The Unquowa School’s 99th graduating class gathered on the evening of June 6th with family, friends, alumni, the Board of Governors, faculty and staff for a ceremony of recognition and closure to mark the end of their time at Unquowa and to celebrate their transition to high school. Reverend Margaret Hodgkins offered the invocation and salutatorian, and Ultimate Unquowan, Alexandra Halas, welcomed everyone to the celebration.

The ceremony included the announcement of several awards. Our valedictorian, Lola Panagos, also an Ultimate Unquowan, received the J. Grippin Award for the highest academic average. Ryan Cawley was given The Unquowa Award for the “most significant growth in intellectual discipline.” The Board of Governors’ Cup for “outstanding school citizenship” was given to Sophia Mughal, The Headmaster’s Cup was awarded to Aaron Gruen and the John P. Blessington Award for “steadfast concern for classmates and the school” was given to Will Hansen. The Elizabeth Curtis and John F. Turlick Awards, given to the eighth grade girl and boy “whose skill and accomplishments in athletics have been matched by true understanding of good sportsmanship” were presented to Ella Stalowir and Will Hansen. The Robert L. Cleveland Award for a student who “demonstrates a keen mind, sound body, and unafraid spirit” was presented to Lisi Chapin. Noah Markus and Mimi Coghlan were named Class Agents, responsible for helping the class stay connected to each other and to the school. The Jean Carpenter Winton Distinguished Alumni Award was given to Kris Hansen ‘83 for his profound dedication to the school as an active alum, as an Unquowa parent for seventeen years and as a member of the Board of Governors since 2008.

After receiving their diplomas, the graduates heard from our guest speaker, Ebong Udoma, Senior Political Reporter for WSHU. Mr Udoma spoke about his passion for music and encouraged the graduates to pursue their own passions. He reminded them that passion often leads to a strong sense of purpose and, as we all know, purpose has power.

This year’s valedictorian, Lola Panagos, spoke about the strength of the Unquowa community and the special bond she and her “classmates, no, best friends” share. Lola also thanked the Unquowa faculty and, speaking on behalf of the Class of 2017, said that “although there may be some forks and bumps in this road, I believe we have been taught how to make the right decisions and how to make it to our final destinations.”

With a closing benediction from Rabbi Rachel Bearman, we said a final goodbye to the Class of 2017. While we will miss this special class tremendously, we wish them all the best in the next step in their school journey and look forward to their return as alumni on Founders’ Day!