Senior Speakers [Feb. 14]

The 2021-2022 Senior Speaker series continued on February 14 and featured seven members of the Class of 2022: Ava Cieplinski, Juliana Colaccino, Lorcán Doull, Nailah Estrada, Campbell White, Clementine Ceria, and Ford Cary.

A four-year senior from Westfield, Massachusetts Ava Cieplinski spoke about how her love for the ocean and surfing connect to her identity. She said, “Being exposed to the wipeouts from such an early age, I have grown to appreciate them as my outlook on life continues to evolve and expand. I recognize that without the wipeouts, I never would have known what rock bottom feels like and would not have been able to fully appreciate the immeasurable amount of support from my family.”

Juliana Colaccino, a four-year senior from Suffield, Connecticut, shared that her time at Suffield would best be described as messy, documenting each year through photography metaphors. To her fellow students, she said, “If you have to call these four years anything, I hope you call them messy—but I hope you call them messy in the best way possible.”

After beginning his chapel speech in Klingon, Lorcán Doull, a three-year senior from New York City, shared one of the most important lessons he has learned while at Suffield: “The foundation of any community is based off of true, authentic connection. And the only way to create that connection is through tolerance, curiosity, and understanding.”

Nailah Estrada, a four-year senior from Chicago, Illinois, gave the majority of her speech in Spanish, a language she did not speak before coming to Suffield. She is proud of how far she has come over the past four years and explained to her peers, “Most students come up to this podium after their four years to recount just how much they’ve grown while at Suffield. And although I’m still 4’9”, I would like the opportunity to share my growth with those who have never seen me here at school, my parents. And I will do so in their native language, Spanish.”

Another four-year senior from Canton, Ohio Campbell White thanked all of the people who helped make her high school experience special, from her parents to her teachers to her friends, concluding with, “To everyone who made my four years at Suffield Academy so memorable, I appreciate you all so much and will never forget about my time here.”

Clementine Ceria, a four-year senior from New York City, spoke about her relationship with language and how it has evolved over time due to having dyslexia. She said, “You see, I customize words so that I can feel them. As a dyslexic student, language did not come easily to me... And yet, I love reading and writing because words connect us.”

Ford Cary, a postgraduate from Redondo Beach, California, shared the complex journey he has taken as a water polo athlete throughout his high school career. Upon receiving advice to do a postgraduate year to gain more experience to stand out to colleges, he wanted to find the right place to go, saying, “When touring Suffield, something told me that I would fit right into the community. I arrived at Suffield and thrived, and my teammates and classmates welcomed me with open arms.”

The Senior Speaker series is a valuable Suffield Academy tradition and capstone part of the Leadership Program. It is a weekly highlight in our community.

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