Danielle Demers, right, takes a keepsake photo of herself with friend and fellow graduate Lindsay Marquez. Below, Jalyn Wellington, 4, of Warwick, holds a special graduation gift for her cousin Amy Torres.

The Providence Journal / Kathy Borchers

LINCOLN -- Most commencement speakers begin by addressing the graduates.

Warwick School Committee member Paul Cannistra started with their parents.

“As we sit here today, I’m sure many of you have thought about the fact that we have been with our kids through many phases: walking, talking, first crushes, first broken hearts, plays, recitals and the one that really has me baffled, the clothes-on-the-bedroom-floor phase,” he told the crowd including his own daughter, Talia, who sat among the Pilgrim High School graduates.

“As I look out on these young, smiling faces, I can’t help but think that they will come up on one side of the stage as our babies, and come down the other side as citizens of the world,” he added.

For the 242 seniors who sat proud in their shiny black and white gowns, yesterday’s commencement was the start of something new and exciting. But for their parents, it was an ending of sorts: no longer will they wait up late at night, or fret about the heaps of clothes strewn about the floor.

It will hit them suddenly, Cannistra predicted. One day these moms and dads will stop and notice just how quiet the house has become.

“And it will be at that moment that I’ll realized I’d give anything on earth to see that pile of clothes on the floor,” he said.

Cannistra’s message brought tears to more than one mother who sat in the packed gymnasium on the Community College of Rhode Island’s Lincoln campus last night to watch their children graduate.

His advice was echoed by valedictorian Ian Williams, who reminded his classmates to recognize just how much their parents have done to shape them and how much they, as graduates, can learn from those lessons.

“As you move through your life, shape your decisions not just on what benefits yourself, but on what will benefit the future — so everyone who follows us can have even greater opportunities than what we have today,” he told them.

There were lighter moments in yesterday’s ceremony. Mayor Scott Avedisian advised the graduates to stop and have fun along the way. “Do not be afraid to dream in your lives, to take a moment to do the silly, the spontaneous, the creative,” he said.

And Pilgrim assistant principal Donald Miller was quick to remind the crowd of the funnier moments in the past four years: Andy Demers’ spot-on imitation of principal Dennis Mullen, Shawn Galligan’s interception in the student-faculty football game, the senior class trip to Lake Compounce and all the blood they have donated to save lives.

It was a class that “always came together” no matter what it was they were doing, he said.

Yesterday, the graduates walked together onto the stage to accept their diplomas and one last round of applause.

Paul Cannistra stood and presented his daughter her certificate, hugging her as he did.

Then he watched her walk off the stage and into the next phase of life.

The graduates are:

Ashley C. Adams*

Philip S. Allen

Alisha M. Almeida

Katelynn M. Amaral

Tyler B. Amoroso

Frederick P. Ancona†

Sarah E. Anzevino

Timothy Jo. Baribault

Cassie D. Barna*

Anthony T. Barone

Joshua A. Barrow*+

Giovanna M. Bartone*

Nathan I. Baxter

Caitlin E. Beagan

Carl L. Bennett

Andrew J. Benoit

Ashley N. Black

Eric C. Blanchard*+

Alicia M. Bonaldi*

Steven R. Borowick*

Nicholas E. Boyd

Erich H. Brakenwagen

Cynthia Breban

Cyle F. Brodeur

Amy E. Brown

Mekala L. Bunker

Sheena C. Burr

Eric A. Butler*

Carissa L. Calise*

Samuel Campbell†

Talia N. Cannistra*

Elizabeth R. Case*+

Christina M. Casinelli*+

Theresa M. Cavanagh*

Christina E. Chousse

Ashley R. Cole

Timothy J. Cole

Kathleen E. Condon

Joseph T. Conway

Wayne R. Cook Jr.

Caryn E. Cormier*+

Julie Correia

Elisha L. Costa†

Bryan R. Crabtree*

John J. D’Amato Jr.

Jerry A. D’Ambra Jr.†

Michelle R. Dandurand*

Amanda L. Daniels

Derek C. Davignon

Peter J. Deloge

Andrew M. Demers

Danielle Y. Demers*+

Kayla M. Demeulenaere*+

Lina K. Denny†

Michael A. DeRobbio

Leonard J. Dewey

Tara J. DiCarlo

George L. Dowding Jr.*+

Tyler C. Dugan

Anthony P. Dupre

Adam J. Dwyer*+

Christopher C. Elmer*+

Daniel P. Etchells*

Jacob T. Ey†

Melissa A. Ferry

Lindsey E. Figard

Holly A. Fleury

Edward J. Florio Jr.*†

Katelyn J. Fluette

Andrew D. Fox

Heather R. Fraioli

Cara M. Fredericks*

Brittney A. Fusco*

Lauren E. Gagnon*+

David F. Gaipo Jr.*

Shawn P. Galligan

John M. Garcia Jr.

Rene G. Gauthier

Robert J. Genever

Julie A. Gillard*

Ian E. Gillespie

Bethany P. Gingras

Danielle A. Giorgi*

Ronald J. Giorgio

Dylan J. Gliottane

Ashley N. Goodinson

Robert V. Greco

Katelyn E. Greene*

Nicholas L. Hagy

Carla N. Hall

Jonathan M. Harlowe*

Michaela N. J. Harris*+

Kristen L. Harrison

Jason E. Healy

Stephanie F. Heckmann*+

Tess K. Heidel*+

Alexandria-Ann L. Heilborn

Christine M. Henderson

Joshua M. Hewitt

Ellen M. Hickey*

Colin M. Higgins*

Thomas R. Hockenhull

Ross Hoyos

Krystal M. Hulkow

Zach J. Ilarraza

Lauren E. Jenkins

Peter S. Jett

Kathryn I. Johnson

Andrea E. Johnston

Lauren L. Kasparian*+

Ernest J. Keane

David P. Kelvey Jr.*

Albert E. Kollett

April L. Kosciusko

Andelaine E. Kurtz†

Andrew P. Kydd

Jenna E. Labush*

Kristin M. Lang

Shane R. Lavoie†

Dan Leach

Shawn M. Lindell*

Samantha J. Lonczak

Daniel W. Lundin

Marissa K. Lyckland*

Bryan M. Lynch

Meghan E. McCormick*+

Erin M. McGovern* +

Bradford M. McIlvaine

Leslie A. McKerracher

James R. Maloney

Andre V. Malyuta

Justin C. Marchese

Christina N. Marley

Lindsay O. Marquez*+

Denys J. Marrow

Mario A. Marseglia

Alicia M. Martinelli

Laura A. Martino*+

Alexi L. Maxfield*

Courtney L. Maymon

Sallie D. Mazzur

Karin A. Mellin*

Lauren M. Menna

Abigail M. Mennillo*

Lauren N. Merida

Patrick M. Merida*

Serena Metivier

Laura M. Minadeo

Lyndsey J. Miranda*

Kerri L. Moore

Melinda M. Moore

Patrick J. Moran

Philip T. Morgan

Katherine A. Moulton

Matthew L. Moura

Ashley I. Muir*

Deanna L. Murphy*+

John W. Murphy†

Nancy N. Naam*

Amy Nawracaj

Emma A. Neirinckx*+

David L. Nelson

Nikki-Lee Neves

Molly L. Newman

Amanda-Lee P. Nilon

Taylia J. Norcini

Marissa L. Nottage

David O’Donnell

Alex A. Paille

Stephen J. Palazzo

Bethany L. Palmer

Giancarlo Pannone

Alexandra L. Pari

Stephanie L. Pasquarelli*+

Matthew C. Passeroni

Lauren E. Patalano

Mary C. Pearsall*+

Elizabeth A. Pelkey

David P. Pellegrino*†

Benjamin L. Pelopida

Paul M. Perez*

Kevin R. Perron

Allison P. Peterson*

Stephen A. Pond

Michael J. Pontes

Andrew E. Preece

Danielle P. Provencal*

Amanda J. Puccio

Chelsea T. Ralph

Timothy A. Randall

Ronald A. Rastella Jr.

Robert D. Reeves

Allen A. Remak

Courtney R. Roderick*

Jihad A. Rousan

Robert W. Roy

Nikki C. Russo

Erin M. St. Jacques*

Mark Saucier

Alex P. Schneider

Ashley M. Sherman†

Jane M. Sherman

Charles J. Sherpey

Erica L. Silva*

Matthew C. Silva

Heather L. Skerry

Andrew T. Smith*

Ashley E. Smith*+

Michael T. Smith

Molly E. Smith*+

Brittany M. Snyder†

David P. Sormanti

Stephanie A. Sousa

Michael J. Souza*

William A. Sparrow*

Doug J. Stabile

Jessaca A. Steffens*

Danielle M. Stromberg

Harris M. Sullivan

Richard B. Sutherland

Chelsea L. Sweet

Bryan S. Taylor

Timothy K. Thao

Amy E. Torres*

Erica L. Trebino

James D. Ulbin

Krystian Usuga

Andrew M. Valliere

Christopher J. VanLoon†

Rebecca B. Verruso

Meghan L. Vilardi*

Ashley C. Vito

Nicole M. Wade

Daniel A. Walker*+

Rebecca L. Walker

Edward J. Warren

Brittney E. Wells*

Ian M. Williams*+

Jeremiah G. Wilson

Paul Xiong

Matthew J. Yeadon

Justin Zorabedian

* — Rhode Island Honor Society

+ — National Honor Society

† — Warwick Career & Technical Center

cneedham@projo.com