Waterbury Arts Magnet School Holds In Person Commencement

All photos by Nancy Sasso Janis

WATERBURY - Waterbury Arts Magnet School (WAMS) held an outdoor commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 on Wednesday morning. The graduation was held at Municipal Stadium and the weather was sunny and cool for the ceremony. Tickets were issued to the graduates so that some family members could attend in person and the entire ceremony was live streamed on YouTube and the district website. I was honored to be invited to attend the graduation in person.

The WAMS graduation was scheduled to be the last high school one held in Waterbury, but due to rescheduling due to the weather, it went to the head of the line.

The rain showers and unsettled weather on Monday morning impacted the field and set-up at Municipal Stadium and the decision was made to reschedule all of Tuesday's graduation ceremonies. The district wanted to ensure that the ceremonies will be enjoyable for the seniors and their families.

Waterbury Career Academy High School has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 16th at 6 p.m. Kennedy High School has been rescheduled to Thursday, June 17th at 2 p.m. Wilby High School has been rescheduled to Friday, June 18th at 10 a.m. Alternative Programs have been rescheduled to Friday, June 18th at 2 p.m.

In attendance at the WAMS graduation were Mayor Neil M. O’Leary, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Verna Ruffin, and Miguel Pabon, Director of Pupil Services. The invited dignitaries from the Board of Education included Assistant Superintendent Dr. Janice Epperson and Commissioners Elizabeth C. Brown, Juanita P. Hernandez, and Melissa Serrano-Adorno. A large group of the WAMS faculty also sat on the field to honor the graduates.

Members of the Class of 2021 will attend 26 different colleges, universities and institutes of higher learning, including all four of the state universities, UConn and Howard University.

Yasmin "Yazy" Pena, who died after contracting COVID, and her family were remembered. Ms. Pena would have graduated from WAMS last year.

After the students marched onto the field and took their seats, Viola Flowers led the class in the Pledge of Allegiance. The WAMS Chorus and High School Chamber Choir then sang the “Star Spangled Banner” under the direction of Marianna Vagnini-Dadamo.

Mayor O’Leary thanked the students for giving up their stage at WAMS so that it could be used as a mass vaccination site, which he called one of the most production clinics in the state and ensured that many senior citizens were vaccinated. He noted that this was only one of the challenges that they had faced this year. Dr. Ruffin told the class that she was honored to attend their graduation ceremony after what had been an emotional 15 months of learning.

The WAMS Chorus and Chamber Choir performed "You Will Be Found" from the musical "Dear Evan Hansen."

Assistant Principal Dr. Maria Stasaitis and Joseph Nole presented the graduates before Principal Nick Albini awarded each student their diploma. The class president and valedictorian Viola Flowers led her classmates in the turning of the tassels on their mortarboards and then many of the students threw their caps in the air.

In a touching tradition, retiring teacher Mr. Q led the students in their recessional to Schubert’s “Marche Militaire.”

Congratulations to the WAMS graduates whose hometown is Naugatuck. Among the graduates is Sofia Dadamo, the daughter of Mrs. Vagnini and Eric Canfield, a talented young performer who ranked sixth in the top ten students.