Class of 2024 Valedictorian and Salutatorian Prepared for College and Beyond

THOMPSON, CONN. – Bridget MacDonough will deliver the valedictory address and Violeta Torres will deliver the salutatory address at Marianapolis’ Class of 2024 commencement ceremony on June 2.
 

MacDonough, the daughter of Brian MacDonough and Jeanmarie MacDonough, resides in Grafton, MA and will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall with a major in chemical engineering.

When reflecting on her time at Marianapolis, MacDonough shares, “I am grateful that I could be a part of such a fun and supportive community. I have enjoyed being able to go to school with people from all over the world, which has allowed me to come out of high school with a much greater understanding of the many different perspectives we may come across in life.”

Marianapolis Head of School, David DiCicco, highlights MacDonough as someone who “has impressed us with her indomitable spirit and commitment to the highest levels of success across activities, certainly in the classroom, and on the field and in the community as well.”

MacDonough credits her parents, brother, and sister for her success. They “have always been my biggest supporters in the classroom, on the field, and in life. Whenever I need advice or guidance, my family has always been there to help me achieve my goals.”

Her favorite memories at Marianapolis include her spring break trip to Greece and many of the bus rides to field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse games.

MacDonough is also thankful for her teachers and coaches, who played a pivotal role in her amazing experience at Marianapolis. She says, “Having teachers who want you to learn and really want to see you do well has made such a big difference in the way I have approached school. They have made me excited to go to class, motivated me to give my best effort to everything I do, and inspired me to apply what I have learned beyond the classroom.”

Looking ahead to college and beyond, MacDonough shares, “I am excited for the start of this next chapter and know that although it will be difficult, I am more than well prepared to take on what challenges I may come face to face with. Although it is hard to say exactly where I will be in a few years from now, I hope I can use everything I have learned to make a meaningful impact on my community.”

Torres, daughter of Mauricio Torres and Kimberly Linares and step-daughter of Miguel Linares and Alhena Torres, resides in Plainfield, CT and will attend Dickinson College in the fall with the desire to double major in English and another area of study yet to be determined.

During her time at Marianapolis, Torres says, “I have learned the importance of self-advocacy and that it is okay to ask for help when I am struggling with something. My advice for future students and classes is to be patient with yourself. We can all strive to accomplish great things, but they do not happen overnight.”

DiCicco emphasizes that Torres “has positively impacted so many areas of community life at Marianapolis in addition to setting a standard of excellence.”

When reflecting on her success, Torres shares, “I owe my success to not only my teachers and my family, but also to my friends. They have consistently been in my corner and have helped me through tough times. I know they are always there for me, and it makes my life all the better.”

Her favorite memories at Marianapolis include JV soccer team bonding, senior sunrise, and traveling to Greece on spring break. In particular, Torres remembers, “During the soccer season, we were doing a team bonding exercise in our coach's classroom. The game was to count to twenty, with each of us randomly blurting out a number, but we could not do so in any specific pattern, and we could not interrupt each other. It was a lot more challenging than we realized, and it took a really long time to complete. Yet, when we finally did, we all cheered so loud and started clapping. I remember feeling so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful team.”

Looking ahead to college and beyond, Torres shares, “In the future, I hope to work in publishing and later on become a college professor.”