
Cheshire High School student honors Quinnipiac family legacy through music
January 27, 2025
January 27, 2025
Zoé Tougas’ connection to Quinnipiac stems back to her mother, Gabrielle Tougas, JD '94 who was among the first graduating class of Quinnipiac School of Law in 1994.
Gabrielle Tougas reflected on many impactful moments during her time at Quinnipiac, including getting engaged to her husband following her commencement ceremony.
“One impactful moment was when I graduated on the gorgeous Mount Carmel Campus,” said Gabrielle Tougas. “My family and friends came back to my house and we had a graduation party. At that party, my husband proposed to me in front of everyone. It was an incredible day that I will never forget.”
Gabrielle Tougas has long carried the values and traditions from her time as a student, such as hiking the Sleeping Giant. Now as an alumna and Cheshire resident, Gabrielle Tougas is proud to witness her daughter carry on that legacy and connection to Quinnipiac.
“I love having Quinnipiac down the street,” said Gabrielle Tougas. “I know that Quinnipiac produces wonderful graduates and it’s a great asset to our larger community. I am thrilled to see my daughter Zoé singing in the gorgeous arenas.”
Throughout her life, Quinnipiac has provided a community and resource for Zoé Tougas to further her passion and singing experience. Zoé Tougas first performed at Quinnipiac during a talent show for a sports camp in 2015 and 2016 when she was a participant in the youth summer camp. More recently, Zoé Tougas has sung the national anthem at multiple Quinnipiac athletic events this season, including at men's and women's basketball and ice hockey games.
“Singing at Quinnipiac has helped me grow my confidence a tremendous amount,” said Zoé Tougas. “I only had a little experience singing at sports games so being able to sing at Quinnipiac was a different level of reaching outside my comfort zone. I love the adrenaline from singing in front of a large crowd and it has taught me so much about stage performance.”
Zoé Tougas has always had a passion for music, taking piano and voice lessons at 6 years old. Outside of her performances at Quinnipiac, Zoé Tougas has been involved in musicals, the school band and performing at various sports games. Zoé Tougas also participates with the School of Rock in North Haven, Connecticut, and plays local gigs at restaurants and social events. For the past four years, she has studied pop, classical, R&B, rock and theater music.
“Music is something that I always plan to have in my life and something I will always be passionate about,” said Zoé Tougas. “I grew up surrounded by music of all kinds whether it be at my temple’s services, music classes in elementary school or just around the house. Music has been a way for me to escape stress and be creative.”
As she prepares to graduate high school this spring and begin the next chapter of her life, Zoé Tougas is excited to continue to pursue music as a lifelong passion.
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