Alumni News
Wooster School held its Commencement Exercises on Friday, June 9, 2017 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2017. These seniors join more than 3,000 alumni who have graduated since Wooster's founding in 1926.
The ceremony featured a number of speakers, and the awarding of prizes and diplomas. President of the Wooster School Board of Trustees, Leon Weaver offered kind words to Wooster's soon-to-be graduates. "I bring greetings and warm congratulations, and recognition of all your hard work and success."
Christopher Pannone, Head of Middle and Upper Schools announced the honorees for, "Crayons to Commencement," commending students who began their Wooster careers in the Lower School. Prizes were given out for outstanding Senior Independent Study projects, academic achievements, and awards of character, followed by an address by the class orator, Michael Ambrosio '17. "This is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is the most acceptable to not know. This is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is the most acceptable to change our minds. And this is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is most acceptable to make mistakes," remarked Ambrosio. "It is the mistakes that we will make that will bring us on adventures, to new experiences, and ultimately where we are meant to be," he added.
Head of School Matt Byrnes presented the H. Korb Eynon Award, for enduring commitment and service to Wooster School, to Charlotte Wood, Assistant to the Head of School.
Last but not least, before the seniors received their diplomas, Head of School Matt Byrnes spoke to the graduating class. "Embrace the richness and strangeness of what it means to be human. All of these things make life the complex 'wave of happenings' that sweeps us along every day," Byrnes remarked. He added, "Every day, enjoy the mystery and beauty of the world, the reality of your wave of happenings -- but keep looking to the unknown where your heart is leading. Try, in some small or large way -- to do something for humanity. While never forgetting to live happily on the edge of what you know, with the people who make you real. You have everything that you need."
Congratulations to the Great Class of 2017 for all of their accomplishments!
Wooster School Class of 2017
Michael Ambrosio
Trixie Betz
Oliver Brown
Arda Buyuklu
Kernochan Byrnes
Marlena Caplan
Tess Cicala
Brianna Clarke-Ellis
Matthew Costello
Sam Cox
David DeLuca
Eamon Duffy-Fitzsimons
Vincent Eckstein
Jacob Engelbrecht
Alexander Foote
Sarah Fried
Qinman Fu
Dylan Hauer
Brogan Heneghan
Nathaniel Heymann
Bentley Jos
Kimberly-Grace Joseph
Emily Kirshner
Marie Klepacz
Yuhan Li
Xiaoyun Ma
Aden Mariyappa
Josie Morales-Thomason
Venus Okwuka
Jessica Oren
Stephan Perreault
Avaiz Rana
Sophie Rundhaug
William Santella
Zachary Schweitzer
Paige Storrier
Ryan Toner
YuChen Xue
Yi Zhang
Class of 2017 Awards and Prizes
Top Award Recipients (Announced at Commencement):
William Irwin Carter, Jr. Prize - Stephan Perreault
Eugenia Coburn Prize - Brogan Heneghan, Jessica Oren
Aaron C. Coburn Award - Tess Cicala
James Hobart Warner Prize - Bentley Jos
Honor Award - Jacob Engelbrecht
Senior Independent Study Commendations - Arda Buyuklu, Kern Byrnes, Nathaniel Heymann, Venus Okwuka, Avaiz Rana, Ryan Toner
Senior Class Awards (Announced at the Senior Class Awards Evening)
History and Social Studies Prize - Trixie Betz
Donald G. Schwartz '36 Award for Excellence in 12th Grade English - Marie Klepacz
John D. Verdery Prize in Religion - Bentley Jos
Josette Eynon Prize for Excellence in Foreign Languages - Jacob Engelbrecht
Vinny Puma Spanish Prize - Josie Morales-Thomason
Fairfield County Medical Association Biological Science Award - Sarah Fried
Jeremy Acheson Platt '51 Memorial Award for Prolonged Dedication to the Sciences - Yi Zhang
John Hart Spittle '37 Prize for Excellence in Science - Jacob Engelbrecht, Ryan Toner
'44 Award for Excellence in Mathematics - Yi Zhang
A.J. Liebling Journalism Prize - Brianna Clarke-Ellis
Technology Award - Dylan Hauer
Stephen Logan '74 Art Award - Xiaoyun Ma
Art Award - Qinman Fu
Cordelia Manning Award for Service to the Arts - Will Santella
Music Prize - Sophie Rundhaug
Scott Schwartz '91 Theatre Prize - Sophie Rundhaug
Technology Theatre Award - Kimberly-Grace Joseph
Athletic Commitment Award - Arda Buyuklu, Kern Byrnes, Tess Cicala, Brianna Clarke-Ellis, Sam Cox, Sarah Fried, Brogan Heneghan, Venus Okwuka
Edward W. Robinson '37 Award - Sam Cox, Sarah Fried
J. William Nystrom, Sr. '47 Scholar/Athlete Prize - Josie Morales-Thomason, Stephan Perreault
Thomas Wilcox '66 Award for School Spirit in Competitive Athletics - Tess Cicala, Nathaniel Heymann
Alvah Jessup '49 Award for Outstanding Athlete - Kern Byrnes, Venus Okwuka
James S. Hammer '63 Award - Ryan Toner
Cum Laude Society - Trixie Betz, Jacob Engelbrecht, Marie Klepacz, Xiaoyun Ma, Josie Morales-Thomason, Jessica Oren, Stephan Perreault, Sophie Rundhaug, Yi Zhang