paying off. Walking across this stage and accepting this diploma marks the moment we take the knowledge and experiences we’ve gained from Conard and pave the way for ourselves, wherever we may go,” said Barrillon.
Conard Principal Julio Duarte spoke about the class’ passion and leadership, reflecting on their accomplishments over the years through programs like Unified Theatre, art shows, and the theater program’s production of “Singing in the Rain.”
“You, you alone have a real opportunity to make the world a better place,” said Duarte. “You are truly an amazing class and I will genuinely miss you.”
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Paul Vicinus spoke about his time as a in the military in Afghanistan, as a teacher and as a parent, experiencing life and loss. He shared with the graduates seven lessons, seven words of wisdom: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
“You’ve made a difference in this school, in this community, and in each other,” said Vicinus.
Before the Senior Choir sang their final song together, “Time of Your Life” by Green Day, Board of Education representative David Pauluk reminded them to “take a moment and soak it all in.”
“Remember that you have graduated from one of the top high schools in the state,” said Pauluk. “It didn’t get that way without you guys.”
Student-elected speaker David Dippolino, who is retiring this year from Conard where he was a math teacher, captivated the audience with a powerful speech reflecting the responsibility the students have to inspire, be passionate, and “find their outrage.”
“I want you to find what you hate and make it better,” said Dippolino. “Find your outrage and do something to change it.”
Dippolino advised students not to “lose your compassion for one another.” He told students to use technology to their advantage to make connections, citing the 2017 Parkland shooting which displayed the generation’s ability to come together country-wide.
He also warned students that “likes” and “reactions” on social media are not activism, and they “need to be in it for the long run” if they care about something and want to make a difference.
“Some progress did occur,” said Dippolino, referring to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. “But clearly not enough, especially with racial inequalities.”
In a speech that discussed issues of race, gender, economics and politics, Dippolino moved the graduating class and surrounding crowd to a standing ovation.
“I could not have chosen a better class to say goodbye with,” said Dippolino, who is also the person to whom the graduating class dedicated their yearbook.
Student speakers Miles Brown and Julia Marcella both mentioned letters the graduates who went to elementary school in West Hartford had received a few weeks ago – letters from their fifth-grade selves.
While they said their letters mostly consisted of material you would expect from a fifth-grader – for Brown that meant a goal of meeting Jennifer Lawrence and for Marcella inside jokes she no longer understand – both also said there were parts that stuck with them.
“Look I’m not saying we should settle, we should go for it, take risks. But even if all else fails – even if we never meet Jennifer Lawrence – life will work out OK,” said Brown. “Whatever happens, we’ll still have a shot at what the last goal was that I had on my fifth-grade letter. Down at the bottom of the page, No. 20: Live a great, long life.”
“I want to remind you not to take yourselves too seriously,” Marcella said. “Despite the different lifestyles we will pursue after high school, there is one thing we will have in common for the rest of our lives: we’re Conard High School graduates.”
As he waited with his fellow members of the Class of 2019 prior to the ceremony, Andy Tran, who will be attending Colombia in the fall, highlighted the students and families in Conard who are immigrants, saying: “I just want to say to all the immigrant kids out there, second, first generation kids, you know a lot of your parents risked their lives to come over here. You know, they’re waiting for the day that you can graduate high school, and it’s so great because I just feel like the American Dream right now.”
The night was filled with applause for the graduates, but one of the most enthusiastic displays – a standing ovation – came as Zeke McDonough rolled his wheelchair across the stage. McDonough made a lasting impact on the students and faculty at Conard as well as programs such as Unified Theatre.
Congratulations to Conard Class of 2019! #conard19 pic.twitter.com/oSX9Ibo3lF
— We-Ha.Com (@WeHartford) June 13, 2019
As the graduates moved their tassels from right to left they became Conard alumni, and when they turned to be greeted with applause from the crowd and tossed their caps into the air they were no longer the same children they were when they arrived at the school, but rather adults ready to face the world and whatever they encounter in it.
As Dippolino said in his farewell to the Conard Class of 2019, “Now go out and make a difference.”
A complete list of graduates follows the photographs below.
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Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Senior Choir. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Emcee, Assistant Principal Lindsay Tringali. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Class President Flore Barrillon. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Principal Julio Duarte. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Assistant Superintendent Paul Vicinus. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Senior Choir performs ‘Time of Your Life.’ Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Faculty speaker Dave Dippolino. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
New grad Matthew Vitelli poses with his parents after graduation. The ‘tusks’ on his mortarboard represent his future college, the Amherst Mammoths. Conard High School graduation. June 13, 2019. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School – Class of 2019
Kaleigh Marie-ouelett Agosto
Aysha A Akhter
Micaela Braz Aleixo
Kayla Nichol Alexandre
Luis Andres Alicea
Marisa Ciera Allen
Alexander Nicholas Almazan
Jason Manuel Alvarado
Jaza Dayang Amchok
Timothy Antonio Andrews
Aaron Jose Aparicio
Andres Sebastian Ariza
Jewel Christine Armstrong
Millard Alton Arnold V
Erin Noelle Arruda
Alexandra Nicole Arteaga
Deerick Louis Arzola-Torres
Finn Thomas Ashworth
Alayza Audain
Augustine Edward Bacon
Isabella Mary Bailey
Samuel Jasper Baker
George Leo Baldwin
Steven Baquero
Maya Kenausis Barlow
Reed Christian Baronian
Flore Marie Barrillon
Hannah Xiao Qiu Barry
Brendan Lino Battiston
Victoria Elizabeth Beaton
Christie Anna Beaumier
Matthew John Beazoglou
Liberty Regina Bednarz
Walker Edward Benet
Daniel Michael Bernard
Lauren Brittany Bettencourt
Nandini Bhatt
Shabit Bhatt
Shamus Lee Biggs
Molly Ann Miron Binder
Emily Nicole Birnbaum
Kobe Julie Ann Blue
Brianna Marie Bobo
Colin Michael Boccaccio
Alexander Clayton Boehm
Sophie Victoria Boisvert
Elena Marie Borio
Ryan Vincent Bottass
Kyle James Bridgman
Paloma Rose Brites
Eleanor Anne Brown
Miles Iapoce Brown
Eloise Bartow Bryggare
Shawn J Budhu
Tyler J Budhu
Kelly Bui
Kathleen Dalton Burgdorff
Martin Edward Burke II
Thomas James Burnett
Khalil Javon Burney
Nolan Enzo Butler
Alexandra Sabina Buyak
Ashley Liana Caceres
Alexander Maximilian Callahan
Grace Maddi Cancian
Ariel Finan Roditi Caplan
Bryant Patrick Caron
Shane Peter Carr
Phoebe Elizabeth Carter
Noah Jacob Case
Ines Siti Castillo
Luis Angel Castro Jr
Isabella Mary Celio
Jacob James Cersosimo
Ava Gabrielle Chabot
James Francis Cheverier
James Harry Christ
Michaela Elizabeth Clark
Raven A.V. Clarke
Grace Marie Coburn
Madelyn Grace Coco
Madison Joy Cohen
Lenworth Roy Cole Jr
Auston Ross Comrie
Michael Austin Costello
Arthur Martin Louis Couch
Hannah Elizabeth Crawford
Grace Erin Cronin
Brenden Xavier Crumbie
Marcos Antonio Cruz
Anna Grace Czajkowski
Joshua Minh Dam
Angelina Divine Grace Davis
Nicolas Tadeu De Campos Paula
Bryson Augustas Denby
Carl Jerome Denson
Ruth Abebe Dires
Errol Lewis Dixon Jr
Michael Kristopher Driscoll
Margaret Catherine Drummey
Mason Tyler Dupont
David Henry Dynowski
Liana Rose Eisler
Grace Danielle Evans
Grace Elizabeth Faenza
JamesMichael Falvey
Dylan Seamus Farrell
Pablo Antonio Figueroa
Cailin Marie Flaherty
Heather Anne Flannery
Noel Ubaldo Flores
Noellie Flores
Justin Peter Furze
Madeline Teresa Gallinoto
Jayden Nicole Garcia
Cristina Netchanok Gaudio
Oluwatoyin Rebecca Gbadebo
Evelyn Rose Gearty
Rusalraj Ghimire
William Francis Gibbons
Jake Edward Gionfriddo
Benjamin Luke Giroux
William Joseph Gomes
Alec Olivo Gonzalez
Nathaniel Gonzalez
Josuel Alexis Gonzalez-Maldonado
Elijah Solomon Gordon
Micah Georg-Ann Gordon
Lindley Dinan Gorman
Sarah Elizabeth Gotthelf
Megan Elizabeth Goulet
Charlotte Anne Grens
Isabella Soleil Guajardo-Moore
Angel Luis Guevara
Neil Philip Gustafson
Jeremy Ekow Jose Hanson
Julia Leigh Hardesty
Tamara Chaz Harris-Frederick
Gabriella Hope Hart
Madino Abdullahi Hassan
Fallon Elisabeth Hemingway
Shea Langham Henderson
Eric Sergey Himmelstein
Maire Paquette Hollertz
David Huynh
Hamza Irshad
Janelle Mcclay Isaacs
Claire Elise Ittleson
Lataja Jahod Jackson
Arjun Jagjivan
Chelsea Gleave Jansing
Jessica Althamease Jaynes
Colebrooke James Johnson
Cassidy Arin Jones
Morgan Rose Jones
Harmanpreet Kaur
Aaron Jefferson Khan
Sakusal Khatiwada
Audrey Alyce Kim
Ian Teneyck Kimberly
Benjamin Owen Kirby
Grace Kathryn Kneidel
Devin Steven Krisst
Liam Michael Lacroix
Andrew Joseph Lagoy
Kadajah Taliyah Laidley
Matthew William Langevin
Madison Jenna Langweil
Sophia Louise Lankin
Cameron Kane Larkin
Jeffrey Paul LaRosa
Jesse Lau
Emma Yongshuai Lauer
Erick Chau Le
Jimmy Le
Maivi Nguyen Le
Quynh My Le
John Carhart Ledwith
Addi Lynn Leitzke
Keeshawn Zuberi Lewinson
Riley Campbell Liburd
Timothy Christopher Licht
Annika Kristina Ligon
Ricky Liu
Daniel Alexander Loftus
Kaylan Brianne Lopez
Kelsey Sharinel Lopez
Nicole Lopez
Rey Janiel Lopez
Kayla Madison Louro
Kiara Emma Lozada
Isabel Grace Lubin
Natalia Lugo
Iris Madsen-Bibeau
Patrick James Mahon
Asjha Tashna-Gaye Malcolm
Rojita Malla
Dylan Kealoha Mallach
Dylan Patrick Mallinson
Lauren Jane Manning
Julia Elizabeth Marcella
Ethan James Marshall
Jeremy Dynale Martin
Jonathan James Martin
Efrain Martinez III
Daniel Hassen Martinez Rodrigo
Lauren Elizabeth Massaro
Keegan Buckley May
Abigail Catalina Mayuri
Andres Antonio Mayuri
Ethan Quinn McCabe
Ciara Elizabeth McCann
Lydia Eleanor McCracken
Emily Keehn McDill
Ezekiel Rodriguez McDonough
John Miller McGovern
Nora Marie McGowan
Connor Joseph McKeown
Stephen James McNally
Jack Morgan Mello
Danielle Lauren Miller
Stephen David Mills
Chase Alexander Mitchell
Zoreena Mohamed
Fernando Monjardin-Quintero
Cristian Manuel Montanez
Bradley Alexander Morales
Mark Morales
Allison Paige Morhardt
Meghann Lily Morhardt
Kori Chad Morrell
Tariq Ziad Moumne
Rodrigo Antonio Munoz Acosta
Jamey Alexander Nadeau
Eli Walter Nanni
Izabella Christina Natchev
Julia Meishen Neal
Vincent Lloyd Nemergut
Cindy Nguyen
Sheila Thi Nguyen
Tram Thi Nguyen
Yen Nguyen
Keegan Weaver Nuttall
Paige Benedict O’Connell-Bach
Derek Robert O’Connor
Jacob Anthony Oddo
Cassidy Lynn Olechna
Nour Emad Osman
Gabriel Jose Otero
September Anabel Outlaw
Sophie-Isabel Bobes Overstreet
Anthony Ryutaro Palace
Nathali Nicolle Paredes
Cheyanne Nikita Olivia Parker
Lucas Monroe Pauluk
Brady Daniel Paulus
Michael Steven Pechenuk
Jonathan A Perez
Ganesh Donald Petterson
Thu Tu Minh Pham
Victoria C Pham
Michael McGrath Phillips
Arianna Mae Pineda
Julia Cote Prescott
Abigail Eleanor Quinn
Michael Quiros Jr
Redwan Rahman
Alba Maria Ramos
Ayanna Regina Ramos
David Thomas Regan
Reiner De-Shawn Reichenberger
Jelisa Marie Resto
Joel David Reuning-Scherer
Elena Suzanne Rezende
Nathalie Rivera
Dominique Renee Robinson
Christopher Jayden Rodriguez
Gilberto Rodriguez
Julian Enrique Romero
Brandon Alexander Roy
Colby James Roy
Max Aiden Ryan
Ian Donald Sagers
Anthony Salazar
Sarah Rose Sampt
Nicole Sanchez
Alexsei Jose Santana
Daniel Armando Santana-Gonzalez
Anna Elizabeth Santoro
Isabella Florence Santos
Nicolas Mason Santos
Alexis Noreen Sargent
Owen Daniel Scigulinsky
John Demetri Scrimgeour
Richard Lall Seecharran
Michaela Rose Seville
Kate Olivia Shaffer
Sayad Ahmad Shams
Kenneth Lee Shazel Jr
Nora Jane Sherrill
Aianna Siembab
Gurpreet Singh
Cameron Constance Slocum
Caroline Elizabeth Smith
Ethan Gregory Smith
Katia Ferreira Soares
Matthew Ryan Sorgio
Helkin Felipe Sosa
Brandon Marino Souza
Christian Clevens St. Juste
Danielle Thanh Sterling
Alexandra Isabelle Stiber
Dylan Roger Stricklett
Katrina Elaine Stumpf
Elijah Gregory Suarez
Gabriel Manuel Suarez
Peter Joel Sweeney III
Joanna Szeto
Matthew Jared Szkoda
Noah Andrew Theriault
Mairead Johanna Thiery
Timothy Christian Tobin
Emily Huiya Tong
Andy Tran
Allison Rose Turner
Kara Ellen Turner
Gabriella Jo Urso
Elisha Cristina Valle
Mario Garret Vasquez Esposito
Makaila Denee Vasquez-Steele
Zar Sherrod Vaughn
Yadiel Vazquez Lorenzana
Dailisse Marie Vega
Jaylen Alex Vega
Natisha Liz Vega
Yeraldy Villasana
Matthew James Vitelli
Mario Paul Volpe
Desiree Maranda Walker
Bridget Elizabeth Walsh
Jenesis Jazlynn-Nicole Ward
Jaharad Morris Weston
Nathan Carter White
Thomas Manning Wilson
Imani Alexis Womack
Dylan Joseph Woods
Thomas Jesus Woods
Auden Thomas Woolfson
Daiquan Latrell World
Jordan Xavier Lamont Wynn
Xiao Xin Xie
Kevin Yang
Julia Elizabeth Yanosy
Fely Adrienne Yigle-Kaljob
Erik Glenn Youngstrom
Nathan Morris Yousman
Alexis Nickole Zayas
