Emily Cogliano graduated from the Cotting School in Lexington on Friday, June 5. She was the president of her senior class and, as such, planned the prom, the senior trip to Disneyworld and fund-raisers for her class. She spoke at her graduation.
Emily previously attended Sanborn Elementary and West Middle schools in Andover.
Emily has Down Syndrome. Despite her cognitive challenges, she is a serious student who loves to read and attacks school work with gusto, according to her family.
"Her dream has always been to graduate from high school, go to college, live on her own, get a job and get married someday," reports her mom, Ro Cogliano. "Well, she has completed high school and has been accepted at Cape Cod Community College's Project Forward.¬ There is no doubt that she will be employed and live on her own in the future.¬ She has a boyfriend and they are convinced that they will marry after college. Emily was awarded the Dr. Michael Talbot Award at Cotting for her Pursuit of Independence, a very fitting award for a very independent young woman."
Emily was also selected this spring as the recipient of the Dance Teachers' Club of Boston Inc. Achievement Scholarship.
She has been dancing since age 3 when she began classes at the YMCA on Haverhill Street.¬ About 10 years ago she began dancing at the North Andover School of Dance. She has performed yearly in recitals at the Collins Center, most recently a few weeks ago, and even performed in Disneyworld with NASD.¬
In the more than 30 years that Debbie Lamontagne has owned the dance studio, Emily is the first of her students to win a Dance Teachers' Club scholarship.
Emily loves to dance and plans to continue dancing while she is in college on Cape Cod.
Emily is the youngest of 6, all of whom attended Sanborn School and West Middle. Her sister, Elana, just graduated from Colby College and her brother, John, just graduated from Tufts Dental School.
