KCSS bids farewell to another class of graduates
By Bill Rea

Arya Zandvakili delivered the Valedictory address at Thursday's commencement.

The Class of '07 from King City Secondary School had their final high-school event Thursday night.

A packed house was on hand to see the graduates receive their diplomas and awards before they were sent out to face and change the world.

"Commencement signifies the beginning of some things and the end of others," Principal Teresa Micone told the grads, as they left the security of home and school to start a journey that's more difficult and exciting, as well as frightening.

"Life keeps you guessing," she declared.

She also told them they will decide the directions in which they go, based on how they define success.

"I know that everyone here tonight is proud of each and every one of you," she added

Trustee Gord Kerr, local representative on the York Region District School Board, commented the graduates would be reflecting back on their school memories, but added they are about to start collecting new ones.

He urged them to never give up on their dreams and, "always be proud of yourselves, because we are very proud of you."

The capped and gowned graduates filed into the auditorium for the start of Thursday's Commencement.

"Tonight, we witness the extraordinary successes of our students," commented Denese Belchetz, coordinating superintendent of education for the board. "King City has prepared you well, and you have been inspired and prepared for the years that lie ahead of you."

Valedictorian Arya Zandvakili had plenty of memories to offer up for his classmates, going all the way back to the early school days, "wracking our brains to find the sum of three and four," to starting high school "with cracking voices and raging hormones."

"We wondered what high school had in store for us," he said, but recalled they all got used to it. They learned things like if they were ever caught wandering the hall, the best excuse was to say they were on a spare.

He also urged his fellow grads not to be afraid of trying new experiences, pointing out the coming years "have the potential of being some of the best of our lives."

Zohreh Zandvakili had a couple of duties to perform Thursday night. She brought greetings from the King City Secondary School council, and she made the Ana Marszewski Valedictory presentation to her son Arya.

The following is a list of the members of the Class of 2007, along with scholarship and award recipients.

Graduates

Sehar Ahmed; Urooj Ahmed; Nicole Alexopoulos; Amanda Erin Anderson; Patrick Bahen; Anna Barkhudarov; Ryan Barnicke; Brittany Bell; Jodi Bellaera; Emily Boyce; Jamie Keith Breedon; Marianne Elizabeth Burlew; Taylor Burnett; Corey Burton; Mathew William Cart; Emma Virginia Caruso; Richard Chamberlin; Shaila Chatur; Andrea Rosales Chavez; Michael Joseph Ciappetta; Adrian David Chilese; Cheol-Yoon Chung; Joshua Stanley Clark; Brittany Anne Cober; Jessica Lidia Cognolato; Julie Cook; Robert Nicholas Cortese; Christopher Thomas Costoff; Keifer Armstrong Coulter; Meagan Patricia Curran; Megan D'Angelo; Kevin James D'Anna; David Dal Bello; Steven Dal Bello; Andrew Dalgeish; Mark Robert Dalton; Jake Kaighin Davie; Franca De Lorenzo; Anthony Scott Dell; Alex Dewdney; Marisa Donnelly; Tyler Frederick Donofrio; Daniel Douglas; Jimmy Duan; Scott Eckford; Heather Edmunds; Walker Alan Essex; Raquel Elysia Esson; Kayleen Evans; Katelyn Fairey; Stephanie Fernandes; Sophia Ferreira; Katherine Force; Marc Fortin; Kolby Gasko; Lucienilla Gentile; Nicholas Daniel Giancola; James Kyle Phillip Goggins; Stacey Goldman; Eric Michael Gomez; Damian Alexander Gough; Jessica Goulter; Jake Martin Gram; Carmen Grillo; Susan Mary Hall; Matthew Hayward; Steven Philip Hill; Robyn Honsberger; Leevi Hotari; Daniel Vincent Ierullo; Clare Elizabeth Ingham; Benjamin Robert Ivany; Daniel Stuart James; Mikael Janunen; Laura Jansons; Nicole Courtney Johnston; Jared James Jones; Emily Kalogeras; Kora Cecelia Keith; Adam Kersey; Dean Kindness; Sergei Kiyan; Lucas Kohut; Kelli Koteff; Dylan Jan Alexander Kowalewski; Kate Krivy; Eric Wesly Krzemien; Caius Kudlak; Jinee Hyejin Kwon; Karen Lam; Spencer Le Von; Scott Clifford Leon; Kaylah Beth Lewis; Matthew Paul Litow; Jason Ernest Logue; Patricia Londono; Ho Kwan Mak; Andrew Bruce Robinson March; Matthew Marchese; Shawn Martinez; Daniel Martino; Anthony Martins; Derek Matson; Lauren McCarthy; Caitlin McGavin; Mark John McGown; Melba Aileen McMillan McKinley; Krystal Caroline McLeish; Kaitlynn Nicole McNulty; Kenneth Meek; Alistair Mews; Garth Canmeron Miller; Jason Nicholas Mitrakos; Saba Moghtader; Nicole Mondolo; Quincy Morrison-St Kitts; Anoshinie Muhundarajah; Jeffrey Mulvihill; Taylor Mynten; Thalia Anastasia Nash; Nhut Thanh Nguyen; Katerina Niras; Candice O'Donnell; Devin Gregory O'Hara; Seung Eun Oh; Oleksiy Okrushko; Daniel Ostrowski; Karen Perry; Antonio Pietrantonio; Adrian Pinnock; Rachel Puccia; Kristin Purves; Chantel Rae; Jenna Holly Lynn Rainey; Harnek Randhawa; Shauna-Lee Antonette Rerrie; Andrew Claudio Rigatti; Seth Andrew Rimmer; Jeremy Ward Robertson; Marcia Rodrigues; Christopher Alexander Russo; Marco Elliott Sacilotto; Artem Safaryan; Kianoush Kane Salehi; Lauren Diane Schofield; Yiika Sejdiu; Mark Sgrignuoli; Elyse Nicole Sheardown; Alison Lisa Simerson; Daniel Taylor Sinopoli; Patrick Donald Smith; Nadine Jacqueline Steenhoek; Tonya Strucel; Natalya Strugova; Jordan Swail; Leah Justine Swanson; Nicolas Dempster Doucet Swift; Timothy Sylwanowicz; Shannon Tanner; Melissa Alexandra Tari; Elyse Janet Tatum; Elisa Michele Tauro; Christine Thebeau; Nicole Trost; Taylor Robert Unwin; John Vanderkraan; Lisa Volpe; Sergey Wain- Fellowes; Katelyn Justine Warner; Kirk Watts; Tye Robert White; Colton Matthew Whittaker; Evan Wilson; David Edward Witkowski; Justin Rees Witlox; Cory Stanislaw Wojtka; Michelle Workman; Brian Justin Wright; Arya Zandvakili; Lisa Zebrowski; Fatima Zulqarnain; and Ryan Zuzek.

Ontario Scholars

Anna Barkhudarov; Emily Boyce; Jamie Breedon; Marianne Burlew; Taylor Burnett; Mathew Cart; Emma Caruso; Brittany Cober; Jessica Cognolato; Julie Cook; Robert Cortese; Christopher Costoff; Keifer Coulter; Mark Dalton; Marisa Donnelly; Heather Edmunds; Walker Essex; Kayleen Evans; Sophia Ferreira; Kolby Gasko; Nicholas Giancola; Stacey Goldman; Jessica Goulter; Jake Martin Gram; Carmen Grillo; Matthew Hayward; Steven Hill; Robyn Honsberger; Leevi Hotari; Clare Ingham; Benjamin Ivany; Laura Jansons; Nicole Johnston; Kora Keith; Dean Kindness; Kelli Koteff; Dylan Kowalewski; Kate Krivy; Caius Kudlak; Spencer Le Von; Scott Leon; Kaylah Lewis; Andrew March; Matthew Marchese; Lauren McCarthy; Jason Mitrakos; Taylor Mynten; Katerina Niras; Candice O'Donnell; Devin O'Hara; Oleksiy Okrushko; Karen Perry; Rachel Puccia; Harnek Randhawa; Shauna-Lee Rerrie; Marcia Rodrigues; Marco Sacilotto; Lauren Schofield; Daniel Sinopoli; Nadine Steenhoek; Tonya Strucel; Jordan Swail; Leah Swanson; Nicolas Swift; Melissa Tari; Lisa Volpe; Tye Robert White; David Witkowski; Michelle Workman; Brian Justin Wright; Arya Zandvakili; and Fatima Zulqarnain.

Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Scholarships

Mark Dalton; Joshua Duff; Steven Hill; Spencer Le Von; Simon McKendry; Oleksiy Okrushko; Karen Perry; Alison Simerson; Melissa Tari; Jaclyn Veinotte; Sergey Wain- Fellowes; and Tye White.

Awards and prizes

Governor General's Academic Medal - Nadine Steenhoek; Lieutenant Governor's Volunteer Award - Alison Simerson; York Region District School Board Proficiency Prizes - Nadine Steenhoek and Arya Zandvakili; Canadian Federation of University Women Book Prize (Aurora-Newmarket Branch) - Kelli Koteff; Canadian Mathematics Competition, University of Waterloo Euclid Contest - Steven Hill; Ontario Cooperative Education Association Certificate of Achievement - Anoshinie Muhundarajah and Mark Sgrignuoli; York Region District School Board Cooperative Education Program Plaque for Outstanding Achievement - Evan Wilson; King City Secondary School Automotive Award - Jason Mitrakos; King City Secondary School Excellence in Music, Jazz, Big Band - Carmen Grillo; KCSS School Letters - Jessica Cognolato, Nadine Steenhoek and Tonya Strucel;

University of Toronto National Book Award - David Witkowski; William C. Wilson Memorial Technical Award - Matthew Hayward; and the York Region District School Board Celebrating Student Success - Kaylah Lewis and Thalia Nash.

Bursaries and Scholarships

Debbie and Mike Adam Memorial Scholarship - Nadine Steenhoek and David Witkowski; Canada's Wonderland Coop Award - Kirsten Hartnett; Ashe Davis Concerned Citizens of King Township Memorial Award - Emily Boyce; Donald Ellison Memorial Award - Kelli Koteff; Faculty Scholarship - Kaylah Lewis; Marilyn Hill Broad Award - Nadine Steenhoek; King City Secondary School Alumni Association - Fatima Zulqarnain; King City Secondary School Blue Room Productions Award - Kayleen Evans; King Township Chamber of Commerce Youth Business Award - Mathew Cart; King Township Council Awards - Nadine Steenhoek and David Witkowski; L.H. Lind Realty Business Endorsement Bursaries - Kristen Purves and David Witkowski; Lions Clubs of King Township Bursaries - Heather Edmunds and Fatima Zulqarnain; B.T. O'Beirn Award - Arya Zandvakili; Gordon and Mary Orr Community Volunteerism Bursary - Heather Edmunds; OSSTF District 16 Scholarship - Nadine Steenhoek; Principal's Award for Student Leadership - Arya Zandvakili; Principal's Prize for Outstanding Contribution - Thalia Nash; Rotary Club of Kleinburg Heinz Keuhen Memorial Award - Anthony Dell; Rotary Club of Kleinburg Cooperative Education Award - Kirk Watts, Taylor Mynten and Shawn Martinez; Rotary Club of Kleinburg Alan Wheelband Memorial Scholarship - Drew March; Student Council Achievement Award - Nadine Steenhoek; Student Council Advisor's Award - Arya Zandvakili; Jack Wauchope Memorial Award - Devin O'Hara; York Central Hospital Medical Association Scholarship - Fatima Zulqarnain; York Region District School Board OYAP Award - Anthony Dell; and the York Region District School Board Director's Achievement Award - Nadine Steenhoek and David Witkowski.