Seniors Dine with Choate Alumni Event Begins the Journey to Commencement
By Steven Choi ’10
News Reporter
Current Choate seniors mingled with alumni on Friday, April 18th, in the St. John Wing of the Hill House Dining Hall to celebrate the annual Sixth Form-Alumni Dinner, sponsored by the Choate Alumni Association. All seniors, several fifth-formers, faculty, and alumni from the class of 1940 to the class of 2000 attended this special occasion, which was the first senior event on the road to the 2008 Commencement.
The purpose of the dinner was not necessarily for the seniors and alumni to enjoy “good” food, but for the alumni to share their insights as Choate graduates. Past students welcomed the soon-to-be graduates to their new positions as alumni. Four panelists spoke at the dinner of the significant impact that Choate had on their lives.
Two of the panelists were current Choate faculty members: Latin teacher Mary Liz Williamson ’94 and History teacher Carey Turnquest ’03. The panelists spoke of how their experiences at Choate prepared them for their futures.
“The panelists talked about their experiences and how Choate prepared them better for college. They told us how the faculty members have truly changed their lives and how Choate has made a big difference in their lives,” says Andrew Dominguez ’08. “I thought the panelists were great,” says Margaret Vallone ’08. “It helped when they told us about what life was like at Choate and after Choate. They told us some anecdotes about their lives at Choate.”
Alex Manti ’08 adds, “It was nice to see four people who genuinely love Choate and wanted to come back and be part of it. They even remembered the school song many years after they graduated.”
The alumni not only provided inspiration and words of advice to the seniors, but also told stories that allowed the class of ’08 to appreciate Choate as a whole. They offered their opinions and recommendations on staying connected to Choate.
“They taught us that we should always bear in mind the privilege that Choate provides us. The privilege is the opportunity to be around so many different kinds of people, and it’s prepared us for the world,” says Manti.
The alumni served as resources for the seniors by helping them to understand what the future held. Vallone comments, “I met one of the alumni. He graduated in 2005, and I had met him before. At the time, he was doing an English Capstone. He was part of the reason why I came to Choate.” She adds, “Today, he told me that he submitted his capstone from his senior year at Choate to a large British publishing company. It’s amazing how Choate provides so many opportunities.”
Another alumnus taught a crucial lesson to the seniors: to keep in touch. According to Dominguez, “One of the alumni said that she met up with her roommate whom she hadn’t contacted in over six years. It turned out that the roommate devoted a whole day to catch up with this person, and give her a tour of her office, which happened to be Pixar Studios.” The alumnus advised, “Don’t let it be six years until you contact someone.”
“It was interesting,” states Tyler Maloney ’08. Alex Cohen ’08 adds, “It [the dinner] gave me motivation to give back to Choate and sincerely appreciate my place here as a student. Phil Risman ’08 agrees: “It was definitely a great experience and really beneficial to have them come and speak to us. I just hope that one day I’ll be able to come back and speak on the panel.”
Alumnus Woody Laikind ’53 gives advice to a room full of seniors and faculty. PHOTO/susan farrell
