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C otting School’s Alumni Newsletter
SUMMER 2025
New Traditions
This year, with the launch of Cotting Transition Institute (CTI), alumni had even more ways to stay connected! The Alumni & Friends Association was thrilled to partner with the CTI to host events, including a movie night, Bingo and our first-ever Alumni Spring Formal. Alumni Movie Night in December brought us together for a feel-good night of nostalgia, catching up and a showing of “Spirited.” We’re already looking forward to a sequel!
Early in the spring, alumni, Capstone students and caregivers filled the Cotting dining room with laughter, conversation, friendly competition and lots of fun for our second annual Alumni Bingo Night. Along with thrilling prizes, winners earned the royal titles of Bingo King and Queen, taking home the coveted Bingo crowns and all the glory that came with them!
Dressed to impress, over 50 alumni from a wide range of graduating classes gathered in Cotting’s beautifully decorated “enchanted forest,” where they enjoyed dancing, music and friendship. Among the magical sparkling twinkle lights and hanging tree canopies, alumni made every step count, celebrating community and creating a new tradition filled with joy.
As of July 1, CTI events and memberships are open to individuals with disabilities (ages 22+) across the Commonwealth, in addition to Cotting alumni and Capstone students. For more information, please visit cottingtransition.org.
Alumni enjoyed events such as Bingo Night and our first-ever Alumni Spring Formal this year.
ALUMNI UPDATES
2003
Alana Russo currently works as a Barista at Inspire Café in Wakefield. She loves traveling and enjoyed a recent trip to Aruba. Alana stays in touch with her friends from Cotting and participates in events with friends through a social group called Springboard. In April, Alana was honored with the “Community Champion” award from the Department of Developmental Disabilities. As an Executive Board member of the MA Governors Developmental Disability Council, she advocates for people with disabilities at the State House and beyond. Alana is looking forward to becoming an aunt in September 2025!
2004
Eleanor Jones is currently working at Plan of MA & RI. Eleanor accomplished something new this year, riding in the Best Buddies Challenge!
2005
Tyler Lagasse traveled to Turin and Sestriere, Italy, to compete in the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Alpine skiing. He competed in three events and took home a bronze medal in the Giant Slalom event. It was thrilling to be a part of such an incredible event alongside so many Special Olympians from all over the world!
Share your news anytime to oraimo@cotting.org
Tyler’s grandmother, Memere, passed away last August at the age of 91. Tyler is expected to move to his grandmother’s home once it’s been remodeled.
He enjoys playing golf and loves watching his nephews in Maine play baseball and soccer. Tyler has been working full-time as a warehouse coordinator for Amano McGann in Woburn since April 2024.
In addition, this year’s graduation ceremony featured an inspirational letter Tyler wrote to the Class of 2025.
2015
Tristan Teixeira moved to Somerville last year, where he often spends time with his siblings and nieces. He is learning pottery and yoga, and enjoys being close to Cotting and attending events at the Cotting Transition Institute (CTI), like the Alumni Spring Formal!
2017
Brenna Siegfriedt has worked at the Merrimack Valley YMCA in Andover/ North Andover for a year as an Inclusion Instructor, teaching swim lessons to neurodivergent students. She was happy to be asked to teach
private swim lessons to neurodivergent students based on her experience. Brenna also works at the Boston Ballet Adaptive Dance Program and loves spending time with her nephews on Mondays!
2018
Davis Raymond recently underwent back surgery and is helping coach his track team while recovering. Davis works at HomeGoods in Reading, Massachusetts.
2019
Natalie Lyons is now an official member of the Cotting Transition Institute! She had so much fun catching up with her alumni friends and teachers at the Alumni Spring Formal in May. Natalie loves the CTI Newsletter and is excited about the outstanding CTI calendar of events! She hopes to catch up with more friends at events in July and August.
Natalie still enjoys working at Tri River Medical Center in Uxbridge, where she started in 2019 while attending Cotting. She loves meeting new people and staying busy at work.
Natalie takes dance classes at Beatz Dance in Grafton. As a member of the performance team, she had the opportunity to travel to New York City in April! They took a class with Broadway dancers and attended Aladdin on Broadway—it was a fabulous experience!
2020
Everything is going well for Delaney Supple. She still attends The Price Center Day Hab three days a week and is involved with Lovelane, Waypoint Adventure, SNAP Chorus, CTI and Cotting alumni team sports. Delaney’s new
hobby is sewing! She has sewn hats, mittens, pajama pants, shirt protectors and even a poncho with her friend, Charlotte.
2021
Will Piotrowski is doing well. He enjoys attending his day program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Waltham. Will plays Cotting alumni team sports, is involved with SNAP Chorus and is a CTI member. Will loves spending time with his Cotting friends.
2023
Alex Kaner recently had an awardwinning weekend at the Special Olympics, earning the GOLD medal in his cohort in singles tennis and silver in doubles!
2024
Owen LaVangie joined the Road Runners, the alumni basketball team, attended his first alumni dance and had a great baseball season! Owen attends monthly dances hosted by Plymouth County Family Support at Crosswinds Country Club, as well as singalongs and Campfire Stories at New England Villages. Owen is not currently in a program; he is participant-directed, so he’s trying different things. He
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ALUMNI UPDATES
Owen LaVangie (Continued)
has tried adaptive yoga, joined a weekly adaptive swim program at the YMCA in Hanover, a coin collecting club and a bowling league at Alley Kat Lanes with fellow Cotting alum Kaila MacLeod ‘13. Kaila and Owen named their team The Fearless Falcons! Owen will be starting weekly PT at Spaulding Rehab in Plymouth and he’s hoping to get off the wait list for therapeutic riding at Furnace Brook Farm in Marshfield. He was thrilled to get a new AAC device: the GridPad Go! Shane Shannon is happy to inform the Cotting community that he began attending The Price Center in Newton in April.
2025
In June, Lucy Falcone started at The Price Center in Newton. She will miss her friends and teachers at Cotting, but she looks forward to staying in touch!
you know about Cotting Transition Institute?
For more information, go to cottingtransition.org or email info@cottingtransition.org.
We love to hear from you—it’s never too late to share your news! Send your updates and new contact information to Omni Raimo at oraimo@cotting.org or 781.862.7323 x145.
If you haven’t paid your annual $10 alumni dues yet, now is a great time to do so. You can mail a check payable to Cotting School to 453 Concord Ave, Lexington, MA 02421 or pay online at cotting.org/give-today.