Alumni News

Wooster School held its Commencement Exercises on Friday, June 7, 2019 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2019. 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. "Your generation, born in the 21st century, has the opportunity to be this century's greatest generation not for what you will do but for who you are."

Dr. Tyrone Black, Director 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 orators, Andrew Felton '19 and Jacob Smith '19. "Being gentle, generous, truthful, kind, and brave will be ever present in us especially as we give our heartfelt thanks and farewells on this day," remarked Felton and Smith. They added, "We have learned to be gentle with our strength, to be generous with ourselves and others as we try and fail, to be truthful as we forge lasting friendships and seek knowledge, to be kind as we see the bigger picture and understand how much we can do in the world, and to be brave as we face the greatest adversities in our lives."

Head of School Matt Byrnes presented the H. Korb Eynon Award, for enduring commitment and service to Wooster School, to Andrew Gray, Chief Financial Officer.

Last but not least, before the seniors received their diplomas, Head of School Matt Byrnes spoke to the graduating class. "You kids are good at things, and confident -- but I want to use my final words to the class to give some advice. This is not follow your passion cheerleading. What this is some thinking about how you lay the groundwork to be able to follow your passion. You need to be thinking about a plan -- not how you are going to go from the point A of college to the point B of a career, but what can you do improve the quality and efficacy of that journey. Right now you shouldn't be thinking so much about what you are going to study -- or what you'll major in -- but how you are going to make it work, no matter what you choose," Byrnes remarked. He added "Class of 2019, you are strong and ready to rock. You can do it -- but you need a plan. We are always here to help. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for it."

Congratulations to the Great Class of 2019 for all of their accomplishments!

Wooster School Class of 2019

Reed Baker

Jack Barsh

Julia Bauer

Jonathane Bernardez

Todd Blamires

Cooper Byrnes

Nicole Caraballo

Juliana Cerniglia

Karelin Dominguez

Niav Doyle

Jamie Eason

Russell Elfont

Matthew Eskenazi

Simon Felicione

Andrew Felton

Lauren Guzzardi

Elizabeth Hinshaw

Benjamin Holloway

Katherine Hynes

Alan Jos

Jiani (Ingrid) Li

Zhuobin (Dennis) Li

Yuang (Lenny) Liu

Christian Lombardo

Sam MacMillan

Sawyer Moore

Kayla Morales-Thomason

Ryan Nacson-Schechter

Christian Nast

Demetrius Nekos

Tristan Palinkas

Charlotte Pelton-McCormick

Serena Sheth

Jacob Smith

Charles Snow

Ross Spellman

Connor Staub

Bayley Storrier

Yuchen (Michael) Sun

Mark Toledo

Christopher Torres

Steven Unger

Anthony Vines

Alix Wadehra

Tyler Wagnblas

Haobo (Martin) Wang

Shiyue (Catherine) Wang

Weihan Wang

Yile (Steven) Wang

Michael Wipf

Yingkai Xiong

YuweiHong (Arthur) Zhou

Class of 2019 Awards and Prizes

Top Award Recipients (Announced at Commencement):

William Irwin Carter, Jr. Prize - Alix Wadehra

Eugenia Coburn Prize - Matthew Eskenazi

Aaron C. Coburn Award - Charlotte Pelton-McCormick, Tyler Wagnblas

James Hobart Warner Prize - Karelin Dominquez

Honor Award - Julia Bauer, Simon Felicione

Senior Independent Study Commendations - Nicole Caraballo, Jiani (Ingrid) Li, Christian Nast, Christopher Torres

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

History and Social Studies Prize - Benjamin Holloway

Donald G. Schwartz '36 Award for Excellence in 12th Grade English - Jamie Eason

John D. Verdery Prize in Religion - Alan Jos

Josette Eynon Prize for Excellence in Foreign Languages - Serena Sheth

Vinny Puma Spanish Prize - Mark Toledo

Fairfield County Medical Association Biological Science Award Shiyue - (Catherine) Wang

Jeremy Acheson Platt '51 Memorial Award for Prolonged Dedication to the Sciences - Julia Bauer

John Hart Spittle '37 Prize for Excellence in Science - Reed Baker

'44 Award for Excellence in Mathematics - Alix Wadehra

Journalism Prize - Kate Hynes

Technology Award - Steven Unger

Stephen Logan '74 Art Award - Yingkai Xiong

Art Award - Jiani (Ingrid) Li

Cordelia Manning Award for Service to the Arts - Ross Spellman

Music Prize - Connor Staub

Scott Schwartz '91 Theatre Prize - Charlie Snow

Technology Theatre Award - Libby Hinshaw

Athletic Commitment Award - Jack Barsh, Cooper Byrnes, Jacob Smith, Yuchen (Michael) Sun, Anthony Vines, Tyler Wagnblas

Edward W. Robinson '37 Award - Cooper Byrnes, Charlotte Pelton-McCormick

J. William Nystrom, Sr. '47 Scholar/Athlete Prize - Jack Barsh, Alix Wadehra

Thomas Wilcox '66 Award for School Spirit in Competitive Athletics - Bayley Storrier, Tyler Wagnblas

Alvah Jessup '49 Award for Outstanding Athlete - Karelin Dominguez, Jacob Smith

James S. Hammer '63 Award - Mark Toledo

Cum Laude Society - Reed Baker, Julia Bauer, Todd Blamires, Karelin Dominguez, Jamie Eason, Jiani (Ingrid) Li, Demetrius Nekos, Alix Wadehra, Haobo (Martin) Wang, Yingkai Xiong