Newtown Significant College Class Of 2021 Valedictorian And Salutatorian

Julia Dolan was introduced as the Newtown Large Faculty Class of 2021’s valedictorian and Sarah Nowacki as the salutatorian, at the college on May 5. The two a short while ago reflected on their instructional experiences in cellular phone interviews with The Newtown Bee.

“I’ve been listed here the complete time,” Julia explained, incorporating that she attended Head O’ Meadow Elementary Faculty.

She remembers crying the night ahead of attending kindergarten for the to start with time.

“I didn’t want to go. I feel I was concerned of leaving property,” mentioned Julia.

The valedictorian is no for a longer time scared to leave home, but there are matters she will miss when she heads to Cambridge in the tumble to examine economics at Harvard University. She is also excited to be around Boston.

“It’s just actually lovely,” reported Julia, who is also wondering of finding out finance at Harvard.

She is drawn to learning humanities and math, and attending Harvard “felt like retaining my options open,” as it has many sources and presents its college students an array of options together with “a excellent alumni community,” claimed Julia.

Her favorite topics at NHS were being calculus and statistics, and “I’ve also beloved getting Spanish.”

Julia reflected that her parents, father James and mom Judit, taught her a whole lot.

“Both my mother and father have encouraged me to do the job genuinely difficult,” she shared, incorporating that her father is a carpenter. “I guess I have appeared up to them my complete lifetime since they get the job done actually really hard to make a property for us. And they both equally seriously inspired me along the way to get the job done hard, examine tricky, but to have a superior time.”

Some of her favourite instructors at NHS have been Eugene Hall, Abigail Marks, and Christopher Pearson.

When asked to share advice for students, Julia stated, “Stop and appreciate what you currently have and what you have by now completed.” Especially in significant college, Julia stated, it is simple to aim on what is left to execute, and she would have appreciated to pause far more to reflect on how lucky she was to realize what she did.

And together the way, Julia claimed, she has fond reminiscences of “good times” with friends. She was a member of the school’s discussion staff and tennis workforce. Occasions like spirit 7 days and homecoming had been generally fun, way too, she reported.

“It was when everyone form of permit unfastened the most,” mentioned Julia.

The final college year was unquestionably various. Julia explained she was upset when school very first went “fully online” because she skipped observing everyone each day. But then there was exhilaration when the college student physique returned to in-particular person finding out.

When asked about her finding out tactics, Julia laughed and admitted she tends to procrastinate, “but not to the level where I simply cannot get it completed.”

“I truly feel like I do my most effective work below some pressure,” explained Julia. “That is definitely when I am best inspired.”

She claimed researching with her close friends was a major aid, due to the fact she if found some thing she did not recognize, her pals had been capable of serving to. She also uses applications to examine.

“And if I have an exam or one thing, I by no means wing it,” she reflected. “Even if I remaining researching to the very last night time, I would go by way of the textual content guide, all the methods I was given in course, and get the time to make absolutely sure I have an understanding of it.”

Kind And Supportive Inspiration

Sarah is the youngest of 4 siblings, and her older sister and brothers — Michaela, John, and Ben — have every single been kind and supportive inspirations, as have her mother and father, mom Laura and father David. With two mothers and fathers who are medical doctors, Sarah stated she has often regarded she needed to go into the field of medicine. So this fall, Sarah is heading to the University of Connecticut, Storrs, to analyze physiology and neurobiology on a pre-med observe.

“They are just so supportive. My mother and dad have often been so supportive in letting me do whatever I required to do,” explained Sarah, noting a “nice balance” concerning pushing her and supplying her place.

From a young age, Sarah reported she realized she preferred to analyze medicine and enable individuals, “especially just after Sandy Hook. I realized that I seriously needed to aid other people.”

The Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty graduate experienced a challenging time limiting the number of lecturers that have stood out and impressed her.

“There are just so several fantastic teachers in Newtown,” explained Sarah. She named her kindergarten trainer, Miryam Kuligowski, and her next grade instructor, Abbey Clements, who “was just so sweet, so useful, and just constantly there for me,” as two of the initially lecturers to encourage her. Sarah mentioned her sixth grade cluster — with lecturers Matt Dalton and Petrice DiVanno — at Reed was “just this kind of a enjoyment cluster.” And at Newtown Large University, Tara Allegretto, Eugene Corridor, and Larry Saladin every single encouraged Sarah in various classes.

Sarah plays volleyball both at NHS and on a club workforce. She also participates in indoor and out of doors track at NHS.

“I like obtaining sports activities after faculty. I feel it allows system out my working day and presents me an outlet,” stated Sarah.

Sarah is not waiting until finally faculty to start off her journey of serving to other folks by the subject of medicine. Last summertime she labored in her mother’s workplace and this summer months she ideas to total EMT education with the hope of volunteering quickly.

Her objectives include attending medical college, probably turning into an emergency room health care provider, and, “Overall, I just want to dwell a superior life, enable as several persons as I can, and with any luck , are living a prolonged and healthy daily life as very well.”

When asked to share her finest suggest for other college students, Sarah reported, “Don’t tension far too much about university. Yes, it is vital, but getting happy and loving what you do is much more critical.”

She strongly recommended obtaining a fantastic stability with college and outside of college actions, performing extracurriculars, spending time with mates, and playing sporting activities.

Throughout her academic job in Newtown, Sarah said her good friends have always been there for her and she appreciates the time they invested hanging out.

“I truthfully feel the Newtown local community is one particular of the ideal, specifically just after Sandy Hook, looking at how the group came with each other,” Sarah shared, emphasizing that everybody cares about every other and the message of “be kind” is widespread here. If any one is battling, Sarah understands anyone in Newtown is “there to support.”

Julia stated she sees a lot of users of the group even though working at Caraluzzi’s Marketplace in Newtown.

“I believe we are def fairly lucky. We have a really supportive neighborhood and I have often felt that if I have to have assist I have persons in the local community who are eager and want to aid me,” reported Julia.

She already understands she will miss Newtown, her neighbors, her teachers, and her mother and father.

“It was just a definitely nice place to mature up,” stated Julia.

She hopes her long term retains obtaining a thing she is “truly passionate about” and utilizing whatever that is to “give back again, specially to my mom and dad, and to my neighborhood as well, and all the men and women who have aided me get wherever I am.”

Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at [email protected].

Valedictorian Julia Dolan

Salutatorian Sarah Nowacki