In his remarks to the 康涅狄格河学院 (CTRA) Class of 2015, Goodwin College president Mark Scheinberg referred to the ceremony as a “night of dreams.” “The land w在这里 your school sits today was once brownfields with oil tanks. You started out at CTRA in the Sandbox,” he said, referring to the small modular classrooms that originally housed the students until their new four-story building on the banks of the Connecticut River opened in 2014. Any dream is possible, he added, once you find out the “why” of your life.

Guest speaker Dr. Eileen Howley of LEARN, encouraged the graduates to appreciate the “partnerships in education” that had brought them to this point in their lives: the CTRA faculty and administrators as well as their families and guardians. “CTRA has been a place w在这里 educators know you,” she said, “and believe in you.”

Retiring CTRA principal Linda Dadona offered emotional final remarks to her students: “I am struck by the thought that we are like bookends. 你们即将结束13年的公立教育，为下一阶段的教育和职业生涯做好准备。 I am at the other end of that journey.” 她呼吁毕业生牢记在CTRA所学到的人生课程，并培养感恩的态度。 “Gratitude has been linked to increased happiness and life satisfaction. I can tell you, first hand, that this has been true for me.”

副校长塔拉·阿马特鲁多（Tara Amatrudo）被任命为下一学年达多纳的继任者。

学生发言人杰沙·里维拉提醒她的同学们，他们最初对选择上环境主题的磁铁高中而不是家乡的学校感到担忧。 “CTRA taught us about relationships and the importance of community,” she offered. “For a lot of us, this is the greatest accomplishment in our lives so far. 我们中的一些人是家里第一个从高中毕业或第一个上大学的。 Some have overcome barriers that only they can comprehend.”

Of the 80 graduates in this year’s CTRA class, 44 have already earned credits at Goodwin College, 21 have been inducted into the National Honor Society, and 11 have volunteered for 100 hours or more of service to the community.

View photos 在这里.