On Friday, June 7, Chase Collegiate School held its 145th Commencement exercises and the forty-five graduating seniors were addressed by the Honorable Anna M. Ficeto, a judge for the Hartford District Superior Court in Connecticut. Ficeto, who is a 1983 graduate of Chase Collegiate School, detailed one of her own life-altering moment of pushing the comfort zone and gaining confidence to exemplify the idea “to try something new.” Ficeto also recounted the start-up of iconic organizations - the Special Olympics and the Susan B. Komen Foundation - and then challenged the graduates, “Aspire to make a difference… it only take one person, one dream, and the courage to take action." The Class of 2013 comes from 22 area towns. With a great diversity of interests, this year's class remarkably has 20% of its female grads going on to study science, math or engineering, including Bridgewater resident, Olivia Lucchesi attending University of Illinois and Brookfield resident, Amanda Senanayake who will be attending Providence College. After the ceremony, students celebrated with friends and family. Olivia Lucchesi is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Lucchesi of Bridgewater and recipient of the Martha Starkweather Wade Memorial Award for Achievement in French. Amanda Senanayake is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Chris Senanayake of Brookfield.
