The Independent invited the members of the Class of 2023 at Nauset Regional High School and Cape Cod Regional Technical High School from the four Outer Cape towns to tell us their thoughts about reaching the milestone of graduation and embarking on the next phase of their lives. Here they are in their own words.
Susana ‘Zuzu’ Allee
Provincetown
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Stonehill College
I’m going to Stonehill college. I’ll major in marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Growing up on Cape Cod has meant living in a happy environment where people are passionate about things. The fact that everywhere I go, I always see someone I know makes me feel rooted here. I’ve met my closest friends living in Provincetown — and they’re the friends you find once in a lifetime.
If I could take something with me my from my high school experience it would be to never let people get to you and to always advocate for yourself.
I developed a passion for clothes while working at 3 Graces Boutique, a women’s clothing store across from town hall. I love working there; it has inspired me. In the future, I might create a boutique site of my own, with beachy clothing designed for younger girls around my age, in their early 20s.
I hope the world will be different five years from now. I hope being nicer to the people around you becomes the new normal. I imagine myself being more confident in five years and to have my own online business started and to hopefully be looking to buy a house around then.
Since I’ll be only two hours from the Cape, I don’t think I’m going to miss it. I’ll be coming home often to visit my mom and pets!
Kaitlin Bohannon
Eastham
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Northeastern University
I’m planning to major in health science on a pre-physical therapy track at Northeastern, as well as swim on their club team.
My family has been in Eastham for over four generations, and I’ve lived here my whole life. Growing up, whether I was doing something school-related or swimming, I always knew I had a support system in the community, and I am so thankful for that.
I have really come to appreciate the sense of community that the Cape has given me. Living here has taught me to appreciate everything I have and to never take anything for granted.
I’ll be in Boston for college so I won’t be too far away, but I will miss Eastham’s unbeatable beaches and sunsets when I’m living in the city. But I know I will always be rooted here no matter what.
Suzanne ‘Suzie’ Burns
Provincetown
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Smith College
I am attending Smith College in the fall, where I plan to major in English with a concentration in journalism. My interest in journalism began this past year when I began volunteering at the Truro Public Library, where I sorted old local news clippings. I thoroughly enjoyed going through all the stories and learning about the local tourism industry and the effects of erosion on the Cape — I became hooked.
When I head to Northampton next year, I will miss being able to walk down Commercial Street, which has always been very colorful and lively with activity. I will miss popping into stores and strolling down the pier to see all the different sights.
Out of the experiences I’ve had in the past four years at Nauset, I want to take with me the memories of playing chess with the chess club. I’m going to miss the connections I have made with other members of the club, but I am excited to find that community at Smith.
Andrew ‘AJ’ Carter
Eastham
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: University of Southern Maine
I will be going to the University of Southern Maine to study mechanical engineering. Eventually, I want to go into the military to become a helicopter pilot. I’m excited to meet new people in college, create bonds, and have fun, but still study and create something for myself.
I’ve always loved taking electronics apart to figure out what makes them tick and then putting them back together. I also like taking random, different parts and building something cool out of them. I want to get into Apache helicopters. For fun, I like to skateboard.
I moved to the Cape from my country of Jamaica when I was 14. I felt lost at first. But I met some cool people and friends here that made me feel like I belong and gave me sense of community. I will miss the team at 9 Ryder restaurant where I worked. It’s like one big family down there. And I’ll miss b.xclusive with all their cool stuff.
Five years from now, I hope the world will be a more accepting place and that we’ll care for each other despite our differences.
Molly Sue Coakley
Wellfleet
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: UMass Amherst
I’ll be studying elementary education at UMass Amherst in the fall.
Cape Cod has molded me into a hard worker with perseverance and dedication; I couldn’t have learned these skills anywhere else. I have grown up fishing, shellfishing, lobstering, and chartering my dad’s boat, the Molly Sue. All those activities have taught me to wake up early to pursue my goals. Whether it be a fishing day trip or working on the shellfish grant with friends, 4:30 is my wakeup call.
These experiences have made me want to become a teacher and have taught me the communication skills that make me the person I am today.
The things I will miss most about Wellfleet are being close to the water and the sense of community we all have. I will be forever grateful for the way of life here in Wellfleet.
Kaylee Davis
Eastham
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Mass. Maritime Academy
I will be going to Mass. Maritime Academy to major in marine transportation. I will also continue my softball career at the academy playing D3 softball. I will miss Nauset High sports; we had a really good athletic program. I played softball for four years and volleyball.
This is my fourth year working on the Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch in Provincetown. I work the lines and the galley, cooking and serving. With the Mass. Maritime credential, I’ll hopefully get a job as a mate, training as a potential captain. I would like to work on bigger ships, like a yacht or cruise ship. They have a simulator at Mass. Maritime, and they go out to sea for two months, so it’s good practice.
I love Cape Cod because I feel so connected to the water and there are so many opportunities around here to surround yourself with the incredible and inspiring ocean.
One thing I will take from my high school years is to recognize how quickly it goes by and to really enjoy the four years while you can.
Alexander DuToit
North Truro
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: UMass Amherst
I’m working in my dad’s frame shop in Provincetown this summer. Then I’ll be attending UMass Amherst in their honors college, studying physics and math.
Figuring out how and why stuff works has always fascinated me, and this year I got way more interested in math thanks to my calculus teacher, Ms. Terrenzi. It became more investigative, more about why it works.
Being on Nauset’s Mock Trial team, which made it to the elite 8 in Massachusetts this year, was also incredibly special. I play the team’s expert witness, and working with other dedicated students and our lawyer coach, Bonnie Nunheimer, was a great experience.
My connection with nature through my analog photography is something that I think deeply roots me to Cape Cod. Walking in the dunes with a camera means a lot to me. I think I’ll miss being so close to the ocean.
I got my first film camera freshman year and later used what I earned working at Longnook Meadows Farm to buy a Hasselblad medium-format camera. Most of my photography is more about details and not so much sky and landscape, so I used it to take my own portrait here against a giant velvet backdrop to absorb light. I developed and printed it myself.
Five years from now I would like to be working towards my master’s degree. I’d like to work in research, probably in optics. Photography has gotten me interested in lenses and the manipulation of light.
Julia Morris
Truro
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Travel
I started Nauset’s ACCESS program halfway through my junior year after struggling to keep myself afloat in the regular school day schedule. Since enrolling in the program, I completed all my credits early and have taken an online personal finance class to help me further in life.
I currently work seven days a week at Days Market in Truro. I am hoping to save up enough to buy a car so I can travel! I love working at Days because I get to meet a lot of new people and grow my social skills.
What I will take away most from my time at Nauset is that each moment in time is essential. We can’t take any moment for granted because once it passes you can’t get it back. My time on the Cape has taught me to live in the moment, and that you can only go as far as you work.
Daisy O’Neil
Wellfleet
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: McGill University
I will be attending McGill University in Montréal, Québec. I am equally excited and intimidated to go to college in a completely new environment, culturally and geographically. I’ll be studying with the faculty of arts, including political science and sociology. I would love to go to law school, but I’m open to other possibilities.
My mom, who teaches at Nauset Middle School, did her student teaching outside Montréal. It was her idea for me to look at McGill. We took a trip, and I loved it.
My excitement for college does not take away from how much I am going to miss my home on the Cape: the drives down Ocean View and being able to go to any beach in the winter for some peace and quiet. That sense of serenity is going to be a challenge for me to find in the city.
Ballroom dancing in Chatham was a very big part of middle and high school for me. At Nauset, I did the partial International Baccalaureate, which really helped me grow a love for learning about different cultures.
This summer I’m working at Mac’s Fish House waitressing and doing an internship with Cape Mediation in Orleans. They use law practices to resolve disputes without having to go to court, especially with divorce. The program is called Pathways to Peace. It’s about listening, being generous, and being respectful.
Aurélia Pabot
Wellfleet
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Bucknell University
I’m planning to study creative writing at Bucknell University. I feel like I could write all day long, and it helps my writing a lot to read a good book. Though I love watching movies, too, and am very excited that the Wellfleet drive-in is opening again.
Some of my growing up was in a big city, Paris. And while I definitely consider myself a city person, I’ve loved being surrounded by nature here. I think that when I move away it will finally hit me how lucky I was to live somewhere this beautiful.
I’ll probably miss the beaches and ponds the most. But I feel connected to this place because of experiences and relationships. Part of me will stay here even when I’m away.
I’d take all the mistakes I made during my four years in high school and keep them in my pocket as a lesson that no matter how bad life can feel at certain moments, you’ll always bounce back. And most times, stronger than ever.
Orianna ‘Ori’ Porter
Eastham
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Work, then Clark Atlanta University
I see myself becoming a psychologist and helping people with their problems, particularly children and young adults. I am very passionate about helping others and providing guidance to those who need it.
I moved to America from Jamaica at 13, and my experiences since then have shaped my passion. I want to be a helping hand to any little girl or boy who feels out of place in a new environment.
I’m going to Clark Atlanta University in January to study psychology with a minor in elementary education. I’ll work through the summer and fall, either here on Cape Cod or in Atlanta.
If I could, I would take my School-Within-a-School courses over again — I learned so much in them and read so many amazing books on subjects like the Japanese internment, the Holocaust, and race in America.
I also loved laughing and being creative in Fashion and Design class and the Exploring and Respecting Differences class. I’m thankful to so many teachers and administrators for helping me become the best of myself. I appreciate it and will make you all proud.
Isabelle ‘Belle’ Robicheau
Wellfleet
Nauset High
Fall plan: San Diego State University
Next year I’ll be attending San Diego State University. I want to explore owning a business or teaching. I know I don’t want to do anything in the medical field.
I chose SDSU because it’s such a huge school and because it’s in San Diego. I love the environment; it’s laid-back culturally. I need lots of options, which they have.
I love living here, but I want a change of scenery and to be warm in the winter.
Both of my grandfathers grew up on the Outer Cape, and both of my parents grew up on the Cape and went to Nauset. The Cape is such a small place; everyone knows everyone.
Covid was a big part of high school for me. Freshman year got cut off, and I was completely remote sophomore year.
My favorites places are Race Point Beach, Newcomb Hollow, the Hole in One, bonfires on the beach, and downtown P’town, of course.
I will miss our beaches the most, but hopefully not too much since I’ll be in San Diego!
Alden Rogers
Truro
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: UMass Amherst
Next fall, I will be attending UMass Amherst, where I hope to major in biology with a pre-med track. I have always liked helping people and going into the field of medicine would allow me to help people for a living. I am particularly interested in the field of dermatology.
At Nauset, I played lacrosse both for the school and on a club team. I loved the community I formed there and hope to continue playing lacrosse at UMass. I’ve also loved my time working at Chequessett Chocolate, where I made and served coffee and ice cream. I would love to work for a cute coffee shop in Amherst during college.
I’m going to miss the beach, particularly Cold Storage Beach, where I spent many summer days with my grandmother. My time at Nauset has taught me to be kind to everyone around me, even if they are not my friend. I hope people will live with more kindness in their hearts, and I want to pass that kindness along.
Rosa Warner
Wellfleet
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Hobart and William Smith Colleges
I’m working at Ceraldi in Wellfleet this the summer — I’m a barista, so it’s a mellow morning scene and I already love it.
In the fall I’ll be going to Hobart and William Smith Colleges in western New York. I had visited some of the bigger Boston area schools and wasn’t so sure. But there I felt instantly comfortable. I realized I wanted to be at a smaller school with smaller classes.
I am going into the exploratory program. I’m interested in architecture and design. But I also like business and talking with people, so maybe I’ll end up leaning more towards something like real estate.
Being part of Best Buddies at Nauset was a highlight. The students I got to work with were so resilient, so able to be happy. They really changed my attitude — you couldn’t carry a bad mood in there.
I enjoyed playing volleyball for the last two years, so my plan is to play at Hobart and William Smith, for fun.
Swimming, bonfires, walking the beaches with my dogs, especially at Newcomb, which is near my house, are the things I’ll miss. As graduation gets closer, I realize how much I will miss my friends, too. It seems like a lot of them are staying on Cape this year. But I know I’ll be back on breaks and for summers.
I’m looking forward to this transition. I think we’ll all become kinder when we are in a bigger place that’s more diverse. In the years ahead, I hope the whole world will be a kinder place.
Jack Wells-Benson
Provincetown
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Working and continuing as a volunteer firefighter
I studied in the electrical shop at the Tech, and for the last year I’ve been working for Harwich Port Heating and Cooling, where I’m going to continue my career. I’m part of the generator division; we take a lot of service calls to maintain and install generators, and I love it so much.
I had such a good time in shop, learning more than I ever could in a classroom and also talking about random stuff and just laughing with my friends. I have so many close friends in my shop, and some of them are sticking around to work on the Cape, while a lot of my friends at Nauset are going farther away for college. So, I have friends staying here and friends to go visit, which is cool.
My brother and I came here from Guatemala when we were just a couple of months old, so I’ve lived in Provincetown my entire life. I love it — especially the summer, when all the tourists come and make it feel like a city. Everyone is walking on the roads with a smile on their face, and it never gets boring.
I’ll be staying in Provincetown for a bit, maybe six more years. My brother and I are both volunteer firefighters here, so I’ll keep doing that, too.
Owens Wells-Benson
Provincetown
School: Cape Cod Tech
Fall plan: Work and continuing as a volunteer firefighter
I was in the plumbing shop at the Tech for all four years. There were only about 10 of us in my shop, and I enjoyed it a lot — especially because they took the whole class to job sites to work together, so we could see what they were like before we actually applied.
I work for James J. Roderick now doing all kinds of stuff — I work on trash, septic pumping, excavating, sewer lines, and water lines. I also work for the Provincetown Recreation Dept. with the 7-to-10-year-olds in the summer program. In the morning, it’s outdoor time and we’ll play capture the flag or soccer at Motta Field, and after lunch we move indoors and play in the gym or set up a slip and slide or a little pool next to the building.
I’ve been a volunteer with the Provincetown Fire Dept. since just after eighth grade, so that’s four years now. My plan is to stay in town for at least two more years and keep working with Roderick, the rec program, and the fire dept.
I was born in Guatemala, but I’ve lived in Provincetown my entire life. I’m really grateful for all the people I’ve met at Tech, and I hope to keep in touch with as many of them as I can.
Lelu Wisbauer
Truro
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Fashion Institute of Technology
I’m working at the Portuguese Bakery in Provincetown this summer — it’s my third summer there — and this fall I’m going to the Fashion Institute of Technology, which is in Manhattan. I’m majoring in fashion business management, because ever since I was little I’ve loved coordinating events and being around creative people. I don’t feel that creative myself, but I love helping creative people get their art seen.
My friends are obviously my favorite part of high school, but I have so many teachers who I love, who are really into their jobs and really love the students. I loved my psychology class with Mr. Allen and the clay class with Amy Kandall — by the end of it we were making statues that we could turn into jars, and there was so much creative freedom.
I’ve lived my entire life in Truro. We live in the woods near the beach. I can walk to the beach from my house, and yet we have Provincetown and Commercial Street so close, and that community is a highlight of living here. I’m very grateful to live in this Truro-Provincetown area.
The Fashion Institute has a whole block in Chelsea, with dorms and everything. I’ve always loved living here, but I’m super excited for it.
Alexandra ‘Lexi’ Yelle
North Eastham
School: Nauset High
Fall plan: Cornell University
I am attending Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations in the fall. I was always interested in business. I took a lot of economics and statistics courses, and I’ll also be learning about people, psychology, and the work force. I love the Cornell campus; it’s very gothic. You get a little bit of everything there.
Like any other Cape Cod kid, I’ve had a job whenever I could. I worked at Ben & Jerry’s for the past three years and also at the Eastham Café and at C-Shore.
I’m going to miss the beach and always being a short drive from the water. Living on Cape Cod has connected me to the world around me.
If I could take one thing with me from my high school years, it would be the people I’ve met, especially Mr. Clark, my history and art history teacher, and Ms. Kmiec, my Spanish teacher. They really care about students. The connections and friendships I’ve created because of Nauset are irreplaceable.
