Alumni News

Wooster School held its Commencement Exercises on Friday, June 9, 2017 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2017. These seniors join more than 3,000 alumni who have graduated since Wooster's founding in 1926.

The ceremony featured a number of speakers, and the awarding of prizes and diplomas. President of the Wooster School Board of Trustees, Leon Weaver offered kind words to Wooster's soon-to-be graduates. "I bring greetings and warm congratulations, and recognition of all your hard work and success."

Christopher Pannone, Head of Middle and Upper Schools announced the honorees for, "Crayons to Commencement," commending students who began their Wooster careers in the Lower School. Prizes were given out for outstanding Senior Independent Study projects, academic achievements, and awards of character, followed by an address by the class orator, Michael Ambrosio '17. "This is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is the most acceptable to not know. This is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is the most acceptable to change our minds. And this is the beginning of the period of time in our lives where it is most acceptable to make mistakes," remarked Ambrosio. "It is the mistakes that we will make that will bring us on adventures, to new experiences, and ultimately where we are meant to be," he added.

Head of School Matt Byrnes presented the H. Korb Eynon Award, for enduring commitment and service to Wooster School, to Charlotte Wood, Assistant to the Head of School.

Last but not least, before the seniors received their diplomas, Head of School Matt Byrnes spoke to the graduating class. "Embrace the richness and strangeness of what it means to be human. All of these things make life the complex 'wave of happenings' that sweeps us along every day," Byrnes remarked. He added, "Every day, enjoy the mystery and beauty of the world, the reality of your wave of happenings -- but keep looking to the unknown where your heart is leading. Try, in some small or large way -- to do something for humanity. While never forgetting to live happily on the edge of what you know, with the people who make you real. You have everything that you need."

Congratulations to the Great Class of 2017 for all of their accomplishments!

Wooster School Class of 2017

Michael Ambrosio

Trixie Betz

Oliver Brown

Arda Buyuklu

Kernochan Byrnes

Marlena Caplan

Tess Cicala

Brianna Clarke-Ellis

Matthew Costello

Sam Cox

David DeLuca

Eamon Duffy-Fitzsimons

Vincent Eckstein

Jacob Engelbrecht

Alexander Foote

Sarah Fried

Qinman Fu

Dylan Hauer

Brogan Heneghan

Nathaniel Heymann

Bentley Jos

Kimberly-Grace Joseph

Emily Kirshner

Marie Klepacz

Yuhan Li

Xiaoyun Ma

Aden Mariyappa

Josie Morales-Thomason

Venus Okwuka

Jessica Oren

Stephan Perreault

Avaiz Rana

Sophie Rundhaug

William Santella

Zachary Schweitzer

Paige Storrier

Ryan Toner

YuChen Xue

Yi Zhang

Class of 2017 Awards and Prizes

Top Award Recipients (Announced at Commencement):

William Irwin Carter, Jr. Prize - Stephan Perreault

Eugenia Coburn Prize - Brogan Heneghan, Jessica Oren

Aaron C. Coburn Award - Tess Cicala

James Hobart Warner Prize - Bentley Jos

Honor Award - Jacob Engelbrecht

Senior Independent Study Commendations - Arda Buyuklu, Kern Byrnes, Nathaniel Heymann, Venus Okwuka, Avaiz Rana, Ryan Toner

Senior Class Awards (Announced at the Senior Class Awards Evening)

History and Social Studies Prize - Trixie Betz

Donald G. Schwartz '36 Award for Excellence in 12th Grade English - Marie Klepacz

John D. Verdery Prize in Religion - Bentley Jos

Josette Eynon Prize for Excellence in Foreign Languages - Jacob Engelbrecht

Vinny Puma Spanish Prize - Josie Morales-Thomason

Fairfield County Medical Association Biological Science Award - Sarah Fried

Jeremy Acheson Platt '51 Memorial Award for Prolonged Dedication to the Sciences - Yi Zhang

John Hart Spittle '37 Prize for Excellence in Science - Jacob Engelbrecht, Ryan Toner

'44 Award for Excellence in Mathematics - Yi Zhang

A.J. Liebling Journalism Prize - Brianna Clarke-Ellis

Technology Award - Dylan Hauer

Stephen Logan '74 Art Award - Xiaoyun Ma

Art Award - Qinman Fu

Cordelia Manning Award for Service to the Arts - Will Santella

Music Prize - Sophie Rundhaug

Scott Schwartz '91 Theatre Prize - Sophie Rundhaug

Technology Theatre Award - Kimberly-Grace Joseph

Athletic Commitment Award - Arda Buyuklu, Kern Byrnes, Tess Cicala, Brianna Clarke-Ellis, Sam Cox, Sarah Fried, Brogan Heneghan, Venus Okwuka

Edward W. Robinson '37 Award - Sam Cox, Sarah Fried

J. William Nystrom, Sr. '47 Scholar/Athlete Prize - Josie Morales-Thomason, Stephan Perreault

Thomas Wilcox '66 Award for School Spirit in Competitive Athletics - Tess Cicala, Nathaniel Heymann

Alvah Jessup '49 Award for Outstanding Athlete - Kern Byrnes, Venus Okwuka

James S. Hammer '63 Award - Ryan Toner

Cum Laude Society - Trixie Betz, Jacob Engelbrecht, Marie Klepacz, Xiaoyun Ma, Josie Morales-Thomason, Jessica Oren, Stephan Perreault, Sophie Rundhaug, Yi Zhang