Commencement 2020

Members of the Class of 2020, after waiting two months, gathered for their Commencement Exercises on Friday, July 31, before heading off on the next step of their academic journeys.

A total of 56 of the graduates, joined by faculty, staff, family, and invited guests, came together on Cheshire Academy’s Sevigny Field for an in-person commencement ceremony.

This year, 86 seniors and 14 postgraduate students graduated from Cheshire Academy.

From here, they have gone on to attend colleges and universitiesaround the world, including Amherst College, DartmouthCollege, Boston College, New York University, University ofNotre Dame, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. LawrenceUniversity, Rhode Island School of Design, and The AmericanMusical and Dramatic Academy, to name a few.

Julia Gillotti, of Cheshire, was this year’s valedictorian. In her address, Gillotti reflected on the past four years at Cheshire Academy, remembering what she and friends did between classes, as well as community-building exercises in which the entire school community took part. She looked back on the month of March, when she and the rest of the school were told they would not be returning to campus after spring recess and, instead, conclude their final semester remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The challenges she and her class faced, however, will shape them for the future, Gillotti insisted. “As a generation, it’s on our shoulders to prevent this pandemic from worsening. It’s on our shoulders to fight climate change. It’s on our shoulders to stop racial inequality and patriarchal oppression, among a whole host of other problems. While this may seem daunting, we must remember we are resilient. We are now graduates of Cheshire Academy, an institution that helped us become leaders.”

Senior Masters Karen Smith and Chip Boyd led the Commencement processional into the tented ceremony.

“This pandemic has provided us with not only awakeup call to issues such as these, but also anopportunity to fight them. We must recognizethat each of us has a place and a purpose in thisworld, and it is up to us to figure out how torestore balance to the imbalanced ways in whichwe’ve been living for so long.”

Salutatorian Dante Strollo, also of Cheshire, noted thatfollowing the day’s events, he and his peers would officiallybecome CA alumni. He said some may forever remainconnected to the school, while others will move on, notvisiting campus again for several years. However, CA willalways remain a part of them.

“We must recognize that each of us has a place and a purpose in this world, and it is up to us to figure out how to restore balance to the imbalanced ways in which we’ve been living for so long.” ~ Julia Gillotti

“Regardless of where life takes us, we must remember that Cheshire will always welcome us as it did when we first arrived,” Strollo said. “We will forever have a place in this beautiful community. While we may have different opinions, cultures, creeds, and make different life choices, we will always be one in spirit.”

Class President Russell Tevie, of Ghana, quipped that concluding his final semester made him appreciate how exciting his life was as a boarding student. He missed everything, from walking to Gideon Welles Dining Commons and getting hyped up for a soccer game, to gathering with friends in the Community Forum and running to class in order to avoid being marked tardy.

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life and be the best version of yourself,” he said. “During these times, it has also become more clear to me that the world does need more Cheshire Academy graduates. I think we can all agree the world is getting scarier every day, but let’s bring light to areas where darkness reigns.”

Head of School Julie Anderson looked back upon the senior privileges that many members of the class were hoping to enjoy, as well as a prom, senior art shows and music performances, and a senior day. When campus closed, however, those privileges were never realized for this group, resulting in a disappointing senior spring for which they were not responsible. She urged them to be responsible, to make change, to mend the environment, to honestly confront race relations, and to recognize and respond to social injustices.

“You have the power to spark change in ways that demonstrate your understanding—a far more sophisticated understanding brought about by having to face disappointment early,” Anderson said. “At Cheshire Academy, you have learned the value of being global citizens, capable of critical thinking and strategic problem solving. And this is where I have hope: in you.”

COLLEGE MATRICULATION FOR THE CLASS OF 2020

Amherst College, Assumption College, Belmont University, Bentley University, Boston College (2), Boston University (3), Canisius College, Carnegie Mellon University, Catholic University of America (2), Central Connecticut State University (2), Claremont McKenna College, Colgate University, Dartmouth College, Drew University, Earlham College, Emerson College (2), Fairfield University, George Washington University, Hamilton College, Hofstra University, Louisiana State University, Marist College (2), Monmouth University, Mount Saint Mary College, Muhlenberg College, New York University (5), Northeastern University (4), Pellissippi State Community College, Quinnipiac University (3), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2), Rhode Island School of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University-Newark, Sacred Heart University (3), Saint Michael’s College, Salve Regina University (2), Santa Clara University, Southern Methodist University (2), Springfield College, St. Lawrence University, St. John’s University, Stonehill College, SUNY at Purchase College, Syracuse University, Temple University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, The New School, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of Tampa, Trinity College, Tufts University, University of California, San Diego (4), University of Chicago, University of Connecticut (3), University of Hartford, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University of Miami, University of New Hampshire, University of New Haven (2), University of Notre Dame, Vassar College, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington University in St. Louis, Wesleyan University (2), Williams College, Wofford College

(#) INDICATES WHERE 2 OR MORE WILL ATTEND

Commencement 2020 — Major Awards

VALEDICTORIAN

Julia Gillotti

SALUTATORIAN

Dante Strollo

SENIOR ACADEMIC AWARDS

The Karen J. Smith Scholarship Award for Scholastic Improvement

Asa Beyah

The Morris Sweetkind Senior English Prize

Julia Gillotti

William A. Hassell Senior Lab Science Prize

Zehao “Leon” Jiang

James P. Loder Foreign Language Award

Yeran “Lisa” Lu

Jerome J. Sullivan Senior Mathematics Prize

Zehao “Leon” Jiang

The Ann J. Moriarty Social Science Prize

Emma Klinge

The Senior Performing Arts Prize in Music

Trevor Hampson

SENIOR HONORS AWARDS

The Bevan Loree Dupré Award

Nathan Biller

The Ralph Morgan Griffiths Award

Julia Williamson

The Jeffrey Thomas Marshall Scholarship Award

Riley Norwood

The Frederick Vollrath Richmond Award

Lawrence “Sammy” Hendon-Dahl

The Costin Cup

Zexuan “Evan” Li

The John J. White ’38 Leadership Award

Xiangyu “Simon” Yan

The Sheridan Plaque

Michael Giove