Graduating seniors address importance of community involvement

Groton — “Wouldn’t it be great if kids were like microwaveable burritos,” and you could just toss them into school and they’d be perfectly ready for the world when they come out?

This is the question Andrew Zhang, a graduating senior at East Lyme High School, posed on Thursday morning.

But he noted schools can’t singlehandedly transform students into knowledgeable adults, and that the surrounding community plays an important role in encouraging learning throughout students’ daily lives.

Zhang was one of several high school seniors to speak at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce’s annual Southeastern CT Student Leaders Breakfast. The prompt for the

short student speeches was the same as it is every year: “the importance of community interaction with educational institutions.”

The six seniors who spoke applied the topic in a wide variety of ways.

Stonington High School senior Abby Wang feels the theme is redundant because “as a high school, we are simply an extension of the community, and one of the most important pillars of the community.”

After recently joining the 6,000-plus-member Stonington Community Forum group on Facebook, she was struck by how focused members were on what high school students are doing. But then she realized that what the high school does sets the tone for the entire community.

Lawrence Ravel of Ella T. Grasso Technical High School in Groton commented on how struck he was seeing so many parents volunteering at elementary school book fairs. The example he saw when he was younger made him want to be involved, and he is now involved with National Honor Society, Music Council and mentoring.

Danielle McIlquham spoke about the value of partnerships that Groton’s Marine Science Magnet High School has with Project Oceanology, New England Science & Sailing Foundation, Mystic Aquarium and the University of Connecticut.

Sophie Wang talked about how hefty the program guides are at Waterford High School music and theater events because of all the ads from local businesses. She noted that such revenue has helped provide free music lessons for elementary students and allows the district to bring in musicians to help improve students’ performance.

Wheeler High School senior Anjum Shaikh described the relationship between schools and the larger North Stonington community as symbiotic, and thanked residents for overwhelmingly approving the $38.5 million school building project in its second referendum.

Following the first referendum, unhappy residents filed petitions for a revote.

“When word spread around town about the referendum, the community launched a massive social media campaign to save our school,” Shaikh said.

The seniors selected as student leaders each will receive complimentary participation in the Perkins & Murphy Senior Summer Series three-part program, which addresses topics like roommate relationships, time management and off-campus activities. The package is valued at $375.

Three students who were not able to attend the event also will be able to participate in the program for free: Ledyard High School senior Julia Paul, Robert E. Fitch High School senior Mitchell Shapiro-Albert and Williams School senior Rachel Goldstein.

The program also recognized nine juniors from the participating high schools: Sumeet Kadian of East Lyme, Sequoia Hood of Grasso Tech, Virginia York of Ledyard, Cooper Olson of the Marine Science Magnet school, Olivia Carney of Robert E. Fitch Senior High, Caroline Morehouse of Stonington, Cadin Maynard of Waterford, Sarah Spracklin of Wheeler and Klaire Li of Williams.

Perkins & Murphy is giving each junior a free “60 minute consultation, transcript review, and a customized strategic plan for college admissions” valued at $250.

Kristin Hartnett, membership and sales manager for the chamber, said the chamber sent letters to guidance departments at local schools, and faculty and staff chose the honorees.