Twelve seniors from the Sacred Heart Greenwich Class of 2019 have been members of the community since pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or first grade.  These lifers, Adriana Arias, Emma Butler, Juliana Collins, Caroline Featherston, Shantel Guzman, Catherine Hamilton, Caroline Janney, Emma O’Connor, Kirsten Petersson, Erin Quigley, Katherine Santoro, and Alexandra Vassiliou, reflected on their time at Sacred Heart and what they will miss most about the school.

After attending the school for 12 years, Shantel expressed her appreciation for Sacred Heart’s teachers and students.  While she is sad to leave the community, Shantel feels that she is well-prepared for college.

“My favorite thing about Sacred Heart is the people,” Shantel said.  “People at Sacred Heart have made me who I am today.  I am sad to say goodbye in June, but I know I am ready for the next chapter in my life.”

Juliana, who has attended Sacred Heart since PreK, will miss the unique annual traditions at Sacred Heart such as Congé.

“My favorite thing about Sacred Heart is all the fun traditions we have at our school,” Juliana said.  “Congé is such a fun tradition where we are able to have fun as an entire school and participate in several activities.  This year especially has been my favorite year as the traditions the senior class participates in are the best.  I can honestly say the time has gone by way too fast but I feel confident and prepared on embarking upon my next four years.”

Emma began at Sacred Heart in kindergarten and believes that the Goals and Criteria have shaped her as a student and as a person.  She feels she has gained both academic and life lessons from her education.

“I have learned a tremendous amount in the classroom, but I think the most important thing I’ve learned from my Sacred Heart education comes from the Goals and the community,” Emma said.  “I have not only learned how to be a diligent student, but how to be a well-rounded person with integrity and character.”

The Class of 2019 lifers attended the Mater Society dinner April 16.  The event allowed the students to look back on their time at Sacred Heart and share memories with each other.  Alexandra believes that the dinner was an opportunity to reflect on the many years they spent together at Sacred Heart and is also representative of the bond they share as lifers and Sacred Heart students.

“My favorite part about the dinner was having one teacher or special person share a memory they had with a specific lifer,” Alexandra said.  “It was nice hearing the different stories and see the lifers and their families laughing, smiling and sometimes shedding a tear.  This dinner impacted me in a positive and meaningful way.  It was very sweet to see my old teachers and reflect on my time here at Sacred Heart.  I believe this dinner represents a lifelong commitment to Sacred Heart and the family we have created.”

Featured Image by Sydney Kim ’20
Update 5/26/2019: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Juliana Collins started at Sacred Heart Greenwich in Kindergarten. She began in Pre-school.