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07/02/2019 12:00 AMWestbrook High School’s (WHS) commencement exercises took place on Tuesday, June 18, the graduating class a sea of cheerful purple robes under brilliant blue skies.
After the 2019 Class President Alana Bochanis gave the official welcome and WHS Principal Tara Winch offered her own remarks, a special dedication was offered by Class of 2019 members Marissa McNary, Alyssa Sirisoukh, and Katelyn Wallace for Phil Mielcarz, a guidance counselor, and his wife Alison Mielcarz, a secretary in the guidance office, who have both announced their retirement.
“For nearly 20 years, Mr. and Mrs. Mielcarz... organized countless college fairs and trips, financial aid nights, and college application workshops,” the students said. “They... have helped so many students on their path towards higher education and a brighter future through their words of inspiration and optimism; they remind us that there is so much to look forward to in life. They are there to cheer each of us on during our successes, and offer their support in times of struggle.
“Now that Mr. and Mrs. Mielcarz are moving onto a new time in their own lives, it’s our turn to cheer them on and wish them all the best during their departure,” they said.
Salutatorian Sara Farnoli next shared her experience as a self-described “sub-par” student who transferred to the Westbrook school system in seventh grade where, “[w]ith friendly new peers and encouraging teachers, I started to apply myself more, and notice the rewards.
“I’m sharing this story from my past with you to show that you are never stuck in your current situation,” she said. “No matter where you are, through hard work and perseverance, you have the power to change your life for the better.”
Valedictorian Finian McGannon’s speech, titled “Another Brick in the Wall?” addressed not walls, but pyramids. He relayed the tradition of the WHS tennis coach, Dan Shapiro, to have the members of the tennis team form a human pyramid.
“Everyone always moans and groans about [forming the pyramid], and I can say from experience that it can get kinda painful if you’re on the bottom row... but it’s meaningful in that it symbolizes the teamwork mentality: if one kid doesn’t do his job, everyone ends up on the ground,” McGannon said.
As he was casting around for ideas and metaphors for his Valedictorian speech, McGannon said, “it hit me—our class is like the pyramid, and each one of us supports one another in different ways.
“I think it’s safe to say that, looking back on our four years here, what stands out is the degree to which members of our class support one another,” he continued. “One of the clearest examples of this was the field hockey Shorelines game in the fall, where it seemed like most of our grade was in attendance.
“If people have a passion they’re putting out into the world, they will have a group of supporters behind them all the way. That’s something I think is truly special about our class: the feeling that, in one way or another, we all have each other’s backs; that, in one way or another, we all support each other’s pyramids.”
The same feeling of support is a central part of WHS students’ academic experience, McGannon went on to say.
“Having the same teacher two or three times over our four years here leads to a level of connection and support that would not be possible in a larger school. Teachers, friends, parents, grandparents, siblings—all of these people have given our pyramids firm foundations in our time here in Westbrook.”
While the members of the Class of 2019 will now go their separate ways, “each of us will face the challenge of rebuilding our own pyramid,” McGannon said.
“So, as you do that, look for the strong supports: the friends who love you for who you are, and the mentors who see the potential for who you could become,” he advised.
“John Lennon once said, ‘Being honest may not get you a lot of friends, but it’ll always get you the right ones.’ So, as you move forward, never shy away from your true passions and inspirations; if you embrace them, finding those strong supports will be easy,” he said.