OLD LYME–UPDATED—MANY NEW PHOTOS ADDED. At Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s 52nd Annual Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, 96 “beginner level adults” were prepared to be unleashed on the world.

Class valedictorian Simon Karpinski directed his speech toward the parents arrayed in hundreds of folding chairs in front of a dais filled with Region 18 District dignitaries.

He invoked the message delivered not more than 10 minutes earlier by Principal James Wygonik, who had warned the graduates just how knowledgeable their parents would prove to be in the next phase of their lives. 

“Mr. Wygonik said you’re all going to seem smart in a couple years,” Karpinski told the parents. “Let’s see if I can help you with that.” 

In addition to tips on how to use the iPhone’s FaceTime function and a reminder about the importance of always having dinner leftovers available when their children come home from college or work, the Harvard-bound government major reminded parents that their kids will still need them. 

“Look, we’ve leeched off of you for two decades now, and let’s agree that there’s no need to do anything rash or change overnight just because we’re headed off into the real world, whatever that means,” he said. “Parents, we still need you and everything that comes with you. We may be adults, but we’re like beginner-level adults.” 

He asked them to be accepting of new ideas that their children will bring home as they try to make sense of the wider world around them.

That means making room for their children’s voices, according to Karpinski – and allowing them to fail.

“As we learn, we are bound to be imperfect,” he said. “Warn us when we need it, tell us ‘I told you so’ after we insist we know better. Parents, give us a chance to fall down and get back up.”

Class President and Honor Essayist Kaela Hoss recalled being a military kid from Cape Elizabeth, Maine when she arrived at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School in seventh grade. She said she didn’t know then that Old Lyme would become the place she’d always want to come back to. 

“Sure, everybody’s parents look at the safety of an area, investigate the real estate market across the state, or even prioritize finding a ‘private school experience in a public school setting’ as we say around here,” she said. “But one cannot understand the dynamic of a town or city without truly living there.”

She described some things as constant in shoreline towns, like beaches and ice cream stands. But she said there is “something truly special” about Old Lyme. 

Her experience wouldn’t have been the same in Old Saybrook or Waterford, according to Hoss. And she wouldn’t be the same person, either. 

She credited English teacher Jennifer Burke with summing it up something like this: “The small, measurable differences between each distinct town in this area make an immeasurable impact on the lives of the people within.” 

Salutatorian Ryan Shapiro said he’ll be taking with him hard-won lessons about not being in such a rush to become an adult. 

“Now that I’ve grown up—though my parents might disagree—I realize I could have experienced more in each moment before they passed me by,” he said. 

He said he’s been focused for years on a concept he once read about that emphasized “inward lights”: A series of personal goals to motivate him to get up each morning and work hard. 

Now, he said he’s learned life is as much about looking around as it is about looking inward. 

He cited memories he’ll take with him like going to the prom, taking trips to Europe, and the whole class getting sunburned at Misquamicut Beach. 

“So yes, work hard in college, and at your jobs, or wherever you go when we soon part ways,” he said. “But, whenever you can, stop to look around you. See the world and appreciate the beauty it holds. Be unique and interesting. Learn constantly, find what you’re good at, and rebel against the wrong you see in the world. Say yes whenever you can, because by the time you realize you have regrets, the moment may have already passed.”

Commencement Speaker Brett Eckhart, a social studies teacher, said he hoped the students would hold onto the memories forged in the tight-knit community filled with unique personalities. 

He referenced quirks among his colleagues including business teacher Leslie Traver’s “Crocs for every occasion” and social studies teacher Aron D’Aquila’s “unwavering affinity for Abraham Lincoln.” He recalled the spray and spatter blood patterns that showed up in the science wing thanks to teacher Dawn Kelley. 

He said all people, like all teachers, are different. It’s how the graduates see and react to those differences that will continue to shape the world and the way they experience it. 

“I’ve worked in other places, and this place is special,” he said. 

Diplomas were presented amid cheers, the occasional drumroll from the band section, two explosions of confetti in the crowd, some posing among graduates, and one shout of “Free Palestine.” When the newly minted graduates had all turned the tassel on their caps to the left and the sun continued its descent toward the horizon, Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi stood up for a farewell address. 

The ceremony capped 34 years in public education for the teacher, including 30 in the Lyme-Old Lyme District. 

“At first glance, graduation and retirement might seem like opposites: one at the start of a career, the other at its close,” Manfredi said. “But standing here tonight, I see something more meaningful. We’re both turning pages. We’re both closing chapters we’ve cherished and we are stepping into a future that is unwritten.” 

She emphasized the foundational lessons learned in the Lyme-Old Lyme school district don’t end with a diploma – or a retirement.

The expert advised the beginner-level adults to be bold, curious and kind as they make their way in the world. 

“And know that even as you move on, you are never far from home,” she said.

Editor’s Notes: i) The full list of graduates comprising the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Class of 2025 is below.
ii) The spelling of Leslie Traver’s name has been corrected.