As these young men have heard me say before, today’s event celebrates their graduation from Trinity-Pawling School. Yet, as a ceremony, it is a Commencement, a beginning of the next chapter of their lives.
I remember the day before my son and my daughter graduated. I actually found myself in a bit of a panic. I was the head of the school from which they were going to graduate, so I was confident that they were well prepared academically for their next journey. What panicked me, however, was whether or not I had covered everything in the playbook as a father. I began to worry if I had spent enough time over their 18 years preparing every life lesson.
Parents, I can assure you that these are just a few of the life lessons that your boys have been exposed to on a regular basis during their time at Trinity-Pawling.
They have learned:
● one way or another, the value and importance of hard work.
● that there are many people who will mentor them if they are willing to see the value in this opportunity.
● that disappointment is a temporary emotion, but perseverance through challenge and adversity builds character.
● they can adjust to unexpected situations and it doesn’t need to throw them off of their game.
● that chicken can be prepared in many different ways, many of which taste pretty good.
● that mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth.
● that they possess distinctive gifts and talents, even if they may not have fully discovered them yet.
● that community amplifies all things that are positive in life.
● that hard work and having a positive attitude are two things that they can control and it will make a difference in their life.
We would not be here today if it were not for the courage, stamina, and perseverance of the men and women sitting behind me today and those who are working behind the scenes right now to make this happen. They have led this charge and have pulled us through to this day. Please join me in saluting the faculty and staff of Trinity-Pawling School.
I would like to acknowledge the Board of Trustees for their leadership and commitment to the School. Leadership matters, and the quality that separates great schools from good schools is their board leadership. This board has vision, courage, and, most of all, a deep and collective commitment to the well-being of each boy at Trinity-Pawling School.
To the parents, here and out there, who have entrusted your sons to the care of this School, I thank you. We thank you. Your faith and commitment to the School is something that we never take for granted and for which we are particularly grateful, especially this year.
And, last but not least, to the Class of 2022 — thank you for your commitment to the School and, most of all, for your dedication to one another. Well, you have made it, and you are gathered together this morning as a single entity, the Class of 2022. Sadly, this is the last time that this group will gather together as a single entity, so enjoy this time together. After this morning, you will always be members of the Class of 2022, but the class will never again be together here on campus.
Instead, each of you will be an ambassador for the group as a whole. I challenge you to stay connected with one another and to stay connected with this place. Hopefully, this School and its campus will hold a special place in your heart. As you grow older and your lives grow busier and your responsibilities greater, your time at Trinity-Pawling will stand out as that place or that journey where you were young and where you began to figure out who you are and who you were becoming.
Your classmates and your friends have been your compatriots on this journey. In the future, wherever you are in your life’s journey, these classmates around you today, particularly your close friends, will be there for you. When you gather together, even fifty years from now, you will be 18 again, perhaps to the shock and disappointment of those who may not have known you at that age!
This brings me to the third bumper sticker that I put on the back of my 1974 Audi. Yesterday, at Stepping Up, I shared with the students and the faculty that my favorite car was the one that I had in high school and onto which I put three different bumper stickers. The choice of these stickers was the result of a highly deliberative process of weighing the pros and cons of many different options.
At yesterday’s Stepping Up ceremony, I shared that the first one was a Doors bumper sticker, honoring the band led by Jim Morrison. Its choice had to do with the importance of perception and the ability to question changing perceptions of your life, your surroundings, and the people around you.
I mentioned the second bumper sticker last night at the Senior-Parent Dinner. It was Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps. Its choice was based on the idea that you only allow yourself to get old and rusty if you choose to do so. Rather, life gives you the opportunity to adapt and iterate as you move through it.
So, what was the third bumper sticker? It was Pink Floyd’s The Wall. For a certain group of us during high school, there was nothing more liberating than listening to this concept album, over and over again. For a lengthy period of time, I listened to the entire recording at least once a day, and it never got old. Instead, I lost myself (and a bit of my hearing) in the life of the main character of the narrative, a character named Pink Floyd.
I realize that most of you are likely unfamiliar with this music, other than some of the songs that you still hear, like Comfortably Numb, Another Brick in the Wall, or Hey You. But the music in its entirety told the story of someone who becomes trapped inside a persona, or a way of being, that others have chosen for him. For a while, this identity worked, but over time it created isolation and a loss of self-awareness, symbolized by a wall that was built around him that became a prison.
One day, faced with the option of self-destruction or liberation, the character destroys the Wall and begins his new life that is still connected with parts of his old life, but has been freed from the parts that were inauthentic. For a high school boy, listening to the Wall told the story of possibility, isolation, confusion, superficiality, and authenticity all wrapped up together.
Pink Floyd played at Madison Square Garden in February of 1980 for multiple shows that spanned two weeks. There was so much demand for tickets that they were awarded on the basis of a lottery. I waited patiently for news, via a letter, that my request for four tickets had been accepted. That notification never came.
Fast forward to 2012 — Mrs. Taylor and I were traveling to Maine from Memphis for our son’s wedding. Before we left, we had decided we would spend a couple of nights in New York City. For Father’s Day, she surprised me with tickets to see Roger Waters from Pink Floyd perform The Wall at Yankee Stadium. It was a memorable night, especially since advances in technology had enhanced the signature aspect of that show with the creation of a 75-foot wall on the stage during the course of the concert, and then, toward the end, its complete destruction.
At one point in the show, Roger Waters sang a duet with a hologram of himself from the 1980 show that I never had the opportunity to attend. It was a poignant moment, but it was not nostalgic. Rather, the feeling was one of tremendous continuity, that the two worlds, that of my 17-year-old self and that of my forty-something-year-old self, were connected and that they always had been.
This is the takeaway I want to underscore to you, seniors. As you get older, you could look upon this time in your life as one of nostalgia. Or, you can look at it as one of continuity. To do this takes discipline over years and years, but it keeps you young at heart. That is why it is important for you to stay connected to your school. Be a mentor to students in the future, be active as an alumnus, stay in touch with your classmates, and tell stories about what happened here (but remember your audience; some people may not appreciate the stories!).
There have been many seeds that have been planted during your time here. Some of these seeds germinated quickly and began to bear fruit fairly soon after your arrival. Others took a bit longer and bore fruit over the course of a year or years at Trinity-Pawling. Some of these seeds will blossom in a few minutes when you receive your diploma.
But, there are other seeds that have been planted that will not germinate and bear fruit for years after today. You will not even know that they are inside you. One day, you will be doing something in your job or having a conversation with your spouse or your child, then it will hit you. You will realize, “Oh, this is what this was all about at Trinity-Pawling.” And, when those moments hit you, they will not be moments of nostalgia. Rather, they will be moments of continuity, an opportunity for connection between your thirty-something-year-old version of you and your 18-year-old version of you that sits here today. Welcome those moments in your life as they will be enriching and fulfilling.
For now, though, we are here to let those seeds blossom right here and now as we celebrate your achievement and your success as the Class of 2022. Congratulations!
Watch the full address here.
In Headmaster Bill Taylor’s words: “I am told that there is a saying in South Korea — “the environment makes the man.” How fitting this statement is, especially for the Valedictorian of the Class of 2022, who entered Trinity-Pawling in the fall of his sophomore year. He quickly established himself as an ambitious and conscientious student, distinguished by an unquenching desire to learn. He had only been at Trinity-Pawling a few months when COVID forced the School to end the year with remote learning. He then spent the following two terms learning remotely. Yet, none of this slowed him down academically. He had found his academic groove. He has taken nine AP courses at Trinity-Pawling, including five during his senior year. He has certainly made his mark on the Trinity-Pawling academic environment and will matriculate at NYU in the fall. On behalf of the faculty, it is my pleasure to congratulate Steven Song on his academic achievement and invite him to come forward as this year’s Valedictorian of the Class of 2022.”
Steven Song ’22 addresses the Class of 2022:
Good afternoon parents, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, faculty, board of trustees, alumnus, and most importantly, graduates of the Class of 2022. Welcome to our special day and time of the year. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Steven Song and it is an honor for me to speak on behalf of my peers.
Before we start, I understand everyone will think, ‘yes’ this will probably be my longest time speaking in front of many people in my time here. And, ‘yes’ — because this is one of my first speeches, I am having a little nervous breakdown right now.
From the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the class, I would like to thank our parents, teachers, and all other supporters who helped us get to this point. Without their time and effort, our Commencement would not have been possible. Their simple words of encouragement and endless support for us to accomplish higher learning have allowed us to overcome some tough times in our life, including the pandemic.
Over the last few days, I have spent some time reflecting on my time here at T-P. It was crazy for me to think that I have spent almost 500 days at this school and probably almost 1,000 hours in the library. The only number I had trouble calculating was how many times we were told to go back to the dorm after the end of study hall, but I’m sure Junyoung Park can help us figure those numbers out.
I would like to share with you my experience at our school. I came to Trinity-Pawling School in the middle of my sophomore year. Because I was not talkative or sociable, I had a hard time making new friends. In fact, these characteristics have made me assume I would not be connected to the community. However, all of my teachers — especially Ms. Najman, Mr. McDougal, and Dr. Mandigo — and my new friends knew how capable I was and had taken serious time and effort to help me get adjusted to the community. Without their support, I would not be at this Commencement.
Also, I would like to take some time to thank my parents. As a teenager, I tried my best to not listen to my parents because I thought they were wrong and leading me down the wrong path. However, I was wrong. Their wisdom and decision have led to better opportunities to become a better person, both academically and socially. For instance, they allowed me to start learning English when I was 4 years old. In fact, because my parents knew my potential in academics, they have incessantly supported me to become a better scholar, allowing me to major in economics and business at the university.
After the Commencement, I highly encourage our class and others to thank people who have helped us up until this point. It does not have to be massive. Even a small word of gratitude will be fine.
There will be times when we will remember all the mistakes and disappointments we had to face during our high school years. All of those times would have felt like the end of the world, which I had gone through also. For example, I have had some poor time management, especially in my junior and senior years, resulting in a lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, and severe fatigue. Learning from its consequences, I tried my best to manage my time well to not face them again. Of course, as many adults would probably already know, there will be other obstacles and hardships waiting for us in our life. In fact, life in college will be challenging, yet exciting. By making those mistakes and learning from them, we will eventually move on and become stronger individuals.
Finally, to my peers, the Class of 2022, I would like to ask you that no matter where you go, no matter what you do, and no matter who you are, remember our cherished time together at Trinity-Pawling School.
Today, we are officially the Trinity-Pawling alumni. Congratulations Class of 2022! Good luck on your next journey. Remember, Commencement is the beginning of our new chapter. I have enjoyed sharing this time with each of you, my classmates. Thank you.
In Headmaster Bill Taylor’s words: “This year’s Head Prefect is a perfect illustration of someone who embraces a growth mindset. As a student, athlete, and citizen, he is committed to his own growth. As a leader, he is also committed to his own growth, even when that growth can be challenging. He is not afraid to hold himself accountable, which is a hallmark of true leadership that I am sure will be in full supply next year at Clarkson University. Simply, he has courage when it matters. He is also an incredibly kind person and someone who commands respect because he is kind. It is my pleasure to present the McCollom Award to the Head Prefect of the Class of 2022, Joe Porto.”
Joe Porto ’22 addresses the Class of 2022:
Mr. Taylor, Mr. Romain, The Board of Trustees, Faculty and Staff, Parents, and especially, my classmates in the Class of 2022: I would like to start off by saying thank you to the trustees, faculty, staff, and my fellow classmates. Now for the last time, good morning. At the beginning of the year, I gave a chapel talk about why I chose Trinity-Pawling and about my experiences at T-P. I ended the talk with a quote from Mr. Davenport “just be a good guy” which was told to me at the beginning of my freshman year. Of course, we may have made a few mistakes along the way, but we recovered and turned ourselves around to be good guys again. This year we were all good guys and some of us were great guys. The expectation was to just be a normal person and follow the golden rule, but with the strength of our community, this year’s expectations were exceeded. Thank you to everyone for making this year special for us as seniors and congratulations to every member of the community, because we have officially made it through another unique year of learning.
Before coming back to school I had a phone call with Mr. Taylor saying that since we were all getting vaccinated, he was trying to get approval from the Governor for Trinity-Pawling to be mask optional. Sadly, that wasn’t possible and we started the school year wearing masks and it felt like this year was going to be like last year, where we couldn’t go into other dorms or hang out together without masks. Throughout the fall and early winter, our amount of COVID protocols kept becoming fewer and fewer, until we came back after Christmas break. After Christmas break, we had to adapt to a new class schedule and went back to having only 4 chairs per table at the dining hall, instead of the 10 which we became used to having again in the fall. Luckily that wave of COVID passed and we were able to decrease the COVID protocols again and, finally, be at school again without masks. We all were incredibly ecstatic when Mr. Taylor made the announcement that Trinity-Pawling had become mask optional, with the Governor dropping the mask mandate for schools. After the dropping of the mask mandate this spring, we have been able to live life at Trinity-Pawling normally, like we were used to 3 years ago before COVID even existed. As we returned to normal, the community kept becoming stronger and we were slowly taking safe risks returning back to pre-COVID Trinity-Pawling.
I have been at Trinity-Pawling for four years, and every year has been different and had its own ups and downs. My freshman year, the, 2018-19 school year, was what would be considered the most normal school year because it was pre-COVID. We had all of the regular traditions that year like the Thanksgiving dinner, Candlelight dinner, Stepping up in the Chapel, and Graduation where everyone could be there. My sophomore year, the 2019-2020 school year, was definitely something unique, and I hope we never go through that again. We had a normal beginning of the year with the Thanksgiving dinner and the Candlelight dinner, but then during Spring Break, everything changed. We first just got a longer spring break and we were all super happy having more time at home, but then COVID had spread and we found out we weren’t coming back to finish the year. Last year, in my junior year, the main tradition we had was softball in the spring. We had very few all-school gatherings and when we did they were outside, so everyone would have space around them. At our final family-style lunch together the other day, we were talking and realized that we never even went into the chapel last year, and we barely went into the theatre. We had all of our chapels outside and usually by grade. This year, in my senior year, we were able to bring back and have all of the traditions we had before COVID. Despite wearing masks in the fall until the mandate was dropped this spring, we were still able to have the Thanksgiving Chapel Service and dinner, the Candlelight Service and dinner, softball, Stepping Up in the Chapel, and Graduation together, today, with everyone. There are only about 30 students who completed a full school year before COVID. Despite having less than 15% of students who have experienced these traditions, we were able to bring the old traditions back, and have what felt like a more normal year.
Being able to have a more normal year allowed us as students to try new things and take healthy risks. At Trinity-Pawling, we are taught to take chances and try something new that you may have never even thought of trying before. We are shown and taught that at Trinity-Pawling the worst thing that could happen when you tried was that you made a mistake or even failed. When we failed or made a mistake, our classmates and teachers were there to help us overcome that challenge and show us how we could fix the problem, or teach us a new way so we wouldn’t fail. We all make mistakes and fail at times. I know during my time at Trinity-Pawling, I have definitely failed and made mistakes. But I was still content with myself and what I did because I failed by trying. The most important advice I learned over my time at Trinity-Pawling, that I think will help me in any challenges I face in the future, is to stay positive and try in everything I do. When you try you are going to succeed, fail, and/or mess up, but don’t let that stop you from trying again and having fun. Learning to laugh at yourself and with others when you mess up is rewarding because when you succeed you can celebrate with the same people that were there for you when you failed. Next year, let’s continue to try because it will lead to success right away, or eventually will bring us to success.
Looking to next year, you might be nervous, anxious, or even scared to go to college or start the next school year, but I can assure you that you aren’t alone. I am feeling all those emotions about the start of college too. I came to Trinity-Pawling my freshman year not knowing anybody and on top of that, I was never away from home for longer than a few days without my family. And next year I will be a freshman again in a whole new place where I know very few people. This time, I will have experience living away from home though, and being with new people I didn’t know yet. It is sometimes concerning to think that next year we will be living with a total stranger we have never met before. Yet, like we did at Trinity-Pawling, we will quickly learn about them and they won’t be a stranger for long. We are going to face many new challenges in college and may have a hard time overcoming them the first time. But if we continue to face those challenges head-on, we will get over them and succeed. By trying, like we learned at Trinity-Pawling, we will be able to find success again.
I wish all of us the best of luck next year and now “onward” to the next chapter of our lives!
Headmaster Bill Taylor’s introduction of the 2022 Commencement Speaker, Toussaint C. Romain ’96:
“Our Commencement speaker this year is the President and CEO of the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he majored in Criminal Justice, minored in Economics, was a leader in student government, and was a member of the track and field team. From there, Toussaint pursued his law degree at Regent University where he received numerous awards for his scholarship and his civic activism.
As a civil rights activist in Charlotte, Mr. Romain gained national attention for his critical role in maintaining and defending peaceful protests after an encounter with the police led to the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. After the shooting, some of the protests turned violent and Mr. Romain put himself in the middle of the situation, at times acting as a human barrier between the protestors and the police, as he urged for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
Recently, Mr. Romain served as the Deputy General Counsel at Appalachian State University for three years before leaving this post to assume his new role leading the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps people in Charlotte who need legal assistance but who lack the financial resources to obtain such services. The legal system is, in many ways, the framework of our democracy. By assisting those who need services but who cannot afford them, organizations like the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy ensure that people’s rights to citizenship are protected.
Most recently, Mr. Romain has served on the Trinity-Pawling School Board of Trustees, completing two terms of service. I have been grateful for his leadership in this capacity and as an alumnus of the School. It is always gratifying to see graduates remain active with the School and step into roles of leadership to help the School grow.
Of course, my earlier memories of Mr. Toussaint Romain are of T.C. Romain, who arrived at Trinity-Pawling from California in the fall of his sophomore year in 1993. My untrammeled memory is of a young leader who excelled in the classroom and in athletics and as a citizen. He was the captain of the track and field team that had a fabulous season. He was a leader in the Chapel and the President of the Minority Student Union, which was a tremendously valuable organization that promoted student empowerment, engagement, and belonging.
As a student, Mr. Romain was not unlike many of you when you arrived at Trinity-Pawling. He needed to find his own way and learn how to approach his responsibilities, particularly his academic responsibilities, on his own terms. Once he figured this out, he soared as a student and as a leader. It is that sense of self-awareness that propelled this growth, as it has and will continue to do for you.
As I was recently reviewing his admissions file, something jumped right off the page. In answering the question that asked about the applicant’s strengths, T.C. responded that “Although I am shy, I go out of my way to help others. One of my greatest strengths is that I have always had the desire to be somebody that makes a difference in the world.”
While I can attest that you seemed to have grown out of your shyness, T.C., your 14-year-old self was right in saying that you have strengths in making a difference in the world. If your time at Trinity-Pawling helped to refine these strengths and to broaden this sense of self-awareness for you, then I am grateful that the School had that opportunity.
It is my honor and privilege to introduce Mr. Toussaint Romain, Class of 1996, and welcome him to the podium.”
Watch Toussaint Romain’s powerful speech here.
“If I could, I would yell: Get off the quad…and go make a difference. Get off the quad…and use that very thing that’s inside of you to make the world better for someone other than you. Get off the quad…and be the leader that we all know you to be. Because these faces here today, this faculty, these family members…we are all counting on you.” — Toussaint C. Romain
Despite the rainy weather, the excitement of Commencement Weekend was felt across Trinity-Pawling’s campus on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Donning their blue blazers, the graduates of the Class of 2022 sat alongside each other in All Saints’ Chapel and on the quad one last time — looking back on their years of accomplishments at Trinity-Pawling and looking ahead at their next great adventures.
In the days leading up to graduation, we asked the Class of 2022 perhaps the toughest question they’ve faced all year: what will they miss the most when they leave Trinity-Pawling? Here’s what we learned:
10. Spending time at the pond on campus;
9. Playing with the faculty dogs;
8. Hanging out and enjoying snacks in The Cave;
7. Writing for and reading the weekly publication of The Phoenix;
6. Playing Intramural Softball on the quad in the spring;
5. Competing in the Founders League and building bonds with teammates on the fields, courts, and rink;
4. Learning of a Headmaster’s Holiday and enjoying the surprise day off;
3. Spending time with and learning from the dedicated faculty and staff;
2. Enjoying life in the dorms;
1. Being a part of a close-knit community that feels like a family.
One graduate summed it up perfectly: “I can’t even begin to list the things I’ll miss. I love everything about T-P — what it stands for and the unbelievable people around campus.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! We know you will continue to leave your mark on the world, just as you left it on Trinity-Pawling School.
by Emma Christiantelli
We honor this remarkable group of young men, the Class of 2022, and their achievements and wish them success on their continued journey to these colleges and beyond!
Assumption University • Bellarmine University • Bentley University • Binghamton University • Bowdoin College • Case Western Reserve University • Central Connecticut State University • Clark University • Clarkson University • Clemson University • Connecticut College • Cornell University • Davidson College • Elon University • Emmanuel College • Endicott College • Florida Atlantic University • Fordham University • Franklin Pierce University • Furman University • High Point University • Hobart William Smith Colleges • Indiana University-Bloomington • Marist College • Merrimack College • Michigan State University • New Jersey Institute of Technology • New York University • Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Main Campus • Princeton University • Purdue University-Main Campus • Randolph-Macon College • Roanoke College • Rochester Institute of Technology • Sacred Heart University • Seton Hall University • Southern Connecticut State University • SUNY Maritime College • SUNY Polytechnic Institute • The University of Alabama • Trinity College • Union College • University of Hartford • University of Lynchburg • University of Massachusetts-Amherst • University of Miami • University of Notre Dame • University of Utah • University of Virginia-Main Campus • University of Wisconsin-Madison • Villanova University • Virginia Commonwealth University
Onward!
One disruption we experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic was the postponement of milestone class reunions, including the 50th reunion celebration of the Class of 1971. This fall during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, September 30 – October 1, members of the Class of 1971 will finally have an opportunity to reunite. They will do so alongside their brothers from the Class of 1972.
Richard Henderson ’71 has served as Class Agent for the Class of 1971 for 35 years. He recently spearheaded an extraordinary response from the class on our “Unlocking Gifts” giving day, rallying close to 30% class participation. Henderson hopes they can parlay this momentum into a big turnout at their reunion.
“According to the calendar, the Class of 1971 should have celebrated its 50th reunion last fall, in 2021,” said Henderson. “While the pandemic indeed placed an unexpected speed bump in the road, our energy was never dampened, our cohesiveness as a class was never damaged, and our loyalty to Trinity-Pawling never wavered. Rather, it only increased.”
“I am most looking forward to connecting with friends and rekindling friendships with others,” said Bob Spang ’71. “I also look forward to seeing what the campus looks and feels like since my last visit seven years ago. I hope to get to know others from the Class of ’72 and that we can inspire each other.”
Head prefect from the Class of 1971, Gregg Sanik, has again assumed the key leadership role in galvanizing his classmates. “COVID-19 turned the world upside down and attempting to gather for our 50th reunion in the fall of 2021 proved to be no exception. Perseverance and a positive attitude, however, have not only provided us with the opportunity to gather this coming fall but also to share it with a number of friends from the contiguous Class of ’72. There are indeed silver linings to unfortunate situations.”
While it will be a particularly special weekend for classes marking major milestones, this year’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is a celebration of all classes whose graduation years end in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7.
The weekend will include a 9-hole golf outing at Quaker Hill Country Club. There will be a guided walk on Trinity-Pawling’s new property behind the pond where alumni can hear more about the Institute for Environmental Stewardship, as well as our farming program and competitive mountain biking team. We will host a panel discussion about the new Institutes for Active Learning with current Trinity-Pawling students and alumni and hear about students’ experiences with Trinity-Pawling’s hands-on programming.
The weekend will also feature many of the traditional events of previous Homecoming and Reunion celebrations, including the Distinguished Alumni Awards, Alumni Memorial Service, The Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and a full slate of home athletic competitions. We hope you join us to see changes on campus, enjoy food and fond memories, and reconnect with fellow alumni at Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2022.
Mark your calendars — September 30 – October 1, 2022 — it’s going to be a REUNION TO REMEMBER! Watch your mail and inboxes— registration will open soon.
by John Newman
For the first time, the Founder’s League extended spring post-season play to include the top 8 teams from the regular season. Both varsity baseball and lacrosse achieved a 5th place finish, giving Trinity-Pawling the pleasure of hosting the 5-8 tournament in Pawling last week, while track and field placed 4th in New England at the New England Invitational.
Lacrosse
The varsity lacrosse team finished the season with a 9-8 record, winning their final two games at home in post-season play last week. The Bill Labelle Coaches Award went to Mack Till ’22, who will play at the University of Virginia next year. Kasey Mongillo ’22 earned the Offensive MVP while the Defensive MVP went to goalie Landon Whitney ’23. Tyler Olsen ’24 stepped up in his sophomore campaign, despite a broken finger midway through the season, and other young contributors Alex Hicks ’24, Michael Provenza ’23, Drew Filanowski ’23, and Tony Provenza ’24 played large roles on offense. Defensively, Connor Huguenard ’24, Casey Sodolski ’23, and Adam Franasiak ’22 played every game, while Colin Davis ’23 had a huge LSM presence down the stretch. With so many young contributors, the boys will look to build on their underclassmen campaigns to make an even bigger impact next year. Congratulations seniors!
Baseball
Varsity baseball earned a 7-13 record, in a season where pitching struggled to keep the Pride in many games. Nick Vega ’22 took the Annual Award with a team-leading .359 batting average and 20 runs scored in 20 games. Liam Haywood ’23 struck out just 8 times in 85 plate appearances while notching a .328 batting average. Eliot Ferch ’23 also contributed from the plate, with a team-leading 25 RBIs. Nick Hios ’23 stole 8 bases and was never caught stealing, and Jalen Greene ’23 led the team with 12 steals. Late in the season, PG Devon Diaco recovered from a finger injury sustained during wrestling season, and joined the team to pitch 5 strong innings through 3 games, with 7 strikeouts, conceding just 3 hits and 0 earned runs. Throughout the season, Nick Hios ’23 and PGs Bradford Alexander and Ryan Lorenzo picked up the bulk of the innings from the mound, tossing a combined 86 innings. It is worth noting that projected ace Zach Peters ’22 was not able to pitch this year due to an off-season Tommy John surgery, but he received the Triandafolou Award for contributions to the program for his unwavering support as a base coach, bullpen catcher, and pitching coach in his senior season. He will matriculate at VCU next year to pitch in the A-10 Conference. Congratulations to all the seniors, and good luck at the next level!
Track & Field
A select group of Pride track and field athletes competed at the NEPSTA New England Championship meet at St. Paul’s in Concord, NH. Garrett Backus ’23 finished 2nd in the 100m, behind the winner of the race, who broke the NEPSTA record. Backus also ran in the 200m and finished 3rd, and ran the anchor on the 4x100m team, which placed fourth and included stellar performances from Luke Daly ’22, Cole Enslen ’22, and Cristobal Tola ’23. Tola also ran a superb 400m split in the individual 400m. In the 110m hurdles finals race, Daly ran a personal record. Enslen finished 3rd in the javelin with his best throw of the year and also placed 6th in the triple jump. Rahtrel Perry ’22 competed in the shot put and the discus, placing 2nd in the shot put, and 7th in the discus. Mason Clark ’22 also competed in the shot put and placed 10th. Robbie Accomando ’22 ran a great 800m race to close out his stellar career, helping the nimble Trinity-Pawling team place 6th overall, just one point out of 4th — an incredible result for the Pride. Well done on a superb year!
Tennis
The biggest highlight for the varsity tennis team was their convincing win at Salisbury in the final match of the year. Everyone on the team played well, with Leo Lio ’24, Kento Maeda ’23, Tony Gao ’22, and Bryce Tolman ’23 all winning their singles matches. Over the course of the season, every player won at least one match, proving the overall success of a team that was made up of boys whose primary sport was not tennis. The dynamic Japanese/French Canadian doubles team of Kento Maeda ’23 and Raphael Denis ’23 was the brightest spot for the team this year. Although they had never played together, they proved to be an extremely exciting duo, and will be looking to repeat their success as senior leaders next season.
by Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris
Albert Einstein famously said: “I have no special talent; I am only passionately curious.” This quote just happens to be one of Bob Reilly’s favorites, and it is the foundation of his work and teaching style in the Trinity-Pawling MakerSpace. “I am also passionately curious, and I want to share that curiosity with my students,” shared the MakerSpace Facilitator and Technology Associate. “I want to show them that learning is never, ever boring.”
The MakerSpace is a collaborative work area on the ground level of Gardiner Library where faculty and students can engage in hands-on learning and discovery. The space is equipped with all the tools students may need to design, create, prototype, and test — all within a safe learning environment.
As the MakerSpace Facilitator, Reilly doesn’t teach just one specific class. Instead, he has the opportunity to be a part of every class on campus — from history to physics, Middle School to AP level. The hands-on projects that the boys create in the MakerSpace help to give them a new learning perspective and a real-world application of the concepts they are learning in the classroom. Like building radio-controlled model airplanes that successfully take flight (Middle School Winter Project); constructing mouse trap-controlled cars to learn about momentum, traction, and torque (AP Physics); designing and building Estes model rockets and launching them on campus (8th grade science and math); and so much more. All in a day’s work for Reilly.
Next year, he has even bigger plans for students in the MakerSpace, including building a stereo amplifier from scratch and creating a First Lego League robotics team on campus.
“Light bulb moments have to be my favorite part of this job,” Reilly reflected. “When the boys actually get their race car to move or the rocket to launch. When the material from class starts to click! I love seeing their excitement about learning.”
Reilly certainly wears many hats at Trinity-Pawling. In addition to his work in the MakerSpace, he also serves as the Technology Associate and helps to troubleshoot any technical or printing issues that may arise on campus. He also works closely with the Theater Department to design and build props for the on-stage productions each year. In his spare time this school year, he even programmed and built a jeopardy game study tool for students and faculty to check out of the library. The best part? If you get the question correct, it plays the Trinity-Pawling Fight Song!
As the Spring Term comes to a close, Reilly looks back on the year with gratitude and looks forward to an exciting series of new projects in the fall. And even in the summer months, he can be found in the MakerSpace tinkering, designing, and constructing. What will Reilly build next? We can’t wait to find out.
by Emma Christiantelli
Alumni, share your news and updates with Trinity-Pawling!
How are you and your family doing? Did you get married, welcome a new baby into the family, connect (even if remotely!) with classmates? Do you have a special story to share? Let us know!
The deadline for Class Notes for the next Trinity-Pawling Magazine is July 1, 2022 — submit your class notes today.
Questions? Reach Out. Email alumni@trinitypawling.org or contact Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, John Newman, at 845-855-4831.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks to the tremendous outpouring of support from the entire School community, we raised more than $270,000, plus an additional $250,000 from our current and former Trustees, for a grand total of over $520,000 to unlock the many gifts and talents within Trinity-Pawling students!
Along the way, we unlocked Class of 1970 alumnus Dick Bauer’s $25,000 1965-1979 Challenge, the three levels of our “4 The Boys” Challenge (donuts, senior meal choice, and ice cream), and the full $250,000 of our two Trustee Challenges.
On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU, to all of you who made a gift during our Unlocking Gifts giving day! YOU are the key to our success!
Make sure to read the heartfelt stories shared on our giving page about the transformational difference that Trinity-Pawling has made in students’ lives past and present. Visit our YouTube channel to watch all of the videos from the special day on campus.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Nobody knows Trinity-Pawling better than you — our beloved community of alumni, parents, and friends. Will you help us spread the word by taking a few minutes to write a review of our school on Niche.com? Your experiences may help another family during their search for a great school for their son.
Reviews and testimonials that publicly share stories about your experiences really do make a difference — and it only takes a few minutes!
Here are a few helpful tips for a strong review:
• It doesn’t need to be long — 2-3 sentences is plenty.
• Be specific about your role in our community.
• Write about your own personal experience interacting with faculty and staff.
• Write about your experience in and out of the classroom or personal/social/emotional growth.
• Write about the Trinity-Pawling School community/culture.
Thank you for your continued partnership!