Saint John’s School
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Coca
San Juan, Puerto Rico
-seventh Annual Commencement Exercises Class of 2023
Sixty
-Cola Music Hall
Program
Processional
National Anthems
School Song
Opening Remarks
Class President’s Remarks
Presentation of Academic Awards
President’s Award for Educational Achievement
President’s Award for Educational Excellence
Cum Laude Society Recognition
Saint John’s Scholar
Salutatorian
Valedictorian
Presentation of Special Awards
Department Awards
Principal’s Award
Survivor Medal
Head of School’s Remarks
Presentation of Diplomas
Board Chair’s Remarks
Closing Remarks
Recessional
School Song
On Saint John’s School
On Saint John’s School
Sing her praises loud
She will guide us to our future
Of her we’ll be proud
Keep her honor
Keep her honor
Spread out through the world
And whether near or far
Her flag unfurled
Class of 2023
Lucía Victoria Alcedo de Obarrio
Rhett Applestone
Rafael David Arrillaga Martz, Secretary
Andrea de Lourdes Ávila Colón
Eugene Asher Ayers Sánchez
Thomas A. Bannett
Marcos Javier Barreras Baralt
Nicolas Francisco Barreras Baralt
Stuart Eyal Barrocas Demel
Santino Bazzini
Stella Jade Bitton Kopel, President
Isabella Sophia Bogaty Rodríguez
Gabriel Enrique Calero Heiser
María José Calzada Torres
Jaime Y. Camacho Rodriguez
Eliana Isabelle Candelario Rivera
Cecilia Victoria Colberg Nin
Lana Carson Coomes
Sofia Margarita Corral Kindlund, Vice President
Gabriel Alejandro Costa Crespo
Anna Fernanda Cruzado Vázquez
Andrés Ramón Ignacio Dana del Rosario, Representative
Pablo Jan Luis Dardet Botero
Ian Noel De León Sifonte
Antonio José Rafael De Thomas Iturregui
Ela Faigenblat Liebes
Diego Agustín Fernández Cabrera
Francisco Andrés Fernández Cortés
Sebastian Antonio Figueroa Hernández
Olav André Freese Fernández
Alejandro Javier Gomez Palma
Jack Francis Griffin
Stella Guardiola Cossío
Alex He He
Denise Heal
Alejandro Manuel Hernández Santini
Emma Sophia Jurgel
Class of 2023
Eitan Joseph Kleiman Demel
Luca Alessandro La Rosa Cruz
Marco Antonio Lambert
Valeria Larrache Pérez
Valeria Sofía Latorraca Montalvo
Salomar Levis Chévere
Alia Sofia Marrero-Alattar, Representative
David Dylan Martinez-Dimnet Diaz-Velarde
Victoria Simone Meduña Ferré
Manuela Mendoza Hanna
Desirée Morales Cruz
Jan Alexander Negrón Valentín
Diego X. Nieves Pedraza
Karla Sofia Ortiz Arboleda
Rafael Antonio Pagán Desfassiaux, Treasurer
Marina Pascual Fernández
Jaime S. Pedraza Arroyo
Laura María Pichardo Bautista
Olivia Ogden Prouty
Diana Pujals
Fernando Luis Pujals
Paulina B. Ravelo Arias
Alyssa Reyna Rios Cardona
Diego A. Rivera López
Fernanda L. Rodríguez González
Zoraya Rodríguez Mowzoun
Javier Enrique Rodríguez Lugo
Paulina Isabel Rodriguez-Toymil Valle
Carlos André Santiago Negrón
Matthew Sims
Gianna Stella Tomassini Arocho
Mia-Michelle Torres Aponte
Itzel Trinidad Vidal
Katherine Grace Valentine
Juliana Christina Wingard Jiménez
Emily Houai Zou
Secondary Faculty and Support Services
Sandra Acevedo
Pilar Álamo
Melvin Alicea
Luis Beltrán
Mercedes Benito
Francesca Biundo
Natalia Bonelli
Ryan Brewer
Emma Colón
Pedro De Jesús
Patricia Del Toro
Nanette Dueñas
Illeanit Edry
Rosalía Eiffert
Dana Erickson
Johanna Estrella
Arquelio Feliciano
Isabel Franqui
Nelson Franqui
Maru Fusté
Laura García
Edna Guzmán
Monique Heiser
Jacqueline Jiang
Joselyn Látimer
Gabriel López
Lorez Manon
Jocelyn Márquez
María Martínez
Judith Medina
Laura Molina
René Molina
Ceci Olmo
Claudia Ojeda
Sixto Ortiz
Vanessa Ortiz
Naceli Pérez
Mayra Préstamo
Paola Quirós
Beatriz Ramírez
Aníbal Rivera
Lyaned Rivera
Rebecca Rivera
Rosa Rivera
Kristal Rivera
Glenda Rodríguez
Alison Ruiz
Javier Sala
Francisco Santiago
Yarleen Santiago
Carlos Seda
Joshua Serrano
Sylvie Tarbox
Gwendolyn Toro
Mariana Toro
Cristopher Torres
Ramón Torres
Gian Toyos
Amanda Valentín
Luis Valentín
Eve Yennelly
Early Childhood and Upper Elementary
Carola Acosta
Beatriz Aldarondo
Mariam Alejandro
Georgiana Asensio
Roxana Asmat
Lisette Barbeito
Carolina Bauzá
Tere Beyley
Anina Blanco
Natalia Cabrera
Rebecca Carlos
Fabiola Castro
Marilyn Castro
Mari Colberg
Frances Collazo
Ruth Encarnación
Christine Estrada
Millie Ferrés
Sonia Franqui
Larimar Gallardo
Gena Golden
Madeline Gómez
Doris González
Viviana González
Tere Gregorio
Sheila Hau
Sheddianne Hernández
Marjorie Joseph
Mónica Justicia
Mara Lladó
Alondra Marques
Patricia Martínez
Margarita Mercado
Marielys Morales
Sheila Morales
Nayda Morales
Tatiana Núñez
Marla Otero
Gabriela Padilla
Angélica Pagán
Verónica Pantoja
Jacqui Pedley
Génesis Pérez
Michelle Pérez
Rafael Pérez
Liana Puig
José Darío Pujals
Jessica Purcell
Yismariel Ralat
Ivanisse Ramos
Brian Rechkemmer
Maggie Reichard
Almarie Rivera
Nicole Rivera
Sara Rivera
Joanne Rivera
Taira Rivera
Mayra Rodríguez
Naitza Rodríguez
Gloria Román
Daniela Rondinelli
Miriana Rosa
Catalina Rosado
Mariangely Santana
Marialina Segurola
Sunny Semidei
María Cristina Sierra
Valeria Torres
David Vélez
Alejandra Viera
Administration
Dr. María Meléndez, Interim Head of School
Miriam Rivera, Executive Assistant
Samuel Ortiz, Secondary School Principal
Glorybell Vega, Administrative Assistant
Yolanda Adames, Upper Elementary Principal
Maika Marchán, Early Childhood Principal
Lourdes Figueroa, Administrative Assistant
Ellena Lopez, Dean of Student Life
Chelsey Rodríguez, Activities Coordinator & Alumni Relations
Luis Camacho, Director of Athletics
Michelle Balaguer, Director of Communications
Marisol González, Director of Institutional Advancement
Nissa Cardona, Director of Admissions
Edwin Rosario, Senior Director of Operations
Lourdes García, Director of Facilities
Ivette Alonso, Director of Finance
Karla Ocasio, Director of Human Resources
Teresita Somoza, Director of Technology
Student Support Services
Iraida Toro, Registrar
Natalie Dorón, College Counselor
María de Lourdes Seijo, Associate College Counselor
Dr. Paloma Purcell, School Psychologist
Carlos Martínez, Inclusion Specialist & Test Coordinator
Board of Trustees
Nannette Berríos, Chair
Alumna ‘93
Manuel Del Valle, Vice Chair
Evelyn Barlia, Secretary
Alumna‘96
Carlos Rodríguez, Treasurer
Rafael Blanes
Alumnus ‘97
Lauren Borschow
Richard Carrión
Alumnus ‘00
Ricardo Cruzval
Alumnus ‘03
José R. Dubón
Alumnus ‘83
Eduardo Emanuelli
Alumnus ‘98
Ignacio Fernández
José A. Fernández
Jorge J. Fuentes
Alumnus ‘92
Omar Ginorio
Nazli Iqbal
Mariana Ortiz-Blanes
Alumna ‘85
Glendys Villar
Cords & Stoles
AP Capstone Teal cord
Athletics
Green and white double cord
French Honor Society Red, white, and blue cord
Green Key Society
Green and silver cord
International Thespian Society White stole with ITS logo
Italian Honor Society Red, white, and green cord
Legacy Green and gold cord
Legacy (Double) Green, gold, and white cord
Musical Gold and blue cord
National Honor Society White stole with NHS logo
Student Council White stole with NatStuCo logo
Legacy and Double Legacy Recognition
Awarded to seniors who have a parent or grandparent that graduated from Saint John’s School and passed down the legacy of their SJS studies.
President’s Award for Educational Achievement
Awarded to seniors who have maintained a B+ average throughout their high school years and who meet the specific criteria, as established by the Principal.
President’s Award for Educational Excellence
Awarded to seniors who have cumulative A- averages for four high school years and who meet the specific criteria, as established by the Principal.
Saint John’s Scholar
The Senior who has attained the third highest grade point average, or who has a grade point average equal to that of the Valedictorian or Salutatorian, and who has been a student in the high school for at least two consecutive years. In the case that there are students who are candidates for this award who have been here for four consecutive years, three consecutive years, or only two consecutive years, the GPA will be calculated based solely on the Junior and Senior year grades.
Awards
Awards
Salutatorian
The Senior who has been a student for four consecutive years in the high school, and has attained the second highest grade point average.
Valedictorian
The Senior who has been a student for four consecutive years in the high school, and has attained the highest-grade point average.
Cum Laude Society Recognition
Presented to the seniors who have been in the high school for at least three consecutive years and whose cumulative grade point averages are within the top 10% of the class.
José Félix Alegría Award
Awarded to the senior who maintains the highest-grade point average throughout both semesters in Puerto Rican History class.
Principal’s Award
Selected by the Principal based on outstanding service and demonstrated passion for serving and helping others. The award is presented to the Senior(s) who has (have) a demonstrated record of service and dedication to making a difference through their work in the lives of others, are also in excellent academic standing, and are regarded as exemplary citizens of the school community.
Survivor Medal
Awarded to seniors who have been at Saint John’s School without interruption since kindergarten.
Department Awards
Spanish Department Award
Awarded by the Spanish Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Spanish while taking the most challenging Spanish program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Awards
Social Studies Department Award
Awarded by the Social Studies Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Social Studies while taking the most challenging Social Studies program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Fine Arts Department Award
Awarded by the Fine Arts Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Fine Arts while taking the most challenging Fine Arts program for three consecutive years at Saint John’ s School.
English Department Award
Awarded by the English Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in English while taking the most challenging English program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Science Department Award
Awarded by the Science Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Science while taking the most challenging Science program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Foreign Language Department Award
Awarded by the Foreign Languages Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Foreign Language Course while taking the most challenging Foreign Language program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Mathematics Department Award
Awarded by the Mathematics Department to the member of the senior class who has maintained an outstanding grade point average in Mathematics while taking the most challenging Mathematics program for three consecutive years at Saint John’s School.
Survivors
Rafael Arrillaga
Stuart Barrocas Demel
Stella Bitton
Isabella Bogaty
Gabriel Calero Heiser
Sofía Corral Kindlund
Ela Faigenblat
Diego Fernández Cabrera
Francisco Fernandez Cortes
Stella Guardiola Cossío
Eitan Kleiman Demel
Luca La Rosa Cruz
Valeria Latorraca Montalvo
Salomar Levis Chévere
David Martínez-Dimnet
Victoria Meduña Ferré
Jan Alexander Negrón Valentin
Rafael Pagán Desfassiaux
Marina Pascual Fernández
Diego Rivera López
Zoraya Rodríguez - Mowzoun
Javier Rodriguez Lugo
Carlos-André Santiago Negrón
Emily Zou
PPK Pioneers
Sofía Corral Kindlund
Diego Fernández Cabrera
Stella Guardiola Cossío
Valeria Latorraca Montalvo
Salomar Levis Chévere
David Martínez-Dimnet
Victoria Meduña Ferré
Carlos-André Santiago Negrón
Legacy
Stuart Barrocas Demel
Susan Demel ‘88
Stella Bitton
Sasha Kopel ‘94
Sofía Corral Kindlund
Claudio Corral ‘83
Ela Faigenblat
Phillip Faigenblat ‘89
Diego Fernández Cabrera
Ivan Fernández ‘91
Stella Guardiola Cossío
Carlos Guardiola ‘86
Eitan Kleiman Demel
Karen Demel ‘93
Rafael Pagán Desfassiaux
Rafael Pagán Marxuach ‘89