‘A challenge worth taking on’
An exchange student living with the Brisson family in Ridgefield, Quansah found support and love.
All of that culminated Saturday when Quansah graduated from Wooster School, one of the 39 graduates in the class of 2007.
"When I think of Wooster, I will remember today," Quansah said moments after receiving his diploma. "I will remember spending time with everyone and the great friends here. these have been the most special years in my life."
Meg and Neil Brisson's children waved a Ghanaian flag as Quansah marched past, one member of the processional of graduates on their way to their diplomas. They waved it again when Quansah received his diploma. There was joy in the air as all Brisson family members wore Ghanaian fashions sent by Quansah's mother.
"It has been a challenge coming to America," Quansah said, "but it was a challenge worth taking on."
"A challenge worth taking on" seemed to echo the thoughts and words of his fellow class of 2007 members.
Hanna Leonard went to Nicaragua in her senior year to work with children there. She won a Senior Independent Study Commendation from Wooster for her work. Joshua Fisher stayed closer to home, working with special needs children at Pembrook Elementary School in Danbury. He also won a Senior Independent Study Commendation.
Jose Espinosa was awarded the William Irwin Carter Jr. Prize.
"He bravely questioned many ideas but never crossed the line into confrontation," Wooster Headmaster George N. King Jr. said. "He has a passion for learning and a sense of peace within."
Quansah, himself, was awarded the Eugenia Coburn Prize, given for "courage, fortitude and humor."
Dillon Geyselaers, chosen as class orator, made light of much on his 13 years at Wooster -- sharing a laugh with the audience of Wooster grad's family members and friends.
He joked of spending a whole day in fifth grade speaking with different accents along with his friend, Fisher. He laughed at how "Will Julian hated me for half of sixth grade because he thought I hated him. We're good friends now."
He shared a smile with his audience as he told of how Chelsea Gilchrist "uses the word muffin in place of expletives. She's removed cursing from her speech."
"Life moves fast. unless you look around, you'll miss it," Geyselaers quoted from the movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Whether they entered Wooster in kindergarten or in their senior year, the class of 2007 left a family with "something positive to share with the world," Geyselaers said.
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John D. Verdery Prize in Religion "" Caitlyn Sommers
John Hart Spittle Prize for Excellence in Science "" David Becroft
Fairfield County Medical Association Biological Science Award "" Elizabeth Bingham
Jeremy Acheson Platt Memorial Award "" Michael Quansah
Donald G. Schwartz Award for Excellence in 12th Grade English "" Emma Mustich, Samantha Pious
44 Award "" David Becroft
Robert C Wilson Memorial Prize for Excellence in Math "" Alyssa Schechter
James S. Hammer "" Alyssa Schechter
History and Social Studies Prize "" Emma Mustich
Drama Prize "" Kathryn Silverstein, Dillon Geyselaers
Music Prize "" Katherine Hampilos
Josette Eynon Award for Excellence in Foreign Language "" Mallory McLoughlin, Alexandra Nemeth
Spanish Prize "" Samantha Pious
French Prize "" Emma Mustich
Golden Mouse Award "" David Becroft
Art Prize "" Matthew Gibbons, Sarah Moran
Stephen Logan Art Scholarship "" Allison Pottasch
A. J. Liebling Journalism Prize "" Jane Timm
Cordelia Manning Service to the Arts Award "" Caitlyn Sommers
Wooster Arts and Letters Society "" Joshua Fisher, Vladi Kostek, Jack Orr, Samantha Pious, Michael Weiss, David Williams
Cum Laude Society "" David Becroft, Elizabeth Bingham, Katherine Hampilos, Emma Mustich, Samantha Pious, Alyssa Schechter, Kathryn Silverstein, Evan Skorpen, Caitlyn Sommers
J. William Nystrom, Sr. Scholar/Athlete Prize "" Alyssa Schechter, Evan Skorpen
Alvah Jessup Award for Outstanding Athlete "" Alyssa Schechter, Jack Orr
Athletic Commitment Award "" Elizabeth Cameron, Jenniqua Groom, Alyssa Schechter
Thomas Wilcox Award for School Spirit in Competitive Athletics "" Jenniqua Groom, David Williams
Edward W. Robinson Award "" Elizabeth Cameron, Michael Weiss
National Merit Scholars/Finalists and Commended Students:
Finalists: David Becroft, Caitlyn Sommers
Commended Students: Elizabeth Bingham, Jose Espinosa, Katherine Hampilos, Emma Mustich, Samantha Pious, Alyssa Schechter
Top five Prizes awarded Saturday
William Irwin Carter Jr. Prize "" Jos Espinosa
James Hobart Warner Prize "" Alexandra Nemeth
Eugenia Coburn Prize "" Michael Quansah
Aaron C. Coburn Prize "" Samantha Pious and Evan Skorpen
Honor Award "" Alyssa Schechter
David J. B. Becroft, Elizabeth West Bingham, Krista a Bottini, Elizabeth Alexandra Cameron, Lars K. Dahlgren, Jose' L. Espinosa, Joshua Michael Fisher, John Francisco, Jordan Tucker Frey, Dillon Martin Geyselaers, Matthew Hoffman Gibbons, Chelsea Ann Gilchrist, Jenniqua Cecilia Groom-Reid, Katherine Eleni Hampilos, Adam C. Jasensky, William Alexander Julian, Kathryn Lindsay Koch, Vladimir Toralba Kostek, Hannah Margaret Leonard, Mallory Margaret McLoughlin, Sarah Margaret Moran, Emma Millicent Mustich, Alexandra Lara Nemeth, Sean Raymond Neville, John Douglas Orr, Samantha S. W. Pious, Allison Michelle Pottasch, Michael Fiifi Quansah, William Dylan Rosenstein, Alyssa Michele Schechter, Kathryn Danielle Silverstein, Evan Alexander Skorpen, Caitlin Anne Sommers, Natalia Tchourilova, Jane C. Timm, Michael John Weiss, Jr., David Blythe Williams, Anne Christian Woodward, Philip Charles Yellen
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