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Edith Louise Losh (left) and Sophia Lynn Dudley take home awards, diplomas June 16.
Patrick L. Sullivan
“I could not have asked for two better leaders,” he said. “Instead of guiding them, they guided me. Their leadership, heart and unique spirit filled the building.”
The students also reflected on their time at Lee H. Kellogg school.
Dudley said that while her time at the school is ending, she will carry her experience with her.
“I will never have to say goodbye to my memories,” she said.
She recalled how her friendship with classmate Losh grew over the years, even when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their second grade year with remote learning.
“It was a difficult change for our teachers and our friends but we made it through,” she said.
Her final piece of advice for younger students was to “slow down, look around, appreciate what life has to offer.”
Patrick L. Sullivan
Losh said she also cherishes the memories and the stories that go with them, and looks forward to her next academic adventure.
“I feel ready to make more memories into stories in high school,” she said. “You all have a chapter in my book.”
Both students received the Peter G. Lawson Citizenship Award. First Selectman David Barger praised the pair for their “dedication to the community in quiet and insightful ways.”
English teacher Christine Dascanio praised the students' selfless spirits and relayed a joke about the pair.
“We can’t be a sandwich because there’s nothing between us!”
Dudley won the Superintendent’s Award, Losh won the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Leadership Award, and they both won the Presidential Award of Educational Excellence.
Eighth-grade graduates at Cornwall Consolidated School toss their caps into the air June 16.
Aly Morrissey
CCS principal Leanne Maguire reflected on her three years with the class, saying she had watched the students grow from sixth graders into confident young adults. She said the school’s theme, “Out of this Word,” was about more than just academic success or awards – though many were distributed during the ceremony.
“A school’s culture doesn’t become ‘out of this world’ just because of data points or awards on the wall,” Maguire said. “It happens because of the people who set the gravity.”
Calling the graduates leaders and role models, she said, “You have been the gravitational pull of our school this year. You didn’t just hold a title. You built genuine, connected relationships and showed our younger students what kindness, inclusion and true leadership look like in action.”
The students’ Troutbeck Symposium project was highlighted by several speakers, who praised their work researching Naomi Kane Freeman.
“You unearthed history and brought profound recognition to our town,” Maguire said, referencing the section of Great Hollow Road that was given the honorary designation of Naomi Freeman Historic Road in recognition of the woman believed to be the first Black landowner in Cornwall. She purchased an acre of land in 1828, according to the Cornwall Historical Society. Student work also led to the placement of a headstone for Freeman at Calhoun Cemetery.
Student speakers were Halley Villa-Arip and Izabella Francesca Coppola, while Tom Brown, Class of 1970, was the guest speaker and delivered humorous and poignant remarks.
The graduates were Claire O. Barbosa, Willow B. Berry, Skylar Corinne Brown, Izabella Francesca Coppola, Vivienne Laurie DiRocca, Willa Elizabeth Lesch, Franco Aburto Nenen, and Halley Villa-Arpi.
Aly Morrissey
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Ibby Sadeh, the Class of 2026 Valedictorian, gives a speech to her classmates emphasizing the importance of diversity and understanding.
Nathan Miller
In his welcome remarks, Principal Ian Strever said a milestone was reached in a school known for its distinguished statue of Abraham Lincoln that greets visitors at the entrance. It has been four score and seven years since the school’s first graduation.
Several students talked about their challenges and how the school community helped them.
Class president Madison Graney, in an emotional speech, spoke about her father who has battled brain cancer for the past two years.
“One only needs to know Joe Graney’s signature traits are determination and selflessness,” she said.
She thanked Housatonic and Falls Village communities for the immeasurable impact they’ve had on her family’s life. She also expressed deep gratitude to all her friends “who gave me the joy of laughter and unforgettable memories that brought light into the darkest time in my life.”
Graney, fighting back tears, said of the Housatonic community, “This small yet mighty place has allowed me to be vulnerable with you all, stand on this stage and share something that, for months, I refused to acknowledge or talk about. This community has made me confident in my ability to ask for help and advocate for myself.”
Nathan Miller
Essayist Hannah Johnson also praised the supportive community, explaining that her high school experience has been largely consumed by various health conditions that impacted her both physically and mentally.
“At these times when I was at my weakest, I used what little strength I had left to cling tightly to my friends, family and passions, using them to propel myself forward,” she said.
Johnson also related that one person who had a profound impact on her life was her grandfather, who suffered from dementia and died before she arrived at Housatonic.
Valedictorian Ibby Sadeh described her capstone project in which she set up a little library at the entrance to the Appalachian Trail in Falls Village. It was stocked with books that had been banned in several states.
“I chose this project not only because I love to read, but because of my passionate support of free speech, intellectual freedom and a diversity of perspectives,” Sadeh said.
As a Jewish student at Housatonic, where representation of her religion can be hard to find, Sadeh said she never felt alone.
“Students here understand the importance of individuality. It is what makes us the way we are, what makes ours a strong and diverse community.”
Salutatorian Alexa Meach, who plans to study political science, said education should be used with a purpose and applied to achieve a greater good. She encouraged her classmates to work with people who are different from them and collaborate to achieve any goal worth pursuing.
Noting the country is going through a deeply divided time, she said, “I feel an obligation to acknowledge the lack of empathy I’ve seen and endorse a return to the needed morality across our globe.”
Nathan Miller
Guest speaker Lori Bucco, an English teacher at the school, advised the graduates to embrace humanity and live their story. “Make it epic,” she said.
Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley shared advice she received from her father.
“Don’t look for a job,” she said. “Look for a purpose in life. When you find what you love, it will feel more than a job — it will be a calling.”
The following awards were presented during the evening:
· Good Sportsmanship Medals: Wesley Allyn and Madelyn Johnson
· Good Citizenship Medals: Madison Graney and Shanaya Duprey
· Chamberlain Arts Achievement Awards: Victoria Brooks and Alex Woodworth
Judi Moore, who had a distinguished 40-year career at the high school, was presented with the Community Award of Merit.
Julie Lang, the longtime principal’s executive secretary who is retiring this year, was also recognized for her service.
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