Superintendent echoes message of pop song: be ‘humble, kind’
“Feel good about your work, what you’ve accomplished, but always stay humble and kind.” That was the parting message given by Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon to the Class of 2017 from Minuteman High School in Lexington at commencement exercises.
The ceremony took place at Lowell Memorial Auditorium on June 2.
Select members of the classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 were recently inducted into its chapter of the National Honor Society in a ceremony held at the school. Five are from Arlington.
“It is how I want you to be as you move into the world …. it is what I wish for the entire world right now,” Bouquillon said. He explained that over the past year, he has been listening quite frequently to the song “Humble and Kind” written by Lori McKenna and recorded by Tim McGraw. He called its message “beautiful and simple.”
Bouquillon described the typical habits of humble people based on the writing of Jeff Boss, a contributor to Forbes who is the author of Navigating Chaos: How to Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations: “Stick by your friends and family; put others first; if you want to practice being humble, listen to others; if you want to practice being more humble, start sentences with ‘you’ rather than ‘I’; seek and accept feedback from others; and ask for help.”
Bouquillon also expressed his appreciation to the Class of 2017 for their input on the design for the new Minuteman High School building. “You, the Class of 2017, stand out in my heart as one of the more energetic and exceptional voices in realizing this dream of a new school. You gave your ideas willingly to our design team, knowing you would never be students in the new school. I am grateful for your giving.”
Valedictorian and Senior Class President Sean Datar of Acton told his fellow graduates,” Surround yourself with people who you know will push you to greater heights. Go out of your way to find new people who will challenge you.” After thanking many of his teachers and his parents for their role in his education and personal development, Mr. Datar said that he hopes everyone’s “dreams of today become the reality of tomorrow.”
“Make mistakes and make tough choices, the freedom of adulthood and post-high school is now available to you all,” Salutatorian Jacob Blum of Wilmington said in his address to the graduates. Likening the past four years at Minuteman to a marathon that was sometimes challenging and difficult, Mr. Blum reminded the members of the Class of 2017 that they now have the freedom to do as they wish without the constraints of being in school. “Go ahead and do what you want to do,” he exhorted them. “Remember you are now the main driver of your life.”
Recognition, awards
The awards, special recognition and scholarships that were presented and their recipients were as follows:
National Honor Society: Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Alison Beucler (Medford), Anna Brooks (Belmont), Olivia Cassidy (Concord), Liam Chapman (Arlington), Sean Datar (Acton), Eric Giniger (Carlisle), Benjamin James (Lancaster), Davis Kahmann (Arlington), Collin Kelly (Sudbury), Allison Kirk (Saugus), Diana Kurey (Arlington), Catherine Maxwell (Arlington), Rachel Sheehan (Malden)
2017 John & Abigail Adams Scholarship Recipients: Lucas Abreu (Arlington), Serena Avon (Billerica), Henry Bachmann (Stow), Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Luvilena Berrios-Nieves (Arlington), Alison Beucler (Medford), Jacob Blum (Wilmington), David Combs (Bolton), Brian Courtney (West Roxbury), Sean Datar (Acton), Dominic DeCampo (Arlington), Marcus Doucette (Wakefield), Christopher Earl (Needham), Charles Erickson (Needham), Emmanuel Georgoudis (Malden), Eric Giniger (Carlisle), Thainara Gomes (Arlington), Cody Gonzales (Acton), Andrew Greenwood (Sudbury), Shaina Guidebeck (Arlington), William Hardy (Acton), Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington), Davis Kahmann (Arlington), Collin Kelly (Sudbury), Evan Kennedy-Spaien (Danvers), Sarah Kittredge (Lancaster), Alexander Lamarche (Watertown), Peter Lavina (Stow), Kevin Lieber (Lexington), Duncan MacLean (Medford), Leanna Marden (Acton), Tyler Newcomb (Woburn), Rodolfo Ramirez (Waltham), Parker Ripley (Waltham), Thomas Spurr (Acton), Jared Weiskopf (Sudbury), Michael Whitmore (Arlington), Timothy Yelle (Carlisle)
President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence: David Andrade (Arlington), Kathryn Barnes (Stow), Alison Beucler (Medford), Joan Blair (Lincoln), Jacob Blum (Wilmington), Brent Boudrot (Billerica), Lily-Nou Bradtke (Lexington), Liam Chapman (Arlington), David Combs (Bolton), Mitchell Cupp (Concord), Sean Datar (Acton), Dominic DeCampo (Arlington), Marcus Doucette (Wakefield), Christopher Earl (Needham), Eric Giniger (Carlisle), Alexander Gonzalez (Watertown), Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington), Michael Joshua (Woburn), Davis Kahmann (Arlington), Collin Kelly (Sudbury), Evan Kennedy-Spaien (Danvers), Allison Kirk (Saugus), Sarah Kittredge (Lancaster), Alexander Lamarche (Watertown), Anthony Lavin (Stow), Kevin Lieber (Lexington), Leanna Marden (Acton), Catherine Maxwell (Arlington), Tyler Newcomb (Woburn), Rachel Sheehan (Malden), Jacob Svirsky (Needham), Michael Whitmore (Arlington)
President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement: Lucas Abreu (Arlington), Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Luvilena Berrios Nieves (Arlington), Anna Brooks (Belmont), Angelo Butera (Wayland), Olivia Cassidy (Concord), Charles Erickson (Needham), Benjamin French (Stow), Emmanuel Georgoudis (Malden), Samantha Gomez (Arlington), Shaina Guidebeck (Arlington), William Hardy (Acton), Benjamin James (Lancaster), Allison Jorgensen (Arlington), Duncan MacLean (Medford), Alison Nakhtiga (Lexington)l, Michael Ortiz (Arlington), Laurie Pierre (Waltham), Rustam Ragin (Needham), Gianna Raneri (Medford), Brianna Ridore (Waltham), Parker Ripley (Waltham), Nicholas Sordillo (Arlington), Thomas Spurr (Acton)
Career Program Awards: The Career Program Award is presented to the senior who has demonstrated the highest level of expertise in their technical area:
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY | Ryan Ramsingh (Needham)
BIOTECHNOLOGY | Derek Smith (Arlington)
CARPENTRY | William Hardy (Acton)
COSMETOLOGY | Joan Blair (Lincoln)
CULINARY ARTS/BAKING | Dominic DeCampo (Arlington) and Benjamin French (Stow)
DESIGN AND VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS | Thainara Gomes (Arlington)
EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE | Allison Jorgensen (Arlington)
ELECTRICAL WIRING | Mitchell Cupp (Concord)
ENGINEERING | Eric Giniger (Carlisle)
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY | Collin Kelly (Sudbury)
HEALTH OCCUPATIONS | Alison Nakhtigal (Lexington)
HORTICULTURE/LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT | Brent Boudrot (Billerica)
HVAC/REFRIGERATION | Steven Lee (Lancaster)
MARKETING | Gianna Raneri (Medford)
METAL FABRICATION & WELDING | Ryan McGonagle (Lexington)
PLUMBING | Liam Chapman (Arlington)
PROGRAMMING & WEB DEVELOPMENT | Alexander Lamarche (Watertown)
ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY | Jonathan Meister (Arlington)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS | Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington)
Academic Achievement Awards: The Academic Achievement Award is presented to the senior who has demonstrated the highest level of proficiency in an academic area:
ENGLISH | Kevin Lieber (Lexington)
HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES | Sakai Fuller-Long (Waltham)
MATHEMATICS | Sean Datar (Acton)
MUSIC | Alison Beucler (Medford)
PHYSICAL EDUCATION | Sean Datar (Acton) and Alexander Gonzalez (Watertown)
SCIENCE | Thomas Spurr (Acton)
WORLD LANGUAGE | Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington)
Outstanding Senior Project Awards:
The Outstanding Senior Project Awards are presented to seniors who presented an exemplary senior project: Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Jacob Blum (Wilmington), Liam Chapman (Arlington), Sean Datar (Acton), Charles Erickson (Needham), Jonathan Meister (Arlington), Tyler Newcomb (Woburn), Michael Ortiz (Arlington)
Outstanding Senior Portfolio Award:
Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington)
Scholarship recipients:
Arlington Rotary Club Award – Davis Kahmann (Arlington)
Beverly W. Lydiard Memorial Scholarship – Samantha Gomez (Arlington)
Bonnie J. Hilla Memorial Award – Collin Kelly (Sudbury)
Cambridge Savings Bank / Kevin J. Fitzgerald Scholarship – Jonathan Meister (Arlington)
Christel McCarthy Scholarship – Duncan MacLean (Medford)
Craig M. King Memorial Scholarship – Jacob Gibson (Arlington)
DeLuca Family Scholarship / Class of 2004 – Jacob Blum (Wilmington) and Evan Kennedy-Spaien (Danvers)
Department of the Army – Olivia Cassidy (Concord) and Duncan MacLean (Medford)
Dick Ham Memorial Award – Kevin Manning (Arlington)
Edward Lillis Memorial Award – Thainara Gomes (Arlington)
Felicia M. DeLorenzo Scholarship Foundation – Michael Bent (Arlington)
Francis Koppeis (Wayside Inn) Memorial Award – Sakai Fuller-Long (Waltham)
Fred Troisi Memorial Scholarship – Rachel Sheehan (Malden)
Friends of Minuteman Award – To graduates on the basis of academic achievement and good citizenship: presented to Serena Avon (Billerica), Brian Courtney (West Roxbury), Holly Clancy (Arlington), Natania DuFresne (Boston), William Glynn (Arlington), Ayla Lopez-Casanova (Belmont), Nicholas Sordillo (Arlington), Jacob Svirsky (Needham), Demetrios Tsoukalas.(Acton)
Gourmet Club Award – Alexander Gonzalez (Watertown)
Jed Dowd Memorial Scholarship – Tyler Newcomb (Woburn)
John Hayward Memorial Scholarship – Luvilena Berrios-Nieves (Arlington)
Lexington Field & Garden Club Award – Maxwell Busa (Lexington) and Natania DuFresne (Boston)
Lexington Rotary Club Scholarship – Alison Beucler (Medford) and Alison Nakhtigal (Lexington)
Lexington Outstanding Senior Award – Lily-Nou Bradtke (Lexington), Kevin Lieber (Lexington) and Alison Nakhtigal.(Lexington)
Margaret Rosselli Memorial Scholarship – Lily-Nou Bradtke (Lexington)
Mary S. Indelicato Scholarship – Olivia Cassidy (Concord)
Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators Award – Davis Kahmann (Arlington)
Merrimack Valley Superintendents Association Award – Sean Datar (Acton) and Davis Kahmann (Arlington)
Middlesex Savings Bank Award – Collin Kelly (Sudbury)
Minuteman Alumni Association Scholarships – Kathryn Barnes (Stow), Alexander Lamarche (Watertown) and Parker Ripley (Waltham)
Minuteman Chapter of the National Honor Society Award – Catherine Maxwell (Arlington)
Minuteman Faculty Association Award / Elaine Karkos Memorial Scholarship – Sean Datar (Acton)
Minuteman Parent Association Scholarships – Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Zachary Bazydola (Belmont), Andrew Bergeron (Arlington), Jacob Blum (Wilmington), Sean Datar (Acton), Marcus Doucette (Wakefield), Christopher Earl (Needham), Leanna Marden (Acton)
Minuteman Players Drama Club Award – Shaina Guidebeck (Arlington) and Catherine Maxwell (Arlington)
Minuteman Principal’s Award – Stavros Ioakimidis (Arlington)
Minuteman Senior Project Award – Marcello Barbieri (Lancaster), Jacob Blum (Wilmington), Liam Chapman (Arlington), Sean Datar (Acton), Charles Erickson (Needham), Jonathan Meister (Arlington), Tyler Newcomb (Woburn), Michael Ortiz (Arlington)
New England Plumbing, Gas and Mechanical Inspectors Association Award – Liam Chapman (Arlington)
Norman Myerow Memorial Award – Lily-Nou Bradtke (Lexington)
Old Concord Chapter – Daughters of the American Revolution Award – Olivia Cassidy (Concord)
Paul Alphen Science Award – Thomas Spurr (Acton)
Paul Johnson Memorial Award – Dominic DeCampo (Acton) and Benjamin French (Stow)
Paul Stone Memorial Scholarship – Rustam Ragin (Needham)
Pauline Briggs Memorial Scholarship – David Andrade (Arlington)
Ralph Hersey Memorial Scholarship – Duncan MacLean (Medford)
Renzo A. Ricciuti Memorial Scholarship – Liam Chapman (Arlington)
Richard Trzepacz Graphic Arts Award – Thainara Gomes (Arlington)
Roger S. Eleftherakis Memorial Scholarship – Sean Datar (Acton)
Ryan Eaton Memorial Award – Angelo Butera (Wayland) and Benjamin French (Stow)
Rotary Club of Acton Boxborough Award – Thomas Spurr (Acton)
Rotary District 7930 – Andrew Bergeron (Arlington), Shaina Guidebeck (Arlington), Allison Jorgensen (Arlington) and Derek Smith.(Arlington)
Senior Class Spirit and Dedication Award – David Andrade (Arlington)
Scotty Enwright Memorial Scholarship – Liam Chapman (Arlington)
Town of Belmont Education Scholarship – Anna Brooks (Belmont)
This news announcement was published Friday, June 9, 2017.
