Rains Cannot Top Moon’s Message At Avon High’s Graduation Ceremony

Avon High School’s graduation Thursday night was delayed by two hours, with the crowd winding up cramped in a crowded gymnasium. And yet, when the ceremony began, there was no shortage of enthusiasm by the graduating seniors or their camera-wielding parents.

They must have listened to Michael Starr’s advice.

Starr, the salutatorian for the Avon High School Class of 2013, encouraged students to channel their inner-Jackie Moon, a character played by Will Ferrell in the sports comedy “Semi-Pro.” Moon’s philosophy was “ELE,” or “Everybody Love Everybody.”

“This is a lifestyle,” Starr said. “It means we should go out in the world with an open mind. With love for everybody and everything out there.”

Starr said he spent a week in Boston during a blizzard last year and he adopted the philosophy. He talked to the people he “usually walks by” and met a street rapper, a Boston lifer and several other people he would have never met otherwise.

“As graduates headed out to the big and crazy world out there, I want to summon you all in the defense of optimism and faith and the innate good in the world,” Starr said. “Approach everyone as a friend and never be afraid to flash a smile to someone you barely know.”

Class Valedictorian Matthew Howard followed with his own speech on positive thinking and the effect it has on luck. Howard said people who think positive look at situations and see them as lucky, instead of unlucky.

“I’m sure all of us would love to be luckier, it is just a matter of how we view the world,” Howard said. “So go out and expect great things.”

The ceremony, which was originally planned to be on the school's football field, was delayed by two hours and moved inside Avon High School’s gym because of heavy rains. Superintendent Gary Mala wanted to wait for the rain to stop so he could hold the graduation outside, but the rain never stopped for long enough.

Avon High School’s Class of 2013

Michael P. Starr

Matthew S. Howard

Benjamin Lawrence Wolfberg

Noah A. Gilmore

Jackson Rietano Davey

Maureen Teresa Herrera

Olivia V. Murphy

Jason M. Leaning

David A. Aldag

Justin Michael Alessio

Sidney Ford Allmendinger

Charles Lewis Anderson

Nicole M. Andrew

Micah K. Arends

Raquel Elizabeth Arias-Camison

Samuel N. Aronson

Ashley Arroyo

Caroline Anne Austin

Daniel Baek

Kayleigh Mae Bagley

Ryan Patrick Baker

Jessica Lane Banks

Nicholas K. Barto

Nicholas Gerald Bedard

Meredith Avery Beir

Shambhavi Upendra Belhe

Kierin Bernard

Joshua Walter Werner

Alison K. Hung

Makenzie Eveline Bernetich

Sarah Rachael Betancourt

Himakshi Nimish Bhatt

Anders Charles Bill

Daniel M. Blessing

Spencer Borden

Alberto Jacob Borstein

Ashleigh Marie Saige Bouchard

Robert Madaket Brisco

Tyler A. Burdick

Lauren M. Callahan

Mitchell John Cappello

Gabriella L. Catania

Andrew J. Celli

Robert Jackson Chamberlain

Minyoung Chang

Seunghwan Cho

Christina Marie Chow

Patrick Brosnan Clapper

Daniel Zachary Cohen

Angelina Benedetta Colletti

Alexa Nicole Condon

Emily Kaye Connelli

Kaylan Victoria Conrad

Jessica R. Cordeiro

Jonathan G. Correa

Hunter Ryan Cowan

Jeffrey Lee Cox

Benjamin McNab Crawford

Christopher Cole Dangman

Shailan M.  Dave

Kelley Jane Davies

Zachary L.  Davis

Christopher Joseph DelGross

Jeffrey R.  Demers

Cory R. DiBacco

Melissa Marie Dimock

William Joseph DiStefano

Cameron Scott Dowd

Michael Scott Doyle

Patrick Francis Driscoll-Kelly

Kiernan R. Dudgeon

Rayn Elizabeth Dudzikowski

Brian Leo Duffy

David Noah Duxin

Lydia Grace Epner

Alyssa Nicole Factor

Ryan Michael Farrell

Brandon J. Feinberg

Sydney I. Feinstein

Jamie Claire Fischman

Samuel Louis Flaxman

Christian Brandon Flores

David Blakeleigh Freling

Rachel  Beth Gassner

Eliza Claire Gaston

Mitchell Ryan Gauthier

Emily Maria Giarratana

Ashley Lauren Gil

Aaron  T. Gladstein

Colton T. Glenn

Krithika Meenakshi Gnanaguru

Juliana Gorski

Hailey Nell Graff

Jacqueline Diane Greenberg

Matthew Richard Griffin

Steven M. Guersch

Benjamin E. Haberern

Riley Lynn Hagan

Yonatan A. Hailu

Robert Hutchinson Haines

Benjamin Hartigan

Andrea Rose Hellwig

Marc Anthony Hilyard II

Madeleine Lawhorn Hobbs

Christian E. Holobinko

Nicholas G. Horn

Hannah Morgan Howard

Heather R. Howes

Justin R. Hufsmith

Raymond F. Ilovici

Daniel S. Innes

Andrew William Minh Jefferis

Catherine Marie Jordan

Erin Margaret Kaminski

Ryan B. Karbowicz

Julia Helen Kassel

Amanda S. Katz

Hayley Ruth Kearney

Sarah Grace Keller

Ali Khan

Monica Juliet Khersonsky

Randall Christopher Kirk

Savannah Rose Knox

Jonathan Komm

Stephanie Mei Koo

Catherine Bournaki Kuchel

David T. Kum

Alexandra Rose Laird

James D. Lauzon

Kerrilyn Jane Lehman

Ariel Elizabeth Lepito

Hannah Lerner

Amanda Brooke Lewis

Jordan D. Lieberman

Benjamin A. Lombard

Philip James Lopreiato

Marina Thérèse MacDonald-Soccorso

Michael J. Macelletti

Elissa M. MacInnis

Margaret Dean Magrini

Marissa Lynn Major

Carlo N. Mando

Deepak Dileep Mangsuli

Taylor Z. Maniatty

Ryan Paul Marioni

Ethan J. Martino

Justin Massoumi

Nicholas Antone Matousek

Tyler J. Mattioda

Samantha Mayo

Hunter Elizabeth McCarthy

Shannon Rose McCauley

Amanda Alee McDonald

Jessica Nicole McDonald

Katherine Jean McIntyre

Lauren Michelle McIsaac

Ellen Jessica McNeill

Wali Mohammod

Colin T. Moore

Lindsay Grace Moore

Iman Moosavi

Joseph Peter Murphy

Brian T. Nasto

Camille Maryann Nay

Devon Theresa Nay

Claire M. Nelson

Brennan Anthony Keane Neseralla

Alannah J. Noonan

Colleen Anne Norton

Michael G. Oberhausen

Gavin A. Okray

Catherine Elizabeth Oliver

Emily Anne Oliver

Rachel Morgan Oremland

Makenzi Briana Paluso

Alex Clark Pariano

Anastasia  Olegovna  Pashchenko

Jasmine B. Patel

Mackenzie Peῆa-Watkins

Kiernan Paige Perrotti

Kezziah Mignon Pierrot

Marisa Ann Pinckney

Olivia Katharine Blauers-Piper

Brett Steven Polinsky

Jordan May Politz

Colin Joseph Ponzani

Alana Grace Mae Pulling

Jared S. Ratner

Parker J. Reardon

Andrew C. Redlund

Rohan Wayne Reid, Jr.

Emily M. Remick

Gabriella P. Reyes

Madison Elizabeth Riccardi

Nicole Marie Rodier

Daniel Joseph Rodrigues

Brianna Leigh Roland

Jeffrey G. Rose

Emily Dawn Roth

Rebecca Sarah Rothstein

Mark Christopher Rourke, Jr.

Nickolas Matthew Rowe

Zachary E. Rueda

Megan Rachel Sahm

Charlotte Mary Louise Saisselin

Arina N. Santangelo

Alexander Michael Saslow

Nicholas C. Savino

Stephanie Elizabeth Sawicki

Tasha A. Schaedler

Evan B. Selzer

Ameya K. Shashank

Malay K. Shashank

Daniel S. Sheiker

Lindsey Ann Sheppard

Emily Claire Sherber

Shahnawaz Khan Sherwani

Ian Charles Shooshan-Stoller

William C. Shuck IV

Zachary Eli Shufro

Zachary Ian Siegel

Sneha A. Singh

Thomas Elliott Sisson

Dean L. Skelley

David C. Smith

Jake R. Smith

Madison D. Smith

Andrew Vail Snow

Hanna M. Soucie

Alexander B. Stekler

Nicholas T. Stockman

Rachel Elizabeth Stockwell

Mary Margaret Venditti Stoll

Meghan Marcia Stoll

Christopher Peter Suttmeier

Thomas Michael teGroen

Brian Gary Tenison

Liam G. Toal

Paula Kiara Torres-Gonzalez

Angelo Virone

Kristen Marie Wall

Roy Donald Walton

Megan Abigail Wilde

H. Chapman Wingo IV

David Connor Wise

Natalie Alexandra Yakimyuk

James A. Yevin

Thomas Ian Yokubinas

Connor James Young

Ruy Zambrano

Victoria Elizabeth Zirolli