This is an ongoing series written by Staff Writer Lauren Konefal highlighting various members of the CRHS Class of 2022.

In a few short weeks, the Coginchaug Regional High School Class of 2022 will be graduating and bidding farewell to high school. The Devil’s Advocate reached out to select seniors to find out about their plans for the future after they graduate and asked them to reflect on their time at Coginchaug. 

Thank you to the featured seniors – Olivia Herrington, Bella Lenoce, Colin Murphy, and Rebecca Tobin – who took the time to write thoughtful responses for the second edition of Senior Spotlight!

Olivia Herrington

Devil’s Advocate (DA): What are your plans for the future after you graduate?

Olivia Herrington (OH): I will be attending University of Saint Joseph and majoring in nursing. 

DA: What aspect of your high school years have you enjoyed the most?

OH: An aspect of my high school years that I have enjoyed the most is my creating close relationships with some of my best friends and getting to enjoy high school with them and make memories. 

DA: What extracurricular activities and sports have you been involved with during your time at Coginchaug?

OH: I have been involved in basketball, outdoor and indoor track, and Spanish Honors Society.

DA: What was your greatest challenge at Coginchaug and how did you overcome it?

OH: My greatest challenge at Coginchaug was having to go through the toughest year of school, junior year, during COVID. I overcame it by continuing to work hard and realizing that everyone else in the world is in the same position as me. 

DA: What did you learn about yourself during your time at Coginchaug?

OH: I learned to have more confidence and to just be myself. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

OH: My favorite teacher is Ms. Suchy. Throughout her two years of teaching me, she has been able to be a great support system as a teacher and a friend to me. I was never afraid to come to her and I knew she would help me as best she could. She always helped me work out any difficulties and problems I had and was very understanding about everything. 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

OH: My favorite class at CRHS would have to be any of the cooking classes. 

DA: What are you going to miss the most about Coginchaug?

OH: I am going to miss all the teachers I have grown close with and those who have helped me become more successful in school. 

DA: Which of your accomplishments at Coginchaug are you most proud of?

OH: My biggest accomplishment I am most proud of is becoming one of the girls outdoor track captains. 

DA: What advice would you give to underclassmen based on your experience at Coginchaug?

OH: I would tell the underclassmen to just enjoy your time here in high school. Appreciate everything you learn and everyone you meet because this is it before the big world. Try new things and meet new people, because time seriously does fly by through these years. And just be happy, this is supposed to be your fun teenage years. 

Bella Lenoce

Devil’s Advocate (DA): What are your plans for the future after you graduate?

Bella Lenoce (BL):  I plan to receive an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Management Engineering with a specialization in auto-mechanics and a minor in French. I also plan to join the United States Coast Guard through The Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative program. 

DA: What aspect of your high school years have you enjoyed the most?

BL: With such small class-sizes everyone knows each other. When you’re stuck with the same people for several years, you never know what mayhem is going to occur in each class. It certainly keeps things entertaining. 

DA: What extracurricular activities and sports have you been involved with during your time at Coginchaug?

BL: Throughout my high school career, I have been a member of the CRHS Cross Country team. In my junior and senior year, I was a varsity athlete. For the past three years, I have been a member of the French Honors Society. Additionally, I have also been a member of the Latin Club for six years. It may seem strange that a French student is a member of Latin Club, but when the club first started six years ago, all my friends took Latin, so I was invited to watch the first season of Netflix’s, “Series of Unfortunate Events”. I quickly became friends with Magistra Reddick and have continued with the club ever since. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

BL: While I adore many of my amazing teachers over the past four years, Madame Plourde will always have a place in my heart. Mme. Plourde became my French teacher in my sophomore year. She made our class of 25 (who barely fit into her classroom) a big family, filled with random debates, fun games, and food. When I was accepted into WPI, she was the first teacher I told and she almost cried. I was the first of her seniors to choose a college. I have loved seeing her grow into the amazing teacher she has become and cannot wait to share my future adventures in French with her! 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

BL: My favorite class was French, as I fell in love with the language. In my six years of learning French the language has opened doors, as “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every day along the way…” (Frank Smith, psycholinguist). 

DA: Which of your accomplishments at Coginchaug are you most proud of?

BL: Throughout my four years at CRHS, I accomplished several extraordinary things: graduated high school early, was inducted into a collegiate honors society, completed one-year of college, and presented at a national conference. I took college courses in addition to my high school courses, completing 25 credits and nearly a full-year of college. I was then inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, a National Collegiate Honors Society. In January of 2022, I graduated from CRHS, as the high school’s first early graduate. Then in April of 2022, I presented at the Popular Culture Association National Conference.

DA: What advice would you give to underclassmen based on your experience at Coginchaug?

BL: You can go farther, but only if you choose. In my years at CRHS, I have seen very few of our students go down a different path then their classmates. You do not need to write the thesis that you think your English teacher wants or the same thesis as your classmates. When you join the workforce, employers are searching for people with different ideas and experiences. Henceforth, when you leave high school, you do not need to follow your classmates to college. In the State of Connecticut, there are 44 colleges and universities; in the US there are nearly four-thousand. Why am I mentioning this? Because there are thousands of places to go in the US, and many in Connecticut, so why follow your classmates when you can adventure and experience different opportunities. Why follow your classmates, when you can write your own story?

Colin Murphy

Devil’s Advocate (DA): What are your plans for the future after you graduate?

Colin Murphy (CM): I plan on attending Assumption University to study Business and Accounting and also play golf at the school.

DA: What aspect of your high school years have you enjoyed the most?

CM: Senior year has definitely been so much fun. I’ve gotten to try new things such as playing on the basketball team, joining new clubs like DECA, going on our senior trip to DC and participating in Mr. Coginchaug.

DA: What extracurricular activities and sports have you been involved with during your time at Coginchaug?

CM: I have played football, basketball and golf. I have been a part of DECA, the Athletic Leadership Council, Spanish Honors Society, Mr. Coginchaug and a Powderpuff Coach.

DA: What was your greatest challenge at Coginchaug and how did you overcome it?

CM: The greatest challenge at Coginchaug was figuring out how to deal with COVID and how to live a somewhat normal life and not have it ruin our high school careers. It was definitely a challenge to overcome online learning but this allowed students a lot of free time which was a major benefit and paid off. I spent most of this time at the golf course getting better, but I also got to spend more time with my family and friends. 

DA: What did you learn about yourself during your time at Coginchaug?

CM: The most important thing I learned from my time at Coginchaug was to go out of my comfort zone and try new things. I learned to make connections. I learned to be a respectful and responsible student. I also learned to have fun and enjoy the four years of high school, because it really does fly by. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

CM: Ms. Altieri, she has been a mentor and someone who is always there whether I have a question or just need to talk. I have had her all four years of school and learned so much from being in the presence of her classroom. She is someone who has always supported me and comes to almost all of our sporting events. I can’t thank all the teachers I have had at Coginchaug enough for all they have done for me throughout my time here. 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

CM: I really enjoyed elective classes at Coginchaug such as business, art and gym classes. These classes were things that interested me and allowed me to learn new things that will help me with my future. 

DA: What are you going to miss the most about Coginchaug?

CM: I am going to miss the experiences Coginchaug has to offer such as the different sports, clubs and events that go on around the school. The thing I am going to miss most are the friendships, experiences and opportunities I have had throughout my high school years. 

DA: Which of your accomplishments at Coginchaug are you most proud of?

CM: I am most proud of the little things I have done, such as being given a heart of gold in the senior superlatives and also being an All-State golfer. 

DA: What advice would you give to underclassmen based on your experience at Coginchaug?

CM: To all the underclassmen I advise you to branch out and get involved. Try new things and make connections. Many people say this, but high school really does fly by. Make the most of it and try to go out of your comfort zone because it doesn’t hurt to try something new, even if it may not seem cool or the most popular thing to do, go for it because at the end of the day it is your life.

Rebecca Tobin

Devil’s Advocate (DA): What are your plans for the future after you graduate?

Rebecca Tobin (RT): I plan to attend Emerson College with a major in Musical Theater and a possible minor in psychology. 

DA: What aspect of your high school years have you enjoyed the most?

RT: I think my favorite part of high school has been participating in the music department. Over the past four years I have found a home within the music department, surrounded by people with the same passion for music and theater. We all support and encourage one another and I wouldn’t be who I am today without this group. 

DA: What extracurricular activities and sports have you been involved with during your time at Coginchaug?

RT: During my time at Coginchaug I have been involved in the following extracurricular groups: Drama club, show choir, acapella, featured jazz band singer, ECO club, Student Body Government, Class Council, National Honor Society, and French Honor Society.

DA: What was your greatest challenge at Coginchaug and how did you overcome it?

RT: I think that my greatest challenge at Coginchaug was trying to adapt to life during the COVID pandemic. During that time I had to learn how to use online learning and begin the college application process virtually. As a musical theater major, auditioning and communicating with colleges (and Coginchaug) virtually can be incredibly challenging. However, thanks to my mentor and incredible friends, family, and teachers, I was able to get into some amazing schools and have a successful audition process. 

DA: What did you learn about yourself during your time at Coginchaug?

RT: I believe that I learned more than just how to organize my homework and materials or how to properly study. I think that I also learned a lot about who I am in the process. I better understand now who I am and who I want to be. I know which classes and skills I enjoy and I have made friends that I know will last a lifetime. I still have a lot to learn but I believe that Coginchaug has prepared me to search for my place in the professional world. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

RT: My favorite CRHS teachers were Madame Plourde and Mrs. McClintick. Both of these incredible women have supported me over the years in everything that I do. They inspire me to work hard and do my best and they have made it known that they will always be there for me. From recommendation letters to personal conversations to help me through a tough time, these two amazing teachers have done a lot for me and I will always be grateful. 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

RT: My favorite class at CRHS is probably psychology. Mrs. Jacob is an incredible teacher and the intriguing content that she taught throughout the year has inspired me to pursue a possible minor in this subject.

DA: What are you going to miss the most about Coginchaug?

RT: I think that I am going to miss my friends and the comfortability that I feel at Coginchaug the most.

DA: Which of your accomplishments at Coginchaug are you most proud of?

RT: I think that my proudest accomplishment at Coginchaug is going to be graduation. Although I always knew I would be able to graduate, so many unexpected things have occurred over the last four years that sometimes graduation seemed lightyears away. It is hard to believe that it is almost here. I am incredibly proud of not just myself but my wonderful friends that have thrived and inspired me throughout high school. 

DA: What advice would you give to underclassmen based on your experience at Coginchaug?

RT: The biggest piece of advice that I would give to underclassmen would be to never give up. Being a teenager in high school can sometimes seem impossible but they should know that they will always get through it. Unexpected things happen in life and the most important way to go about those obstacles are to let them slide off your shoulders. You never know what amazing things those challenges could lead to. 

The Devil’s Advocate would like to congratulate the Class of 2022 on their many accomplishments throughout their time at Coginchaug and wish them the utmost success in their future endeavors.