The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Sheehan, Lyman Hall celebrate graduates
WALLINGFORD — One town, two high schools and 447 happy graduates.
Officials at Lyman Hall High School and its crosstown rival, Mark T. Sheehan High School, sent their respective senior classes out into the world on Friday evening. Church bells rang throughout town as the two ceremonies concluded, pealing in honor of the newly minted graduates.
Lyman Hall’s graduating class of 260 students was urged to “take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way,” by Michael Votto, vice chairman of the Wallingford Board of Education.
“Share your talents with others,” Votto told the graduating seniors. “Be yourself, but be your best self.”
Varsity Scholar Erin McKeehan, one of three top academic level students chosen to address the graduating class, said four years at Lyman Hall has taught her and her classmates “that we never have to go through anything alone.”
“Today is a day to thank you ... to thank those who have helped you along the way,” McKeehan said.
Another Varsity Scholar, Samuel Morganstern, told his classmates life after high school is a long journey, one “it’s OK to get lost on.”
“The best roads (to take) are the ones that we don’t realize we’re walking upon,” Morganstern said.
The Lyman Hall graduates were serenaded by Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson Jr., who engaged in his annual ritual of taking a popular song and retrofitting the lyrics to honor the graduates. This year’s choice was the group Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder.”
“Just a young guy and a young girl, here at Lyman Hall, education world,” Dickinson said, replacing the song’s original lyrics with words of his own. “You were dreaming of bigger things, making moves to embrace the dawn.”
Across town at Sheehan, the 187 graduating seniors were lauded by Superintendent of Schools Salvatore Menzo as “the best behaved graduating class we’ve had here in a while.” Menzo said dress rehearsals for graduations often take longer than needed because the graduating seniors don’t take the practice sessions seriously enough.
“With most classes, it’s almost as if they don’t want to leave, so they try hold on to their time here a little while longer,” he said at the conclusion of the ceremony. “Not this year’s group: They got it right on the first try. It’s like they couldn’t wait to leave.”
Having collected his diploma, William Terzi fired up a victory cigar to the mock alarm of his father Tony.
“I didn’t know until just now that my kid knew how to smoke a cigar,” Tony Terzi said. “He lit it quite professionally. I suppose I should be nervous about that.”
William Terzi is headed to Colby College in Maine this fall where he will play football and major in psychology. His proud father marveled at his son’s work ethic.
“This kid works his tail off,” Tony Terzi said of his son. “He took five AP courses his senior year.”
Although William Terzi said he’s eager to begin his college experiences, Sheehan has left him with “tons of memories.”
“I’m never going to forget this place,” the younger Terzi said.