Vets Class of 2015 filled with determination, school spirit

Josh Estrella
Posted 7/7/15

Warwick Veterans Principal Gerald Habershaw is proud of the entire Class of 2015 with all of the hard work they have put in and all of the pride they have shown for the school throughout the …

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Vets Class of 2015 filled with determination, school spirit

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Warwick Veterans Principal Gerald Habershaw is proud of the entire Class of 2015 with all of the hard work they have put in and all of the pride they have shown for the school throughout the years.

“The Class of 2015 was filled with tremendous school spirit,” Habershaw said in a recent interview.

With the school consolidation process looming over the students this year, students have been filled with love for their school. Habershaw noted how it is unfortunate that Warwick Veterans will be the high school closing, but it has not stopped the spirit of the students. The next academic year would be Vets’ last as a high school with the building reopening as a middle school in the 2016-2017 academic year if the current plan is followed.

“The students fought to keep the school open and have been determined to graduate from Vets,” Habershaw said, “I have never been more proud of a group of graduates … they have demonstrated a great deal of school spirit and love for Warwick Veterans.”

He said the top 10 ranked students are driven. They know their goals and are actively pursuing them, mentioning the universities across the nation they will be attending and careers they are pursuing, like the class essayist Gillian Tiley who is pursuing her dream of being a foreign ambassador.

Christopher Defreitas

Valedictorian of the class and captain of the varsity lacrosse team, Christopher Defreitas plans to attend Bryant University in the fall.

Aside from the lacrosse team, where he also earned co-most valuable player, Defreitas was a member of the math team at Vets. During his four years at the school, he excelled in mathematics, winning the AMS math award and was a WPI math team high scorer. At Bryant he will be majoring in Actuarial Mathematics.

Additionally, Defreitas was the recipient of the Bausch and Lomb Science Award and the Warwick Vets Humanities Award.

“I will always remember the memories and lessons I have learned from my teachers.” Defreitas said.

Defreitas says that he has been motivated to do well in high school so that he could go to a great college and have future success.

“My girlfriend Haley Kiernan has done the most to contribute to my success in high school. She has always gone above and beyond to support me,” Defreitas said.

Sarah Grace Plante

This year’s salutatorian is Sarah Grace Plante. Sarah will travel to Lookout Mountain, Georgia this fall where she will attend Covenant College majoring in International Studies with a minor in Community Development.

A big part of her high school career was the concert and jazz band. Plante held first chair in concert and jazz band at Vets on alto sax. She held roles as the secretary and the treasurer of the band. Plante was also an athlete at Vets; she was the captain of the cross-country team, which she was on for four years and additionally ran three years of outdoor track.

Plante earned several awards at Vets, including the St. Michael’s College Book Award, the Outstanding Senior in Spanish Award and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.

“I’ll remember late nights writing papers and doing projects, but most of all the adventures and laughs I had with my closest friends,” Plante said.

According to Plante, even though her dreams changed over the years, going to college has always been her biggest motivation.

“My parents have constantly supported me and pushed me to do my best and give 100 percent,” Plante said. “Danielle Prior-Watterson and Jeffrey Lawton are the two teachers that I have known all of high school who have impacted me in big ways. They have supported me and taught me all through high school and I’ve learned so much from them, not just academically but about life.”

Gillian Tiley

Class essayist Gillian Tiley will attend the University of Vermont where she will be double majoring in Global Studies and Economics with a minor in French.

Tiley has excelled academically, athletically and in the arts during her high school career. She was a member of the math league, part of the Paramount Show Choir, captain of the varsity indoor track team, and participated in theatre at Hendricken. Additionally, Tiley has directed and wrote a play in NYC.

“My trip to NYC with my cast, company and friends for the New Artist Play Festival, which included the play I wrote and directed entitled ‘Bad Service,’ was definitely my favorite memory and proudest accomplishment,” Tiley said.

She has also qualified for the national competition for National History Day four times and is a member of the Rhode Island Honor Society, the National Honor Society and the French Honor Society. She has earned the SAT award and the French Award.

Tiley said the people who contributed most to her success and enjoyment of high school are her mother, her siblings, Richie, Sylvia, David Weeks and her friends at Hendricken Theatre.

According to Tiley, what motivated her to excel was her drive to be the best possible example for her six siblings.

Danica Butler

Ranked fourth in her class, Danica Butler will attend Bryant University majoring in Actuarial Mathematics.

She has received a variety of awards during her career at Vets in the fields of science and math. Earned the Rhode Island Scholar Award, the Air Force Mathematics Award, the Science Award and the Women’s Engineering Award.

Butler attributes her motivation to excel to sibling competition. “I wanted to beat my sister in class rank [number 6 in 2012],” Butler said.

Throughout her time at Vets, Butler has been a part of the lacrosse team and the math league. What she will remember most about high school is spending time with her friends.

Butler said that her parents, sister, grandparents, friends and teachers contributed to her success and enjoyment of high school.

Julie Ye

Ranking fifth in her class, Julie Ye will travel to the other side of the country in the fall where she will be attending the University of San Diego.

Ye is a three-sport athlete, a musician and academically she excels, receiving awards in all three areas. At Vets she was a part of the field hockey team, indoor track team and lacrosse team. She held a first chair position in concert and jazz band, was a member of the math league and the academic decathlon.

“I will remember the family that I had in field hockey and in band,” Ye said.

She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Rhode Island Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, earned excellent in solo and ensemble in the band, earned a gold medal in Academic Decathlon and received honorable mention in field hockey.

“My friends and my teachers have contributed to most of my success and enjoyment in high school,” Ye said. “My parents motivated me to excel as well as my peers.”

Emily DiGiorgio

Though unsure of a major yet, Emily DiGiorgio will be attending the University of Rhode Island this fall.

When reminiscing about her time in high school, she will always remember slowly getting out of her shell and reaching out to people.

DiGiorgio attributes her success to her hard work, her therapist and her friends. What motivated her to excel in school was that she wanted a decent future.

Haley Kiernan

Haley Kiernan, seventh in her class, will attend both CCRI and Providence College seeking a degree in liberal arts.

Kiernan was a three-sport athlete at Vets, being a part of the field hockey, softball and outdoor track team, and also a member of the math league.

She is a recipient of the Harvard Book Award and became a member of the National, Rhode Island and Spanish Honor Society.

“My family and teachers always pushed me to do my best and were always there to support me,” Kiernan said.

What she will remember about high school is her “wonderful” teachers and having good discussions in the classrooms. What motivated her to excel was wanting to get into a good school and to be a member of the top 10.

Gabriel Shaker

Earning the rank of eighth in his class, Gabriel Shaker will attend Drew University in Madison, N.J.

In high school he participated in a variety of activities, including the Academic Decathlon, math league, science club, the Science Olympiad and was co-captain of the tennis team.

What he will remember most about high school is the sensation of being a part of something greater than herself.

Shaker was awarded the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists Award of Excellence, earned a gold medal in the Academic Decathlon, and was a member of the National Honor Society and Rhode Island Honor Society.

The desire to make his parents proud, and to be an example to others motivated him to excel.

According to Shaker, the people who have contributed the most to her success and enjoyment of high school are, “My family, both those by blood and those who have become as close as any blood relative could be.”

Sloan Kinney

Ninth in her class, Sloan Kinney will be attending Rhode Island College in the fall where she will major in nursing.

During her high school career she was a captain on not one, but all three teams she was a part of, soccer, gymnastics and lacrosse.

She has earned awards academically and athletically. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Rhode Island Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and won most valuable player in soccer.

“I will most remember my involvement in sports and all of the great friendships that came with it,” Kinney said.

Kinney’s motivation to excel was her parents. She wanted to do well in school so she could make them proud.

“My friends and family have greatly contributed to my success and enjoyment of high school. They have pushed me to do my absolute best in anything I have attempted,” Kinney said.

Editor’s Note: Jessica Tyree, the 10th ranked student at Vets who will be attending URI this fall, chose not to respond to inquiries.

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