By VINAYA SAKSENA

WARWICK — When Central Falls High School’s Class of 2008 walked across the stage at the Community College of Rhode Island Friday, words like “challenges” and “change” were fresh in their minds.

As several commencement speakers noted, the last school year has been a tumultuous one. The high school’s new partnership with the University of Rhode Island, a new principal and new graduation requirements were among the firsts faced by this class in 2007-08.
On a far darker note, the youngsters had to deal with a pair of local shootings on consecutive days that killed two area teens, including a former schoolmate, Edelmiro Roman.
The latter death was particularly daunting for CFHS students. It became the impetus for several community-unifying events in recent months, including an event at which students tied cloth strips bearing their wishes for themselves and their community onto lines outside the school.
Many of those strips, which remain on display, call an end to violence and to social stigmas against the Square Mile City.
On Friday, however, both students and those who spoke to them appeared ready to move on, both from that painful event and from the comforts and challenges of high school life.
“Congratulations, you are here, you defied the odds,” University of Rhode Island President Robert Carothers told the students. “You will now learn that there is only one constant in front of you, and paradoxically, that constant is change.”
Valedictorian Justyna Szulc broached a similar theme, using a quote from former English Prime Minister Winston Churchill: “Success is never found. Failure is never fatal.”
Szulc said remembering this quote was particularly important as she and her classmates prepared to step into the adult world and succeed or fail based on their own decisions. “We might never know what success feels like without knowing failure,” she said.
Salutatorian Thomas Cybowicz stressed the importance of thinking for oneself by telling a story of three traveling ants. At one point, he said, one decided to go left, one decided to go right, and the third said he would follow the two of them.
“Choose your own path,” Cybowicz said. “If you don’t make your own decisions, you’re going to get confused like the little ant.”
After the ceremonies, newly minted graduates owned up to mixed emotions. Edelmiraida Plaza felt she had come a long way since moving to the United States mainland from Puerto Rico at the age of 12, particularly after having started as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student and finishing in mainstream classes.
“I’m proud of myself,” Plaza said. “Right now, I’m kind of nervous. I’m going to college. I’m just starting right now.”
“It’s pretty good right now, to see all the graduates and seniors,” said David Versailles, an avid swimmer. “Good luck to the swim team next year.”
Some grads were nearly speechless. Edgar Rosales, for one, summed it up simply: “I’m happy,” he said. “I can’t explain it.”
Members of Central Falls High School’s graduating Class of 2008 are as follows:
Roberto Almonte, Jandira Alves, Albert V. Andrade, Luis E. Ardila, Omara Liss Arroyo, Tatiana Baena, Viriato Barros Baptista, Michelle Silva Barbosa, Sonya S. Barbosa, Yony A. Batz, Ariadna Y. Benitez, Hector A. Berdecia, Rebecca A. Blais, Bryon Brown, David Robert Budzyna, Ruth Elizabeth Cabrera, Yecenia Camacho, Guenneth L. Cante, Walter E. Cante, Stephanie M. Casto, Andres Cea, Katherina G. Charbatji, Jose Eimer Cintron, Tony Arthur Cipriano, Boris J. Colindres, Daimarie Colon, Cristina Isabel Constanza, Melaine Elizabeth Contreras, Adrian A. Coso Ramirez, Edgar E. Costa, Angel Alberto Cruz, Stephen Lee Cruz, Justyna Cybowicz, Thomas J. Cybowicz, Fredson Fonseca Debrito and Jayleene Mariela De Leon.
Ashley A. Delgado, Steven Jose Demoya, Arlene DeOssa, Yesica Ana Paulina Dominguez Sandoval, Jessica Dos Santos, Mario R. Dos Santos, Adam Luke Dorris, Mauricio Alberto Duran, Irvin Escartin, Emma C. Escobar, Jaqueline Yojana Estacuy, Bianca N. Estrada, Corrine Teresa Fahey, Sayra L. Fernandes, Jennifer Figueiredo , Steven Figueroa, Nayeline Florentino, Adriana Emperatriz Flores, Alicia M. Franco, Elias A. Fuentes Jr., Vicky Fuentes , Astrid K. Gabriel, David M. Galdamez, Benvinda Gamboa , Carmelo Garcia, Kelly Garcia, Rey Giron, Jovina M. Gomes, Tiago Andre Gomes, Alinay A. Gomez and Sergio A. Gomez. Westley Gomez, Zuleyma Gomez, Henry B. Goncalves, Tiffany M. Gonzales, Hendel Guzman, Nichole Daniele Harrison, Rakia B. Hector, Maria Isabel Henao, John Higgins, Lukasz Alberto Holodiuk, Sasha M. Iannelli, Johnny Josue Ibanez, Coral Isom, Kristen Elizabeth Knight, Joseph C. Laramee, Melvina Kalillia L'Homme, Jose Miguel Lebron, Hilda Sarah Lopez, Madaley Lopez, Sandra Leticia Lopez, Kayla D. Lubo, William Joseph Lyford, Jose Fernando Madera, Rina Lisseth Magana, Jean Carlos Maldonado, Maiking Marte, Jarrod Allen Maxcey, Katherine Rachel McPhillips, Eduardo Augusto Medina, Adeniza Fortes Mendes, Michael John Meketsy, Sonia Mari Mena, Russell Scott Miller, Joshua Orlando Montanez, Tayreese Sha-mel Montgomery, Jeremy Jesus Montijo, Belarmina Montoya, Viviana Montoya, Carol Ann Moreno, Darnell Joseph Moss, Melissa Muriel, Eduardo L. Naranjo, William Narvaez, David Navarro, Iris V. Navarro, Lucellis M. Nieves, Yisel Maria Nunez, Bryan Ocampo, Alejandra Olivo, Luisa Fernanda Ortega, Jose Carlos Ortiz, Michelle Ortiz, Milena Ortiz, Tasha Anna Ortiz, Lizzette A. Paniagua, Luis M. Pastor, Stephen A. Patino, Sophy Paulino, Anna Paye, Bienvenido Alexander Peralta, Jeffrey Bienvenido Peralta, Nicholas Emanuel Pereira, Ivannah N. Perez, Pamela Perez, Rosemary C. Pimentel, Daniel Alexander Pineda, Darvin A. Pineda, Melanie E. Pise, Edelmiraida Plaza, Zuleyka Polanco, Josephine Pratt, Ximena Ramirez, Mariel Regalado, Juliana Restrepo, Yesenia Reyes, Lesley Colleen Ribeiro, Milton R. Ricaurte, Crystal Luz Rivera, Edwin R. Rivera, Nisper O. Rivera, Cheilene M. Rodriguez, Christeen J. Rodriguez, Emmanuel M. Rodriguez, Francisco Rodriguez, Angelica Maria Romero, Edgar O. Rosales, Christopher Rosario , Laura Rosas, Oluwabukola O. Salako, Jeannelle Victoria Salazar, Melina Maria Saldarriaga, Richard E. Salinas Jr., Johana Sanchez, Esmeralda Santiago, Judy Elizabeth Santiago, Mariangelys Santiago Lopez, Catia Andreia Santos, Melony P. Santos, Bhumi A. Shah, Wendy Paola Sic, Marta E. Sicaju, Andres Felipe Sierra, Jahnoy A. Skerritt, Hawa Sokona, Franklin Solano, Justyna Szulc, Kenny M. Tavares, Josimar Torres Borgos, Iris Teresa Ulerio, Richard Chiqui Valera, Peter J. Vasquez, Brenda Elizabeth Veloz, David Odva Versailles, Franci Antonio Vilorio, Sara Ivelisa Walker, Diana Wende, Heather Marie Wild, Jacklie Maria Xavier.