Vinal Tech Graduates 133 Students Ready for Careers

By Cassandra Day

Just before the 133 newly minted graduates of Vinal Technical High School moved the tassels on their peacock-blue caps from right to left, Principal C. Shellman offered some parting words.

"Hundreds of high school graduations are being held across Connecticut. You are better prepared than a majority of them," he said to erupting applause and cheers from family and friends at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell. 

Valedictorian Lauren Drotar, who majored in computer-aided drafting and design and is the SkillsUSA Connecticut state secretary, spoke to the students about their years together. 

"Class of 2013 certainly left its impact on Vinal. We were the first class to go on an overnight senior class trip in years, we started off as the largest class Vinal had ever seen, and we were also the first graduating class to have days off for a hurricane and snow days within two weeks," Drotar said.

Drotar said her class enjoyed a special bond with instructors, going beyond that of a traditional teacher-student relationship, and connecting with teachers on a personal level, soon learning "they were always there for us when we needed their help." 

She also shared advice teacher passed on to students daily, which may at first seemed trite but over the years evolved into words to live by, including from Social Studies teacher Marsha Casey, "lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part" and from drafting teacher Scott Petras, "at the end of the day, no one is going to do the job as well as you will." 

And Physical Education teacher Jeffrey Vagell, Drotar said, passed along this gem, from a film based on the against-all-odds, true story of University of Notre Dame football player Rudy Ruettiger: "sometimes all you need to learn about life can be found in the movie 'Rudy.'”    

Mayor Dan Drew, state Rep. Matthew Lesser and state Sen. Dante Bartolomeo commended the class of 2013 on earning their degrees.

As the grand "Procession of the Nobles" played, graduates filed out of the auditorium to pick up their diplomas, reunite with friends and family for photographs and congratulations and ready for the after party.

Students graduated with trade/technology degrees in which readies them for careers in: automotive collision repair and refinishing, automotive technology, carpentry, computer-aided drafting and design, culinary arts, electrical, electromechanical technology, hairdressing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; information systems technology, and manufacturing technology.

Vinal students come from Middletown, Durham, Middlefield, East Hampton, Haddam, East Haddam, Moodus, Portland, Killingworth, Cromwell, Rocky Hill, Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, North Branford, Westbrook, Deep River and Clinton.