Different Kind of Graduation Planned for Watertown’s Class of 2020; Students Can Choose Grades or Pass/Fail

One of the signs that went up around town to celebrate Watertown High School’s graduating seniors. Watertown High School’s graduating seniors will be receiving their diplomas at Victory Field, but no in the way they would have expected in the pre-pandemic world. The Class of 2020 will have a drive-up graduation on Saturday, June 20, where they will arrive in a car full of family members, get out and march on the field with Pomp and Circumstance playing and receive their diploma, said Superintendent Dede Galdston at Monday’s School Committee meeting. Students will also have a professional photo taken. The rain location will be the WHS auditorium.

11 Watertown Students Graduating from Minuteman, Including Valedictorian

Minuteman High School’s 121 member strong Class of 2020 includes nearly a dozen students from Watertown, one of whom is the class valedictorian. The vocational technical school will hold a drive-in graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5, at 2 p.m., at the school, 758 Marrett Road, Lexington. The ceremony will also be streamed live on YouTube. “While this is clearly an unusual way to hold a graduation, we hope that it will be a way for students and their families to share their excitement and create a happy memory of this milestone,” wrote Minuteman Superintendent-Director Edward Bouquillon. The graduates from Watertown are (with their program of study and future plans):

Emely AlmonteRouaa AlwazTJ DaleyFahad KhanAnthony LeoneElizabeth LinarteVasiliki MarandianosMichael McNamaraSabrina RaposoRenee ThompsonZachary Umbsen

Rouaa Alwaz (VALEDICTORIAN), BiotechnologyElizabeth Linarte, Biotechnology, University of Mass. Lowell – Pre-Dentistry Honors ProgramMichael McNamara, Carpentry Sabrina Raposo, Cosmetology, Entering the Workforce – CosmetologyVasiliki Marandianos, Culinary Arts / Baking, Entering the Workforce – Culinary ArtsRenee Thompson, Culinary Arts / BakingEmely Almonte, Early Education & CareAnthony Leone, Electrical WiringTimothy Daley, PlumbingFahad Khan, Programming & Web, Bunker Hill Community College – Software DevelopmentZachary Umbsen, Programming & Web

Visit the Minuteman High School Class of 2020 Instagram page to see more of the graduates.

High School Looking for Ways to Celebrate Graduating Seniors in a Time of Social Distancing

This week, lawn signs will begin to pop up around Watertown congratulating the high school’s Class of 2020. This is one way the school has come up with to celebrate the seniors in a year when a normal graduation ceremony and other traditional events will not likely happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People at the school and the community are trying to come up with other ways to acknowledge the Class of 2020, WHS Principal Shirley Lundberg told the School Committee on Monday night. There may be a car parade of seniors, a specific time when the town applauds the senior class (similar to the celebrations of medical workers), and at some point in the future, perhaps, a live and in-person graduation ceremony. The last day of class for seniors is May 28, and graduation was scheduled for Friday, June 5.

WHS Class of 2018: A Tight Knit Group of Students Who Care About Each Other

The message from the graduation speeches on Friday evening was that Watertown High School’s Class of 2018 is a tight group that supports and celebrates each other, putting the whole group ahead of any one individual. When describing the graduating class, Principal Shirley Lundberg used a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote that finishes: “… To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.” “Class of 2018, you have not only only embraced that philosophy, but as a class you have made it your mission,” Lundberg said. This year’s senior class has shown how much they care about each other, Lundberg said.

Congratulations to Watertown High School’s Class of 2018!

Congratulations to the members of the Watertown High School Class of 2018 on their graduation on Friday evening! The 158 graduates received their diplomas at Victory Field in front of stands overflowing with family and friends. 2018 Watertown High School Graduates

(+ Cum Laude Society, * National Honor Society)
Alexander Abrahamyan +*
Jillian Anissa Achbady

Muhammad Ahad

Melanie Elizabeth Alberico

Evan James Aldridge

Hakeem Alhady

Amelia Blake Allison *

Mosab K. Amleh

Yaiza Andujar

Akram Mohamed Babali

Anthony Edward Bedrosian

Madiha Begum

Sarah Meehan Benites *

Christina Shirley Borelli *

Benjamin Thomas Bresnee

Angus Hugh Gorman Brouillard

Gabriella Ann Cacia *

Alexis Ann Caira *

Liz Krystal Cam

Timothy Nicholas Camelio

Aiden Isabella Carroll

Sandra Maria Chacon

Joseph Alexander Chau *

Sepahn Chiloyan

Gabriel Giovanni Cimino *

Ruby Charlotte Cohen

Nicholas Cameron Cordeiro +*

Caroline Grace Costa +*

Julia Cottone

Gabriel John Craig

William Israel Cruz

Arianna Virginia Curry

Caroline Theresa D’Amico

Nelziclea Lima Da Silva

Robert Danielian

Julie Maryam Der Torossian

Lori Anne Dorian

Katherine Ann Eaton

Harry Peter Edgely

Lauren Ann Ellis

Fernando Alexander Escamilla Flores

Daniel Louis Fabrizio

David Mark Fabrizio

Hadi Hassan Farhat

Rafael Servare Faria

Alexander James Feltner Harrison *

Edward Gomes Ferreira

Michael James Flynn

Meghan Mary Foley *

Liam Sean Forde

WHS Class of 2018: A Tight Knit Group of Students Who Care About Each Other

Julio Fulcar

Jacquelyn Marie Furbish

Claire Hennacy Gabel +*

Valentina Javiera Gaete Hurtado

Owen Patrick Gallagher

Camilla Alejandra Gana

Michela Josephine Gardner

Jaylene Janayna Garzon

Anna Katerina Gellerman

Natali Gevorgyan *

Valerie Gladun

Siobhan Maureen Greene *

Elian Alexander Guerrero

Melanie Halibian *

Nicholas Patrick Hatfield

Miles Benjamin Hohmann

David Ramos Inacio

Dida Jajan

Rebeka Kadi

Saro Karaguesian

David Alexander Kennedy

Jonna Renee Kennedy *

Conor Michael Kennelly

Hovhannes Khacheryan

Risa Maryam Kiani

Michaela Araxi Kinnear

Elizbeth Ann Knell

John Butler Korte

Christopher Anastasios Koufos *

Emily Rose Koufos *

Andrew Charles Koutroukas +*

Benjamin Patrick Landry

Stephanie Athanasios Laskaris

Katherine Olivia Lawn *

Madelyn Alyssa Leitner

Elijah Asher Bertram Levy

Amanda Virginia Lewis

Jaime Leanne MacDonald

Bryan Anthony MacKenzie

Claudia Lilian Marr Calderon

Jake Ryan Matton

Zachery Richardson Mazzie-Smith

Spencer Margaret McClellan +*

Eva Madeleine McDonald

Brianna Grace McKaughan

Cali Anne McMahon

Jose Luis Mendoza Corea

Camryn Rose Moschella

Diego Alejandro Moscoso

Rachael Takyuka Nakato Mukuye

Ruth Mirembe Babirye Mukuye

Matthew Paul Muldrew

Harrison John Myler

Vazken Ariss Nalbandian

Patra Lillianne Namuddu

Jeannie Ngan *

Mark Joseph Nilan

Katherine Nilov +*

Jonathan Antoine Normilus

Taylor Michelle Nygren

Anahid Lily Ohanyan

Jeremy Oliver Sherry Ornstein +*

Anthony Robert Panza

Ioannis Papadopoulos

Styliani-Eleni Papadopoulou *

Stamatios George Papastamatiou

Catherine Anna Papayannopoulos *

Tia Marisa Pellegrini *

Katlin Dorothy Pelletier *

Daniel Stephen Perry

Carolina Pesqueira

Lauren Rose Petrillo +*

Isaiah Thomas Pierre

Stellios George Pistoftzian

Sydney Yolande Poulin *

Elizabeth May Powderly +*

Ayah Rahim

Kian Abe Rice *

Mariam Hassan Roda *

Wenston Andre Rodriguez

Molly Anne Ryan *

Olivia Gail Ruan

Sergio Salas

Kelsey Adriana Sanchez Coronado

Destiny Marie Santalucia +*

Anna Carolina Bomfim Santos

Christine Saroufim *

Julian Giovanni Schepis *

Ana Isabel Murray Scott *

Artur Sedrakyan

Tigran Levoni Shahnazaryan

Elza Arkadievna Shakhverdova *

Ribina Goharik Simikyan

Brianna Cailtin Sullivan

Timothy Tat *

Michael Alexander Thompson *

Li Ping Elizabeth Titterington

Kerrianne Toland

Kaitlin Marie Tracy +*

Adriana Stephania Villa-Perez

Isabella Marion Vitti *

Rubina Rita Vosbigian *

Connor Daniel Walsh

James Daniel Walter

Mehmet Akif Yagcioglu

Albert Stephan Yildirim

Nicholas Anthony Zegarelli

Ana Houri Zoubian

WHS Student Overcomes Learning Challenges to Graduate with Honors

Rosdom Kaligian, center, overcame dyslexia and autism to graduate from Watertown High School with honors. When the seniors at Watertown High School graduated on Friday, there was one graduate who overcame some major challenges to not only finish high school but do so with honors. 

Rosdom Kaligian has severe dyslexia and also is autistic. His parents considered placing him in an out-of-district special education program, his mother Barbara Aghamianz said, but he convinced them to keep him at WHS. “I think people forget how hard it is for these kids to graduate, let alone be successful.” Barbara said.