Commencement 2010

Family, guests, and friends anticipated the arrival of the Class of 2010 under a large white tent on Seapuit Field. As the administration, trustees, and faculty were led to the field by bagpiper, Peter Welch each of the seniors took a turn ringing the bell in Chope Commons.

The Invocation was delivered by humanities faculty member, Reverend Lawrence W. Brown. David McGraw, Chair of the Board of Trustees welcomed everyone to Cape Cod Academy’s 34rd Commencement Ceremony.

The following Departmental Prizes were awarded:

English

Honorable Mention: Aidan Moriarity

English Prize: Graham Welch

Social Studies

Honorable Mention: Robert Anderson

Social Studies Prize: Graham Welch

Mathematics

Honorable Mention: Matt Koehler

Mathematics Prize: Robert Anderson

Science

Honorable Mention: Robert Anderson

Science Prize: Kelsey Wheeler

Foreign Language

Honorable Mention: Kelsey Wheeler

Foreign Language Prize: Christina Smith

Art

Honorable Mention: Shannon MacRoberts

Art Prize: Nicole Madonna

Photography

Honorable Mention: Julie Mahdavi

Photography Prize: Robert Anderson

Drama

Honorable Mention: Harry Cliff

Drama Prize: Lillian Terry-Welch and Hannah Van Sciver

The National School Choral Awards: Harry Cliff and Lillian Terry-Welch

The Instrumental Music Award: Chelsea Murphy 

The Musical Theatre Award: Gregory Mitrokostas

Student Council Awards:

Vice President – Lindsay Bergh

President – Gregory Mitrokostas

The following awards acknowledge the overall qualities of excellence and achievement so important to the character and values of the institution as a whole.

Academic Excellence Award

The prize for academic excellence acknowledges the students in grade 7 through 11 who demonstrate superior academic achievement and who, just as importantly, are people of warmth, understanding, and determination. This is our way of drawing a real distinction between being smart and using our intelligence wisely.

Awarded to: Olivia Rauss ‘11

The Heart Award

Established by Nick Accrocco, Class of 2000, the Heart Award recognizes the outstanding individual who has exhibited excellence in the three components of school, community, and friends and family. The outstanding quality in school is effort. In the community it is expressed as a passion for a better world. Among friends and family it is kindness and perseverance. As part of the award, a donation is made to Cape Cod Academy and to a charity of the recipient’s choice in the recipient’s honor.

Awarded to: Gregory Mitrokostas

The Daryl Forth / Douglas Wilcock Award

The Forth – Wilcock Award for potential in International Relations and related fields was established in 2004 by Heather Nickerson, Class of ’98. This monetary award acknowledges the exceptional teaching she experienced in Mr. Wilcock’s Calculus Class and Madame Forth’s French Class, and seeks to recognize and encourage a senior who has outstanding potential to make significant contributions to international relations.

Awarded to: Graham Welch

The Roy J. Harper Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established by Douglas and Cathy Harper, The parents of Doug, Jr., of the Class of ’92. Established in the memory of Roy J. Harper, grandfather of Doug Jr. It recognizes the member of the graduating class who in the judgment of the faculty, has shown the greatest growth in scholarship, coupled with qualities of honesty, compassion, and respect.

Awarded to: Aidan Moriarty

Parents Association Prize

The parents association prizes- two this year- are awarded to seniors who have contributed un-selfishly to the growth and well being of the school during the course of their years here. These awards include a cash prize.

Awarded to: Christina Smith and Kelsey Wheeler

The Spirit of Cape Cod Academy in Athletics Award

The Spirit of CCA in Athletics Award goes to those athletes whose individual efforts, coordinate through teamwork and tempered by sportsmanship, result in a whole whose sum is far greater than its individual parts. The winners are not necessarily our most gifted athletes, but those who have contributed most meaningfully to the substance and spirit of our athletic endeavors.

Awarded to: Sean Hegarty and Kendra Hickman

The Robert J. Smith, Jr. Award

In annual honor of Mr. Smith and his inspiring 17 years of Board Chairmanship, we acknowledge that student in grades 9 to 12 who in the opinion of the faculty, has demonstrated the greatest academic improvement during his or her years at CCA.

Awarded to: Mollie Kinlin

The Citizenship Prize

The Citizenship Prize recognizes a student who demonstrates a willingness to share and to cooperate, and a sensitivity to the life and health of the school community. The recipient exemplifies what we mean when we speak of being a good, responsible, and caring person.

Awarded to: Lillian Terry-Welch

Head of School Award

The school’s final commencement award is determined by vote of the upper school faculty. It is awarded to the individual whose many contributions have enriched and invigorated our school over time. It is awarded to the individual whose many contributions have enriched and invigorated our school over time. While it’s clear by now to everyone here this morning that there are many truly worthy members of the Class of 2010, this young woman is outstanding for her ability to do so many things so well with such grace. An accomplished actor, artist and musician, a leader of our highly successful mock trial team, a national merit commendee, an accomplished film maker, a top student in every academic disipline, a state champion slam poet, and a particularly kind engaging and enthusiastic young woman with seemingly limitless energy.

Awarded to: Hannah Van Sciver.

Here from the Beginning Tribute

This unique tribute in our young school saw its debut in 1993 and was given sporadically at first, and now is becoming more regular. These are schoolmates known personally to most of our graduates today.

2004 - Siobhan Chapman, Shelia Dunning, Matt Mattision, Jessica Stone

2005 - Sarah Holland and Samantha White

2006 - Julia Dunning, Annaleise Heussler, Elizabeth McGraw, and Michael Starr

2007 - Jessica Bevis, Mitchell Freddura, and Rachel Shaw.

2008 – Eliza Heussler, Sarah McCaskey, Alexandra McGraw, and Chelsea Summersall

2009 – Jillian Augusta, Fred Barber, and Eric Eldredge

We give this to graduates who have been at the Academy since Kindergarten. We have that delightful pleasure of seeing our students learn, grow, and develop over the fullness of the time they are with us, and it is a special delight when it is all thirteen years. Although not technically qualifying for this award, we acknowledge Davey McGraw, who joined CCA in Kindergarten, and spent eleven of his thirteen years at CCA- here from the beginning in our hearts.

Our gift for our eleven who started here in kindergarten is a framed picture, with photographs as a CCA Kindergartener in 1997, those many years ago, and as a Senior this year.

With deep affection we thank and congratulate:

Paul Barber

Chris Curtis

Sean Hegarty

Conor Holland

Erol Karchner

Mollie Kinlin

Nicole Madonna

Chelsea Smith

Christina Smith

Graham Welch

Hannah Van Sciver

It has been the tradition of the Senior Class to choose its representative to speak at graduation. Selected for the Head of School Award by the Upper School Faculty and by her classmates as today’s student speaker, it is a rare event indeed when the faculty and senior class completely agree on anything - but on this occasion they do, and it’s no surprise. This is our last opportunity to enjoy this talented student who, next fall, will be on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Listen to Hannah Van Sciver’s graduation address is located in the associated media channel.

The Class of 2010 invited Mr. Brad Garrity, Science Department Chair, to deliver the Faculty Commencement Address. A graduate of the Manlius School, an independent school in upstate New York, Mr. Garrity completed his undergraduate degree at Center College in Kentucky and his graduate work as a Title IV Fellow in the Zoology Department at Michigan State University. He has served nine independent schools in his career, as a biology and chemistry teacher; a basketball coach, lacrosse, cross-country and golf coach; Dean of Students, Business Manager, Development Director, Head of Upper School, and Director of College Counseling. There is little, if anything, Mr. Garrity does not know about best practices in independent schools. He is uncompromising on his standards for student effort and achievement, and equally uncompromising on his openness, willingness, generosity of spirit and commitment to help each student meet those standards. That is why the Class of 2010 honored him with this year’s yearbook dedication and why they invited him to speak today.

Brad Garrity’s commencement address is located in the associated media channel.

The following students were presented with diplomas by Clark Daggett and David McGraw:

Robert Anderson, Onset

Paul Barber, Hyannisport

Nicholas Bruce, East Sandwich

Sheraz Chaudhry, Sandwich

Christopher Curtis, Mashpee

Timothy Daley, Mashpee

Derek DeMello, Mashpee

Christopher Doyle, Brewster

Rashad El Sehrawey, Dennis

William Estes, Falmouth

Austin Garrett, Osterville

Nathaniel Haskell, Mashpee

Sean Hegarty, West Barnstable

Kendra Hickman, Marstons Mills

DianaLee Hirt, Plymouth

Conor Holland, Mashpee

Erol Karchner, East Falmouth

Sean Keen, Mashpee

Mollie Kinlin, Osterville

Matthew Koehler, Barnstable

Fredrik Linge, Hyannis/Norway

Charles Lonergan, East Dennis

Shannon MacRoberts, Mashpee

Nicole Madonna, Osterville

Julie Mahdavi, Centerville

Connor McCann, Centerville

David McGraw, Osterville

Gregory Mitrokostas, South Yarmouth

Nicholas Monto, Osterville

Aidan Moriarty, Duxbury

Brian Morris-Penney, Harwich

Chelsea Murphy, North Falmouth

Meagan Nolan, Harwich Port

Thomas Olson, Cataumet

Conor O’Neil, West Barnstable

Chelsea Smith, West Barnstable

Christina Smith, Osterville

Maxwell Sullivan, Cotuit

Lillian Terry-Welsh, Chatham

Hannah Van Sciver, Marstons Mills

Graham Welch, Osterville

Ashton Wharton, Centerville

Kelsey Wheeler, Osterville

Ernest Zezze, North Falmouth

Head of School Clark Daggett closed the Commencement Cermony with words of wisdom and affection for the Class of 2010.

The ceremony ended as the bagpiper led the graduates to a receiving line formed by the faculty and administration so that they could share parting and congratulatory wishes. Faculty and graduates then joined parents and guest for refreshments and congratulations in Wilkens Hall.

Former Lower School Faculty members Carol Andrade, Louisa Guzzetti, Marge (Hardy) Walsh, and Lisa Kent and former Head of School Tom Evans attended the commencement. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2010!