‘This is Your Moment’: Conard High School Honors Class of 2025
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Members of the Class of 2025 move their tassels from right to left as they officially graduation. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
‘Embrace obstacles. Choose to love.’ A surprise guest takes the stage at Conard’s Class of 2025 graduation.
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
By Mia Jaworski. Photos by Ronni Newton and Mia Jaworski
West Hartford’s Conard High School honored the Class of 2025 on the evening of Wednesday, June 11, marking the moment with music, speeches, and a surprise guest on stage.
The event began at 5 p.m. on the school’s outdoor field, adjacent to the baseball diamond behind the gymnasium. Families, faculty and friends filled the campus, with many seated in rows of chairs set aside for wristband holders, while others gathered along the sidelines.
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Graduates entered to a pre-recorded performance of “Pomp and Circumstance” by the Conard full orchestra. The processional followed a musical prelude by the 2024–2025 Conard concerts.
Assistant Principal Juan Melián took the stage and opened the ceremony. “This is your moment. Your chapter. Your time. Welcome to the graduation ceremony of the Conard High School Class of 2025!” said Melián.
Assistant Principal Juan Melián. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The National Anthem was performed by the Senior Choir and signed by 10 American Sign Language students alongside Conard ASL faculty.
ASL students sign the National Anthem. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Class President Jules Capone served as co-master of ceremonies with Melián and gave the official commencement remarks.
Class President Jules Capone. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Principal Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble, herself a Conard alumna, reflected on her own graduation 27 years earlier. “As a proud graduate of Conard, I’ve been thinking a lot about this moment – and the theme of ‘The Power of Moments.’ Because this, right now, is one of those moments you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life,” she said.
Conard Principal Jocelyn Tamborello-Noble. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
She acknowledged achievements across the school community, recognizing the girls lacrosse team, the Broadway concert’s “wicked” production, and the boys hockey team’s latest state championship.
From these highlights, Tamborello-Noble transitioned to the ceremony’s central theme: the power of moments.
“The power of moments teaches us to be present. To show up with purpose. Because we never know which moment will be the one that changes everything,” she said.
She encouraged graduates as they face their futures: “So as we head into the next chapter – college, careers, service, or something yet unknown – carry this with you: seek out the moments that matter… Class of 2025, you are the authors of your story. Every moment from here on is a blank page. So write a good one.”
Members of the Conard High School senior choir sing the national anthem during the Class of 2025 commencement ceremony on June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Mia Jaworski
The Senior Choir returned to perform the class song, “Home” by Phillip Phillips. As the sun dipped lower, a breeze carried through the crowd and rustled the rows of red gowns. The lyrics – “Hold me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road” –rang out as caps began to loosen in anticipation.
Faculty speaker Ramona Puchalski-Piretti. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Shortly after, A surprise moment unfolded when faculty speaker Ramona Puchalski-Piretti paused during her remarks and turned the microphone over to a different voice – one not listed in the program.
She introduced Gino Caro, a longtime and beloved school receptionist, as someone who “has met all of the students graduating,” a feat that Puchalski-Piretti marked as something only he has done.
Gino Caro. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Caro stepped forward to offer three life lessons drawn from his years at the school: “Embrace obstacles, engage in kind behaviors that have no cost, and to choose to love.”
“Choosing to love is the most powerful choice you can make,” he said, “because it brightens that light inside so much, that darkness can never come in.”
Student speaker Norah Obuchon. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Student commencement speakers Norah Obuchon and Mariela Martinez spoke to their classmates.
“You will never be this version of yourself again. So stop rushing it,” said Obuchon. “Fail. Fall. Mess up. Laugh a little louder and love a little deeper. Take risks. Make mistakes. Do what you’re afraid of. We live in such fear of doing something wrong, of failing. But failure doesn’t mean you’re not good enough; it’s simply proof that you’re trying. And that’s more than most can say,” she said.
Student speaker Mariela Martinez. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
“Just like my culture has shaped who I am, each of us carries our own story – whether it’s the traditions passed down to us, the struggles we overcame, or the dreams we are chasing,” said Martinez, whose family is from the Dominican Republic.
Additional remarks came from Assistant Superintendent Anne McKernan and Board of Education Chair Lorna Thomas-Farquharson.
In a moment of shared celebration, the Class of 2025 threw their caps high into the air, marking the close of the ceremony, the end of one chapter, and the exciting beginning of the next.
Conard High School graduates toss their caps into the air Wednesday evening, celebrating the completion of the Class of 2025 commencement ceremony at the school’s outdoor field on June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Mia Jaworski
As caps soared through the air, families quickly made their way toward the graduates, wrapping them in hugs and congratulatory smiles. Cheers and laughter filled the warm evening air, echoing across the overflowing parking lots where cars lined every available space. Meanwhile, friends and relatives gathered in clusters, sharing stories and capturing memories, marking the joyful celebration of years completed and new journeys just beginning.
A girl holds a poster of her family member who is graduating during the Conard High School Class of 2025 commencement ceremony on June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Mia Jaworski
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Senior Choir. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Assistant Superintendent Anne McKernan. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Board of Education Chair Lorna Thomas-Farquharson. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Senior Choir. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Members of the Class of 2025 move their tassels from right to left as they officially graduation. Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Parents, family and friends prepare to capture photos as Conard High School graduates toss their caps into the air during the Class of 2025 commencement ceremony on June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Mia Jaworski
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Conard High School graduation. June 11, 2025. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The ceremony was to be followed by a Safe Grad post-graduation party hosted by Conard High School parents and volunteers.
Click to View Full List of Conard High School Class of 2025 Graduates
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