West Hartford Students Graduate from Loomis Chaffee School

The following students were among the 176 graduates from the Loomis Chaffee Class of 2013. The school's 97th Commencement Ceremony was held on June 7. Reflections and sage advice from Commencement Speaker Frank Bruni, Loomis Class of 1982, set the thoughtful and celebratory tone for Commencement. Bruni, the New York Times op-ed columnist and author, compared the world into which he graduated 31 years ago to the world into which members of the Class of 2013 are stepping. "Test yourself," he encouraged. "Experiment. Grow. Life is an adventure only as big and exciting as your willingness to broaden your parameters and stare down your fears." He advised students to say yes before they ever have the opportunity to say no because the self-satisfaction and benefits of doing certain difficult things far exceed the safety of letting fear prevent them from doing anything at all.

Noah Blumenthal of West Hartford, CT, was a member of the boys varsity cross-country team and captain of the boys varsity squash team.

Allison Byrne of West Hartford, CT, was a peer counselor and a tri-varsity athlete in field hockey, hockey, and lacrosse. She was also the co-captain of the field hockey team.

David Calafiore of West Hartford, CT, was an inductee of the Cum Laude Society and the National Independent School Honor Society. He was a recipient of the Junior Mathematics Prize, Junior Science Department Honors, and Senior Mathematic Department Honors. He played the baritone saxophone in the Concert Band and Jazz Band, and was a member of the boys varsity soccer and baseball teams. He was also captain of the boys junior varsity soccer team.

Anne Ferreira of West Hartford, CT, was an inductee to the Cum Laude Society, and the National Independent School Honor Society. She received Senior History Department, and English Department honors, was a class agent, and the features section editor of the school newspaper, The Log. In addition, she was a member of the girls varsity squash team and co-captain of the girls varsity tennis team. She was awarded the Coaches' Award for both teams.

Katherine Fotos of West Hartford, CT, was the recipient of the Seller Faculty Prize, given in recognition of personal achievement and service to the Loomis Chaffee community. She was a National Merit Commended Student who was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, and the National Independent School Honor Society. In addition, she was awarded the Connecticut Forest and Park Association Volunteer Award through the Darwin Club. As a junior she received History Department and Science Department honors, and as a senior she received History Department, Science Department, and Mathematics Department honors. She was an Exhibited Student Artist for her oil painting, and the goalie of the junior varsity girls hockey team.

Robert Francalangia of West Hartford, CT, was the recipient of the Second Place Prize in the annual First Amendment High School Essay Contest sponsored by the Connecticut ACLU. He attended The School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. in the fall of his junior year, was a peer counselor, a class agent, and a contributor to the school newspaper, The Log. He was also a member of the boys varsity lacrosse team.

Sarah Horowitz of West Hartford, CT, received the Morris H. Brown Senior Theater Arts Prize, History Department honors, and was an Exhibited Student Artist for oil painting. Her fashion and photography were featured in the Emerging Artist Exhibit. She was the senior section editor of the yearbook, The Confluence, contributed to the school newspaper, The Log, and acted, danced, and sang in numerous school theater and dance productions.

Katherine Kent of West Hartford, CT, received Mathematics Department honors, and was president of her junior and senior classes. In addition, she was a peer counselor, class agent, and participated in Model United Nations program. She was a member of the girls varsity cross-country, varsity squash, and varsity lacrosse teams. As a senior she was named co-captain of the cross-country team, where she was named as a New England All-Star and in the spring was given the Coaches' Award for the girls varsity lacrosse team. .

Abigail Lavalley of West Hartford, CT, was an AP Scholar with Honor who was awarded the Junior Foreign Language Prize and the Chéruy Senior Foreign Language Prize. Additionally, she was a peer counselor, the underclassmen and senior section editor for the school yearbook, The Confluence, sang in the Concert Choir, danced in the Spring Dance Revue, and acted in the Spring One-Act Festival.

John Macdonald of West Hartford, CT, was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, the National Independent School Honor Society, and was one of two Connecticut students selected to participate in the Student Climate & Conservation Congress sponsored by The Green Schools Alliance (GSA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). He also received Junior and Senior Science Department, History Department, and Mathematics Department honors. John served as a peer counselor, an environmental proctor, the news section editor of the school newspaper, The Log, a member of the Pelicode Committee, and received the Coaches' Award for the boys varsity cross-country team.

Nicholas Miceli of West Hartford, CT, was an AP Scholar with Distinction who received Senior History Department honors. Nick also played trumpet in the Jazz Band. A tri-varsity athlete in soccer, hockey, and baseball, he won the Coaches' Award for soccer and hockey.

Helena Murray of West Hartford, CT, was a National Merit Commended Student who received Junior History Department and Science Department honors and Senior Science Department honors. She played the trumpet in the band and jazz band and participated in community service. She was captain of both the girls varsity swimming and diving team and the girls varsity softball team. Helena was named as NISCA Academic All-American and given the Coaches' Award for swimming and diving.

Reginald Paige of West Hartford, CT, received the Friends of Loomis Chaffee-Grubbs Prize, the Junior Physical Education Prize, and Mathematics Department honors. He was a tri-varsity athlete in football, basketball, and track and field and was named as co-captain, NEPSAC First Team Linebacker, and named to the All New England Team for boys varsity football. He was a member of the multi-cultural organization PRISM, and played the piano in the Jazz Improvisation Ensemble.

Demarco Palmer of Hartford, CT, was a resident assistant who ran boys varsity cross-country and boys varsity track and field, where he was named as Founders League Triple Jump Champion for Track and Field. He also managed the girls varsity basketball team.

Ryan Shelby of West Hartford, CT, was one of two students chosen from Connecticut and 150 students from across the world selected to participate in the Student Climate & Conservation Congress sponsored by The Green Schools Alliance (GSA) and the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). He was named a U.S. Green School Fellow, and an environmental proctor. Additionally, he was a contributor to the school newspaper, The Log. He was named co-captain and given the Most Valuable Player Award for boys varsity water polo, and he was also a member of the boys varsity track and field team.

Simone Singh of West Hartford, CT, played the violin in The Loomis Chaffee Orchestra, danced in Dance Company and Dance Revue, and participated in community service. She was also elected as a class agent.