Commencement 2012

COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM 2012

83RD COMMENCEMENT

HEAD OF SCHOOL WELCOME: MARK DAVIS

Good morning St. Luke’s. Good morning faculty and staff, parents, families, friends, and, most especially, the Class of 2012 – good morning and welcome to the School’s 83rd Commencement Exercises.

As always on this occasion, we take a moment to thank the people who have had a particular impact on the class during its time on the Hilltop.

To the faculty and staff, you have inspired and guided these seniors as teachers, as advisors, and as coaches in all manner of activities. Through your dedication to their learning, and through your cultivation of their character you have encouraged them to reach for their best efforts, and to become their best selves. To the Board of Trustees, well represented in the audience today (and formally by Board Chair Christine Seaver, who will hand out diplomas), you have given your time and your resources to St. Luke’s with singular devotion, keeping our mission and core values at the center of all we do while building a stronger school for today’s and tomorrow’s students. And to the Parents Association, led by President Barb Clayton and a dedicated executive board, you have led by example, volunteering for countless class and service activities, raising money and building community through an “Olympian” spring gathering, and providing vital funding for faculty development, financial aid, class enrichment, and other significant initiatives.

To the parents of the Class of 2012: By entrusting your children’s education to our care, you pay St. Luke’s the highest compliment. You have supported the School in so many ways, as ambassadors, by volunteering for school activities, and by giving generously to capital and annual fundraising efforts. 93% of you contributed to this year’s Annual Fund, and 91% of you also contributed to the new Senior Gift program that raised a $271,000 endowment to create a speaker series that will benefit St. Luke’s students forever. Your remarkable generosity and loyalty have strengthened today’s St. Luke’s and the St. Luke’s of the future, enriching existing programs and developing new ones for our students. I hope your service - as true service does - has deepened your own St. Luke’s experience, and that the memories and impact of a St. Luke’s education will continue to enrich your lives as you and your children remain part of the extended St. Luke’s family.

And, of course, to the Class of 2012: As I tell every graduating class at Commencement: savor this day, and these last moments together with your classmates, your teachers, and your families. We know you will return to campus – as alumni - for reunions and Homecoming, but we will never gather together like this again, the entire class of 2012, along with your teachers and families. Today we celebrate the pride… and all of the hopes and dreams we have for you, hopes and dreams richly earned for you have made us proud and given us faith in your ability to lead, to make a difference in our world. And you leave behind you at St. Luke’s a legacy of superb accomplishments, coupled with amazing memories that you will cherish in the years to come.

Buell Duncan, who is a proud parent in the audience this morning, offered an outstanding Lunch and Lead session this year about his experiences working with a very high tech company. But he also did something completely low tech that has stayed with me when he used a marker and flip chart paper to write down the three things that he believes make a company a great place to work, and the three qualities that make a person most successful in the workplace. When I saw that, I saw my opening for Commencement, because it’s also those three things - the people, the variety, and making a difference - that make a great school; and it’s the drive and energy, the creativity, and the collaboration of the seniors that make a successful class and a great senior year.

While leading his Un-School session on “Finding Your Passion,” Charlie Schlinkert said: “It’s the destination that motivates us, and the journey that defines us.” Besides confirming that we should do everything we can to recruit Charlie as a teacher when he graduates from NYU, Charlie’s succinctly eloquent statement captures perfectly what most students - especially seniors - feel. You work hard to prepare yourself for college, but what you do and experience along the way makes you who you are today, and creates your memories of St. Luke’s.

Even as so many of you share common experiences and interests, you have stamped yourselves as individuals who leave unique marks on your class. In the 66 of you there are two sets of twins, two ukulele players, at least two chemists, at least two serious gamers, at least two serious debaters, two Division I rowers, three Emilys, three Sams, two Daniels, two Carolines, two Kellys, two Jo(h)ns, two Charlottes, two Col(l)ins, two Laurens, and two Lukes. But each one of you stakes a clear claim to individuality.

Starting with gamer Ryan and Jim of the Chadwick twins, we see that still waters run very deep...and very smart. And though one Sam (Samantha) excels at both chemistry and debate, another Sam - who burnished his individuality through not one but two independent study projects - excels at both gaming and debate, while the third Sam excels at debating any issue even as he shows his willingness to learn from others and to pitch in when something needs doing. We watched another class sibling (though not a twin), Ross, literally grow into a resilient, respectful, young man who perceptively sees and learns from the perspectives of others.

One Emily joined the class as a junior and made her mark with a racquet. The other two have siblings in the class and now leave after eight years, Bergman - a twin - also a ukulele player known for her acting and poetry acumen, Burnaman widely respected for her courage, inclusiveness, and Chinese acumen. Zoe, the other ukulele player, took her musical inspiration from her grandmother and - like ukulele Emily - also wowed us as an actress. And it’s still hard to believe that Gabby - who shined as athlete, artist, and always convivial friend - joined the class only last year

Our two rowers highlight the theme of individuality, with Ellie’s unassuming kindness belying her intense work ethic and prodigious talent, and Collin - our resident Conan O’Brien - awing us with his penetrating insights and piercing humor.

And your class has a musicality about it, expressed instrumentally and vocally to be sure, but also in ways that are less obviously musical. Let’s start with the obvious: Abby, a top scholar who matches her unsurpassed drive to achieve with a beautiful voice in Chorale and Take Note. And Dan, baseball slugger and 6th Man cheerleader who also loves stage managing musicals and will attend the conservatory at Gettysburg. And Christian, whose legacy includes founding the Investment Club but who might be best remembered for his extraordinary - and joyful - singing. Also unforgettable: Charlotte, for many reasons, not least being her performance in Cabaret when she was a sophomore, the sound and soulfulness of her voice still resonating in those who were there.

In fact, along with the aforementioned Charlie, whose percussion wizardry recalls Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and Charlie Watts all rolled into one, 6 of you made either All State or All Western Region as instrumentalists or vocalists, including Spencer who made All Western Region in both categories, a uniquely staggering achievement by the guy who also led you to your class’s great dodgeball victory when you were sophomores. Beyonce had better watch out for Bria, with her meltingly beautiful voice and star-quality stage presence, though she might want to collaborate with Lauren, a “hip hop chemist,” or with Joe whose encyclopedic knowledge of rock n’ roll and Yankee statistics could inspire her next music video, or with Abe, a future electronic music impresario if there ever was one, or with Ben who could teach her a thing or two about music-making if he doesn’t instead become the next Ken Burns or Stanley Kubrick, or with Zach who could accompany her on trumpet and document her in photographs, or with Ernst who could accompany her on saxophone and save her life with his EMT skills, or with Caroline who might well run the music industry one day with her sense of style and ability to make things happen.

I could also recommend Brian to Beyonce, given his hip hop and rap talents, but I won’t because I know Ms. Bell and Mrs. Mitchell want to keep him around as the official “life of the party” in the College Office.

Others of you found your voice in ways only subtlely musical, but equally impressive. Emma took the stage and found her voice with her classmates while Kelly - another member of Emma’s class - not only found hers but also distinguished herself as the School’s toughest fan, taking a batted ball off her wrist and fearlessly re-appearing to support the baseball team at its next game. “Luke and Luke” first found their voice on WSLX, though one became most admired for his cool swag and the other envied as the first “Mr. Luke’s.” Still others expressed their voice in unexpected ways. Blake, well known as a gentleman and athlete, proved a keen artist in his photographs. Sabrina, also a proven athlete but only a first-year runner, dominated in cross country. Annabelle climbed new heights, figuratively in the classroom and literally in the Alps.

Some carried themselves quietly for the most part, but found memorable - even thunderous - ways to express themselves, such as Evan with “the dunk” that brought the house down at the pep rally, Brett with “the slam” that brought South Kent down, Hannah with “the Meditation” that made us all grateful for each day and each moment, and Shannon as the only senior on a softball team that rose like a Phoenix to startling heights (which shows that good things come to those who persist).

Everyone knows and is awed by all that President Kelly has done, including her recent FAA Scholar-Athlete recognition, but how many know of her great passion for dance? (How and when does she fit THAT in?) Similarly, most know Nikita as a scholar and all around good person, but who knew she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and would become a playwright? Speaking of “who knew?,” how many AP Scholars know - and can sing - every Lauren Hill song? Arthur can...and apparently does. And though everyone who knew him had experienced Eli’s deep grace and goodness, who knew he actually was Tevye.

And getting back to subtle, how about Paige who many think backboned the class, seeking credit for little but behind so much? Or unsung hero Lauren who, with Zoe, held the volleyball program together when it was in the wilderness, and toiled without complaint or fanfare - or fans, or a home course - for the ski team, and sang Burt Bacharach like nobody’s business? Or Kyle, who finally received some recognition for his inventiveness and behind-the-scenes leadership though he never sought it? Or Mercedes, fun-loving always but quietly devoted to mentoring younger kids? Or Mackenzie: was it your equestrian’s ability to manage those huge animals that shaped you into the positive, strong and resilient person you are? Or Chris: I first saw something subtlety special in you as your middle school baseball coach - namely an innate capacity to be your own person, whether gracefully chasing down a long fly ball, or quietly doing whatever job asked of you, or - simply - being a good teammate. Or Greta, about whom I could say so many nice things but, truly, what more is there to say about her that the Dartmouth Aires didn’t already say – or sing?

Of course no one worked harder than Nikki to expose us to new ideas, including open our eyes to the principles of Quakerism... And who captained more maturely than Tommy despite a tough season, or read more widely than Cam who loves a good book just as much as he loves a good mountain, or was more known for his hair when he should have been best known for his big heart than Greg? In a class filled with astonishingly nice kids, the atmosphere was always noticeably brighter when either Tyler or Jon was there, as each of them had an extraordinary ability to make anybody’s day better. The same was true of Olivia, as caring and empathic a student as I have known, and Danny, who never took a step in these hallways or on these athletic fields without being the consummate St. Luke’s ambassador, and Anne, whose niceness stared you in the face even as she was acing BC Calculus or delivering her Global Scholars presentation on the impact of China’s currency on global markets, and Andrew and Craig who were just so darned nice you easily forgot how eclectic they were, Andrew the Renaissance Man of the class, as passionate about physics and art as he was about literature and economics, and Craig, equally adept as a fencer as he was as an actor and singer.

Two weeks ago, when I wrote this riff on the individual members of the senior class, I realized I had come nearly to the end with five students left to include. Colin, Adam, Caroline, Charlotte, and Gareth struck me immediately as the perfect quintet with which to finish. Each of you stands out distinctly as an individual, yet collectively you affirm the theme of musicality, scholarship, and impact - both the subtle kind and the thunderous kind - that runs through your class. Colin and Adam - you led musically, as stellar choral and a capella singers, but you led in other ways as well, Colin as a distinguished actor for eight years (not to mention a first-year Rube Goldberg winner) and Adam as a distinguished athlete for eight years (not to mention a student ambassador who embodied the spirit of St. Luke’s). Caroline - your intellectual gifts enriched every classroom, made you a true Classical Scholar, and portend a life of the mind that - should you choose the path of academia - will have colleges and universities competing for your services as a professor. Charlotte, you are a force to be reckoned with, every ounce of you a gifted and spirited leader; as you did here, you will lead and make a difference in the world during your lifetime. And in the most subtle and humble - yet so deep and poignant - way, Gareth you brought both unflappable poise and focused passion to all that you did, from the classroom to the pitcher’s mound, from where, during your college years, you will continue teaching us the value of ambition wrapped in humility.

That you found your voice - individually and collectively - in such remarkable ways makes it appropriate that your class helped launch the Center For Leadership, as you more than lived up to the Center’s motto: “Find your voice. Make a difference.” Your record of service puts an exclamation point on your leadership inclinations and impact. Led by Kyle with 3000 hours, you logged a total of 12,316.5 service hours, more than any previous senior class (which is a compliment that fails to do the accomplishment justice). And though Kyle’s staggering number of service hours might never be equaled, you did not achieve this record simply on his back, as many of you glittered as service superstars. More than half of you earned over 100 hours, and 10 earned over 200, some significantly more - such as Colin at 901. This is what we mean when we say St. Luke’s students learn to go above and beyond.

On top of all the state and regional music recognition, you earned national and state awards in Math, French, Spanish and Latin, 15 of you will earn special diplomas today as STEM, Global or Classical Scholars, you have an All American, 3 All State and 3 All New England athletes (in addition to the aforementioned FAA Scholar-Athlete), and your varsity teams appeared in 5 New England Tournaments (winning one and making it to the finals in another), in addition to winning 2 FAA regular season championships and 2 FAA Tournaments. And, by any measure, you have written a superb record in college admissions. While these individual and team accolades do not tell the full story of the Class of 2012, they underscore the blend of talent, commitment, and great spirit that characterizes your class.

The tiny snapshots I offered of each of you a moment ago also tell only a small fraction of your class’s story. But they remind me of another enduring truth about our school, namely that St. Luke’s is a place where each individual has great value. At St. Luke’s, each student is known, and each student is needed. Each of you has been reminded or prodded to do your best, and ultimately recognized and celebrated for reaching for your personal best. And each of you has been needed for the distinctive personal qualities you have brought to the School. At St. Luke’s, each of you has mattered in ways that will not be duplicated in college, or for that matter in any community that does not value the individual with the passion and understanding that we do. The faculty and I have loved watching you contribute, prosper, and in many cases grow up before our eyes here on the Hilltop. We will also miss you terribly. These Commencement Exercises are a celebration of you.

SALUTATORIAN ADDRESS – Introduction to LAUREN PENDO

Lauren marches--no, dances--to the beat of her own drum. Those who consider her reserved or quiet have not seen her strutting her hip-hop skills on stage, or leading a flash mob during the Homecoming pep rally last year, or as one of three students to dance for the student body at this year’s Homecoming. In fact, Lauren consistently brings a potent mix of dedication, talent, and passion to the stage and the classroom.

Ask Lauren’s peers which subject is “her subject” and most will say chemistry, where she has excelled for three years and will continue in college, but others might say history, while others math, and then of course there’s French.... At last year’s Academic Awards Ceremony Lauren got her exercise climbing the stage stairs multiple times to be recognized for high achievement in three separate academic disciplines.

Though accustomed to achieving the top grades in almost every subject, Lauren eschews academic competition, preferring to help her peers rather than out-do them. But if you look only at her collaborative nature you will miss another important side of Lauren, a powerhouse of intellectual curiosity whose penetrating and agile mind will make her a great scientist - or linguist, or historian, or whatever she puts her mind to if - unexpectedly - chemistry stops feeding her intellect. A role model for her peers and for younger students, Lauren epitomizes the ideal student with a mature balance of intellectual achievement and whimsical fun, qualities that will enrich academics and student life at Davidson College.

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS – Introduce ABIGAIL GOETTLER

I’m told that Abby hates mayonnaise, and also does not care much for fajitas, as she prefers her food to come out less than sizzling hot. Pancakes just do not work for breakfast due to the sticky nature of syrup. Give her a simple bowl of cereal any day and she’s happy. That’s who Abby is: straightforward, reliable with a bit of crunch and a consistently pleasant way to start any day.

Keeping with this class’s musical theme, Abby made Tuesday and Thursday mornings especially pleasant by always arriving at the 7:15am Take Note rehearsals with a smile on her face and her beautiful voice adding richly to the melodious notes floating down the hallway for the pleasure of other early arrivals at school. Like her great friend and Salutatorian Lauren, Abby does not wear her passions on her sleeve or seek the limelight in her activities or her classes. But make no mistake, the fire within burns with creativity, as the school community has seen over and again when she comes alive on stage while singing, and as Mr. Shee has seen in AP French where he made Abby and her one classmate (Lauren) sing in addition to daily grammar and vocabulary quizzes, and as almost no one here - other than her family - has seen in her nature photography, a passion she shares with her father.

Though her sweet and modest disposition might suggest otherwise, Abby holds herself to the highest academic standards. Indeed, only her drive to excel - a drive that comes from deep within her - can equal or exceed the power of her intellect. And that intellect ranges far and wide, from her love of French (which caused her to speak nothing but that language for a month last summer in an intensive college immersion program) to her excellence in English to her leaning toward majoring in mathematics or sciences at Wellesley. Whatever she decides, this liberal arts phenom will delight and impress her college professors, as she has her St. Luke’s teachers these last 8 years.

HEAD OF SCHOOL FAREWELL: MARK DAVIS

Some final thoughts for our graduates.

Mr. Griffa likes to remind his singers that they create unique memories – experiences that they, through the uniqueness and intensity of their shared efforts, will remember and appreciate forever. He’s right, of course, but don’t forget the many other ways in which smaller communities built the memories of your St. Luke’s experience. Too many to list here, but it also happens in Mrs. Doran’s English class, on Mrs. Pokorney’s basketball team, in theater tech with Mr. Anglin, Mr. Shee, Mrs. Parker Burgard, and so many others, in Advisory, in the training room with Miss Anna, in the weight room if you can keep up with Mr. Havens, in the college counseling office with Ms. Bell and Mrs. Mitchell, in that magical community your fifth grade teachers created for you all those years ago, in the Blues Band with Mr. Leinbach and Mr. Shaulinski, and clearly this year in Chemistry with Mr. Lebris, to whom you dedicated your Caduceus. You have found a way to mold these smaller individual and group experiences - and many others – into your shared memories of St. Luke’s. That, for me, has defined your class - and your voice.

Welcome to the experience that your teachers and I have every year. We are used to it, and it’s one of the things we love most about our chosen profession – its rhythms include the joy of investing emotionally in you - our students - as we watch you grow up, only to endure the wrenching sadness of having to say goodbye to you every year. In that sense we resemble parents, but it also calls to mind the movie Groundhog Day, because every year, like clockwork, we feel the “beautiful sorrow” in this Commencement ritual that celebrates your achievement and mourns your departure.

Your teachers feel the loss inherent in your departure even as they celebrate your successful launch. Your parents feel pride in your accomplishment, and pain in knowing their relationship with you now changes permanently. You feel sheer joy in having made it to this point, and sadness – and perhaps a little fear - in knowing you are about to leave. Though you are ready to go, you will miss this place, with its clear mission, with its built-in connections with friends and teachers, with its expectations and familiar rhythms, routines, and activities.

Whether you joined the Class of 2012 eight years ago or two years ago, at new student orientation you heard me encourage my 6 habits for success at St. Luke’s – work hard; act honorably; ask questions; take risks; embrace differences; and do something that shows your concern for others. Each year you have also listened – I hope! – to talks about our motto, about our Honor Code, and about playing the games to win but never – ever – at the expense of our good character. Yes, you go to college with academic skills and habits sharpened by working with great teachers – Mrs. Walsh who made you better mathematicians early in middle school; Mr. Bruner whose passion and high expectations brought Spanish language and culture alive for you; and Mrs. Demarco who loved you even as she pushed you to take better care of yourselves. Because of these teachers and so many others, you are much better prepared for college than most of your first-year classmates will be. But, more important, I hope we have prepared you in some way to be ethical, compassionate adults, for that will determine whether or not your impact on the world is lasting or fleeting, meaningful or superficial, good or perhaps not-so-good.

To make a difference you need not be a CEO, or president of the student body, or captain of the team, or the smartest student in the classroom. You need simply be a good person, doing the things – small or large – that actually make a difference, in your neighborhood or on the world stage.

I hope St. Luke’s has taught you that, by your ethical example, or by giving the gift of time, or simply by a word of encouragement, you can improve the world or enrich someone else’s life. These seemingly small actions might not be measurable. They might not be recorded by historians or get your face carved onto Mt. Rushmore. But they do form the core of great leaders. And they will make a difference.

I hope you leave the Hilltop knowing you can and must make a difference.

As you go forth from St. Luke’s, remember your talents and the blessings of your St. Luke’s education. Remember these, and you will see that your talents and your education confer upon you the opportunity to make a difference by serving. You will discover the wonderful irony that through service to others you will find true personal fulfillment. Rather than reducing your own prosperity, the act of giving actually makes you stronger, happier, and more successful in life. The habits of service are not selfless, because in addition to helping others and your community, in addition to making the world a better place for all of us, they bring to you the greatest personal rewards. Moreover, they honor and give meaning to your school’s motto: “Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.”

Go forth, then, but return often. Congratulations to all of you.