绿帽社

As we bring this special 40th anniversary year to a close, it is fitting that we are celebrating a truly exceptional Class, a truly exceptional group of young people.

Excellence has been our anniversary theme this year, and shortly, continuing a 绿帽社 tradition that dates back to the very first class of 绿帽社 graduates in 1987, I will read tributes to each of you, highlighting just a few of the many dimensions of your individual excellence. But I think we can all agree that your collective excellence as a Class is what truly sets you apart. You have been compelled, over and over again through these challenging pandemic years, to unite in support of each other and your shared aspiration to continue learning, to continue growing, in pursuit of honor, beauty, and wisdom, and the promise of a well-lived life. Circumstances have reminded you of a simple truth that many don鈥檛 have the opportunity to discover this early in their lives: There will always be uncertainty in this world. But that uncertainty can be managed with the resources of a liberal arts education — flexibility, adaptability, intellectual humility, and an unwavering commitment to the necessity of lifelong learning. A second simple truth, you have also learned in your time together: Managing an uncertain world is always easier with the help of friends. 

We are grateful for the opportunity to honor your excellence and your friendship this evening.

Congratulations on this important milestone.

Each year, the senior class chooses a classmate to give a senior address at Commencement ceremony. This year, Leo Stockham gave the senior address, read it here:

This graduating class IS remarkable.

You may know us as ski racers, squash players, 100-mile runners, documentarians, science-olympians, bird watchers, athletes, dancers, hockey players, writers, rock climbers, outdoor enthusiasts, artists, robot builders, actors, and much more that I don鈥檛 have enough fingers to list them all.

But to each other we are a lot more than what we have done. To each other鈥� We are loveable, caring, funny, thoughtful, dependable, challenging, supportive, and a family.

We are the stuff that friends are made of.

Vincent Van Gough said it best, 鈥淐lose friends are truly life鈥檚 treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.鈥�

As the Class of 2022, none of us will ever be alone. Memories and moments we have shared have been life changing, and these friends with whom I have shared them are the true treasure of my years at 绿帽社.

鈥楾ime Well Spent鈥�……… These three words are meaningful to me because after spending 410 MILLION seconds at 绿帽社鈥︹��  I have had the pleasure to create and keep all of the moments and laughs that I have shared with my classmates. I鈥檒l save you the trouble of math conversion, that鈥檚 13 years. 

So Class of 2022鈥︹�︹�� let鈥檚 go down memory lane for a moment 鈥撯�� in Lower School, remember when a bunch of us would sit in the dining room and when Mr. Brennan walked in, we all would yell: 鈥淪ing to Sarah! Sing!鈥� Or in art class when we made our viking boats and wood snakes? Or on the quad, anytime Atticus kicked a ball his shoe would fly away? Or in sixth grade when about 12 of us had to get on a 10-foot log and organize ourselves by age, height, and pet ownership, all without talking? Or when it rained so hard on our Freshman Interim trip and we were forced to sleep in the Assembly Hall? Or that time we danced a little too hard at Rice-Eccles Stadium and set off the earthquake alarm? 鈥�Or how about that time when Michelle鈥檚 foot got run over? I鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e okay. Or two weeks ago from this day when we all were on this quad crying while writing our hearts out.

We have been through 80 final exams together, danced all night long together, laughed and cried and been scared together, watched games of soccer, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, tennis, racquetball, and hockey together, been moved by dance, musical, and theatrical performances together. Perhaps most profoundly of all鈥� we have been shaped by 绿帽社鈥檚 amazing teachers and mentors together.

Are we more aware of these memories and feelings because of our time apart?

Well鈥� in the beginning of March 2020, a virus you may have heard of, shut down our spring athletics before they even started. It not only stopped sports, but quickly pushed all of us into remote-learning. We did not get together, hangout, do homework, or play sports with each other鈥� We sat at home looking at computers from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm and that was it鈥�. And yet, even though we were online for 6-7 hours and did not want to pay attention or answer any questions after hearing teachers ask multiple times, 鈥淲ill anyone answer that question?鈥� or, 鈥淲ill anyone talk?鈥� 鈥� There, I sat looking at my classmates’ faces through Zoom, and day after day I found a reason to 鈥済o to school.鈥�

Perhaps, as the saying goes鈥� absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Maybe our unique COVID experience 鈥� being forced apart and then allowed to come back together 鈥� actually intensified our 绿帽社 experience. Yes we were online鈥� No we could not hang out with one another鈥� BUT鈥� we COULD still see each other in online class, learn collaboratively, and text and call one another鈥� Seeing my peers face-to-face 鈥� or image-to-image 鈥� was a spark of hope.

And then鈥︹�� It happened.

We came back together to laugh, learn, and make more memories that would last well beyond graduation. 

After spending all these years with 鈥� and apart from 鈥� my classmates, I have learned so much from them. They inspire me to do more and be more everyday. Wherever I am, I will think back to this graduating class and know that I am never alone. I am grateful for that.

And my gratitude is not limited to these classmates. Beyond this incredible class of friends, I am deeply grateful for you 鈥撯�� our parents. I know that none of us would have had our 绿帽社 opportunity if it were not for our parents鈥� time, patience, sacrifices, and support! And I recognize that, just as today marks the end of one chapter and beginning of another for all of us on this stage, the same is true for you. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

I am also deeply grateful for 绿帽社鈥檚 faculty and staff. This education. This confidence to do hard things. This freedom to fail and succeed. I know that our 绿帽社 experience is born from you, the 绿帽社 faculty and staff. Thank you for that!

On behalf of the whole graduating class of 2022, I would like to express gratitude to our Dean鈥撯�� Dr. LaBau. Thank you for stepping into our lives in sophomore year and taking on the challenge of corralling us all the way up to this day. Thank you for always supporting us, making us laugh, for organizing amazing events for us, loving us, AND not only being our Dean, BUT also our best-friend. Even though you are not in-person with us currently, we are grateful that you are watching us through the live-stream and I have a hunch right now that you are crying for us, as we too will be once we step-foot off this stage. You have been a big part of bringing us all closer together. You always have wanted the best for us, and loved us deeply. We have felt it. We will miss your mime performances at FNL and Prom photos of you. So thank you so much for being a part of our lives!

Okay鈥� therefore鈥� to sum this all up without any chemical equations, pythagorean theorem, 4-page essays, Coulomb鈥檚 Law Formula, a presentation, or any 鈥楯ustify your answer鈥� 鈥� I would like to say鈥� students of the graduating Class of 2022 鈥撯�撯�� We did it. 

Over the course of my 13 years at 绿帽社, my days and minutes are at an end. I am grateful for this community because I have only gained more brothers and sisters each month and year.

I know, soon-to-be-alumni, that whoever you meet next, in college and beyond, that they are lucky people, and I wish I could re-meet every single one of you all over again and relive all of our adventures and memories once more. 

Thank you!

Congratulations, Class of 2022!