The following moving testamonial about Angel Sanchez '09 was read this past May by Ralph Menconi, English and Economics teacher at Salisbury School, at the Cum Laude Society induction ceremony.
Angel Vasquez Sanchez joined us last fall as a one year student coming through the highly esteemed global organization called ASSIST. ASSIST is an acronym for American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers, and during the last 20 years, ASSIST has sent us many fine scholars from all over Europe to study at Salisbury School. Applicants for this highly selective program are carefully screened, especially for their scholarship potential and intellectual curiosity. At his previous school in Spain, Angel was awarded Best Student for his hard work, but he modestly wrote at the time that he couldn’t have done it without his “fabulous teachers and classmates.”
In his short time at Salisbury, we have seen the same devotion to his studies and the same appreciation by Angel of the many opportunities here as he those he wrote about back in Spain. In my memory, Angel is the one of the first Salisbury students from ASSIST to be inducted into Cum Laude and tonight we congratulate him for this significant accomplishment.
Angel Sanchez, since you joined us in September, you have impressed everyone who works with you with your dedication to your studies and your total involvement in the life of the school. You have attained a First Honors average while taking 5 courses, including 4 AP and honors classes. Your dorm faculty have described you as one of the hardest working and most popular residents of Carr House.
Outside of the classroom, we have enjoyed your singing in the Gospel Choir, particularly that beautiful rendition of “Silent Night” in Spanish at our Christmas Service.
One of your Varsity Basketball coaches described you as a ‘real team player and a role model both on the court and on the bench.’ Just last weekend you rowed in the Gold Medal Winning Novice boat at the Founder’s Cup regatta.
You have shown your love for Salisbury School in both your actions and your words. An email you wrote to ASSIST last fall says it all:
Here’s what you wrote last November:
“These three months at Salisbury have been a great experience. I had never imagined that it would be like that. I have a lot of friends, every body is trying to make me feel like I was at home, classes are going very well too, and my teachers are really nice. I have joined the Gospel Choir and it’s great. I am playing now for the Varsity Basketball team and it was hard to be selected, but I made it.
I want to thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity, and I think this will change my life.”
The devotion that you have brought to this school has certainly stood in both your actions and your words, making you fully deserving of membership in Cum Laude.
Congratulations, Angel.
