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 – Carly Benbow, Ellie Castiglia, Charlotte Johnson, and Mark Laudano – who took the time to write thoughtful responses for the third edition of Senior Spotlight!

Carly Benbow

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

Carly Benbow (CB): After graduation, I plan to attend the University of Vermont!

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

CB: I have enjoyed sporting events, spirit weeks, dances, and school trips. 

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

CB: I have been involved with soccer, basketball, and French Honor Society. 

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

CB: My greatest challenge was dealing with mental health and managing my time when I had a lot of work and extracurriculars. 

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

CB: I learned what subjects I am passionate about and what I don’t like. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

CB: During my time at CRHS, I have had a lot of great, understanding teachers. I don’t have a single favorite, but a few of them are Mrs. Jacques, Mrs. McClintick, Mrs. Plourde, Mrs. Lee and Mr. Thompson.  

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

CB: My favorite classes have been AP Psychology, UCONN Oceanography, and English 10 with Mr. Maher. 

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

CB: I am going to miss seeing and talking to my friends everyday, especially Emma DeCaprio and Jake Raney.

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

CB: I am most proud of getting into almost all of the colleges I applied to, especially University of Vermont with a scholarship since it was my first choice!

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

CB: I would say to go to games and other events and try to make the most of your time here. It’s not always fun or easy but you can try to enjoy it because it goes by fast!

Ellie Castiglia

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

Ellie Castiglia (EC): I am planning to major in Biology on a pre-med track and minor in Human Rights at the University of Connecticut.

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

EC: I have enjoyed being a part of the music department at CRHS the most because I have loved all of the incredible opportunities I have received from the department and I found my closest friends through the music department.

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

EC: Throughout my time at Coginchaug I have been involved in show choir, a capella, drama club, pep band, Model United Nations, EDGE, Spanish Honors Society, and National Honors Society.

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

EC: My greatest challenge at Coginchaug was my lack of self confidence specifically when it came to academics. I always felt like I was not smart enough and like I was only doing well because of luck. Although it took a lot of time to realize, I learned that my hard work and my dedication to my academics was what allowed me to be successful in my classes. I managed to stay determined and maintain my work ethic throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and I won multiple academic awards for my academic success. I learned that if I am willing to put in the hard work and the determination, I am capable of anything I set my mind to. 

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

EC: While I was at Coginchaug I learned that if I set my mind to something, I can achieve it. I have struggled with self doubt throughout my education, but through all of my classes I have learned that if I put in the hard work and am determined to do something, I will achieve my goals.

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

EC: This is the most difficult question! I have always been a part of the music department and I have loved working with both Mr. Fisher and Ms. Schilling throughout my time at Coginchaug. Outside of the music department, I enjoyed having Mrs. Francis and Mrs. McClintick as teachers because they both helped me gain confidence in my academic skills and have both been incredibly kind and supportive. 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

EC: I have always loved all of my music classes, especially Chamber Choir. In regards to academic classes, I loved taking the Animal Behavior elective class in my sophomore year because it introduced me to scientific topics I am really interested in and really enjoy. I also really enjoyed AP United States History because, although it was one of the hardest classes I took in high school, the content was extremely interesting and I loved getting to explore US History and find connections throughout history and today.

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

EC: I am going to miss the Coginchaug Music Department the most because I have so many amazing memories from my time in the different music ensembles. 

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

EC: I am most proud of earning the Yale Book Award in my Junior year and earning the Superintendent’s Award in my Senior year. 

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

EC: I would tell underclassmen that it is okay to not know everything; you are students and you are still learning. If you are always trying so hard to be perfect and never be wrong, how much will you fear making mistakes and how much energy will you put into avoiding them? I admit that I am guilty of fearing imperfection, but I will also admit that I have learned the most from classes and assignments where I have made the most mistakes. It’s okay to make mistakes, do not fear them, embrace them. 

Charlotte Johnson

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

Charlotte Johnson (CJ): I will be attending Salve Regina University as a nursing major this fall.

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

CJ: I have most enjoyed study halls while at Coginchaug. 

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

CJ: I was a part of the Coginchaug Girls Volleyball team my freshman year. I have also been a member of DECA as well as Spanish Honors Society and National Honors Society. Throughout my time at Coginchaug, I have continued with Girl Scouts and have been a part of my troop for 12 years now. 

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

CJ: My greatest challenge at Coginchaug was navigating my education during the pandemic, as I was a remote student all of my junior year. It was difficult trying to obtain the same type of education I would have received as an in-person student. However, communicating with my teachers as well as advocating for myself was the best way to overcome this challenge. 

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

CJ: During my time at Coginchaug, I learned that I am able to accomplish much more that I thought possible. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

CJ: Mrs. Mann is my favorite high school teacher and her Anatomy and Physiology class has been my favorite while at Coginchaug. The way that she teaches is amazing, and she always makes sure that all of her students understand the material rather than just memorizing it. Mrs. Mann is also really funny and her class is never dull. She is such a caring teacher and is always willing to make people’s lives easier. 

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

CJ: My favorite class while at Coginchaug was my Anatomy and Physiology class. Not only was my teacher great, Mrs. Mann, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the subject matter. 

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

CJ: I am going to miss seeing my friends everyday and talking with them at lunch.

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

CJ: I am most proud of being a member of both the Spanish Honors Society and the National Honors Society. 

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

CJ: Based on my experience at Coginchaug, I would tell underclassmen to find that balance between school and your personal life. You don’t have to pick one or the other and miss out on the rest. High school can get really stressful, especially when you are constantly asked what you want to do with the rest of your life. The best part is that you don’t have to decide yet because we’re all still so young. 

Mark Laudano

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

Mark Laudano (ML): I plan on going into the Marine Corps as an Aircraft firefighter and rescue specialist (7051) after graduation.

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

ML: I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with my friends in Coginchaug. Whether they’re old or new friends, I’ve always enjoyed being around them, and all of my best memories have been with them.

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

ML: During my time in Coginchaug I’ve been on the Cross Country team, Indoor and Outdoor Track team, in the Robotics Club, in the Musical for my senior year, Devil’s Advocate Newspaper, and in the Jazz Band as well as Jazz Combo.

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

ML: One of my greatest challenges at Coginchaug was trying to beat my personal records in Cross Country and Track; I would try every year, but it wouldn’t be until my final year that I would finally get that sub 20:00 5k or make Shorelines for the 3200. I pushed myself constantly in order to reach my goals, and as long as I kept going that goal just got more and more attainable.

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

ML: During my time at Coginchaug I learned that I have the potential to do great things, and that all I had to do was make that leap of faith and try it as well as push myself past my limits in order to finally make my goals a reality. 

DA: Who was your favorite CRHS teacher and why?

ML: My favorite Coginchaug teacher has always been Mr. Maher, who was my sophomore year English teacher. English isn’t one of my favorite subjects, but I was always excited to go to his class because he always made it fun and memorable. He made creative lessons and always pushed me to try my hardest when it came to my writings, and I will always remember the fun times I had in his class.

DA: What was your favorite class at CRHS?

ML: My favorite class in Coginchaug that I have taken was the EMT program that I took through the school in my senior year of high school. The main reason this is my favorite class is because it not only teaches how to be an EMT but by the end of the class you take the NREMT, and if you pass that you are a registered EMT who can work at fire departments and ambulance corps around the country as the NREMT is the nation registry for EMTs.

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

ML: When I leave Coginchaug, I’m going to miss being able to hangout with everyone seeing as life is just going to get busier after graduation. You’re not going to see people as much as you’d like, and that’s sad, but it’s reality.

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

ML: Out of my few accomplishments in Coginchaug, I’m most proud of winning the Mr. Coginchaug competition. There were many good acts during that competition that people put a lot of effort into and everyone had a fun time doing it. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

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

ML: To any of the underclassmen that are reading this, don’t discourage yourself or put yourself down, it’ll only hurt you in the long run; instead make goals that you can accomplish day by day and progressively make them harder in order to challenge yourself and become better in your life. Also don’t be afraid to fail, because failure is the best teacher and it’s going to teach you the harder lessons in life. Good luck out there.

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.