Commencement Speech 2021

Before I begin my remarks, I want to acknowledge a very special individual who will be celebrating her last graduation with us.

For 20 years, Betsy McClendon, class of 1965 has served as the chair of the Board of Trustees. Betsy’s service to Walnut Hill is deeply appreciated. She has navigated our school through challenging times, her steadfast leadership and support of our school has been unwavering. As she steps down as board chair, I feel it is fitting that we pause and acknowledge Betsy’s many contributions over the years.

Betsy, under your leadership, you have managed difficult transitions, you exemplified strength and conviction and you have lead with heart and passion. The work of a board chair is in many ways, the most important role one can play in a school like ours.

On a personal note, it has been my distinct pleasure to work with you for over 11 years. Our weekly meetings, your willingness to take phone calls at all hours of the day and night, your support, guidance and wisdom have been an important part of my success as Head of School.

11 years ago, you took a chance on me, I was a young head of school and eager to jump into this role that I have grown to love and for that I am deeply grateful. Together we have managed a variety of challenges, we have accomplished some wonderful things together, such as expanding our campus with the addition of new buildings, creating new programs and partnerships, and we have managed to keep our beloved school moving forward.

I know I speak for everyone at Walnut Hill when I say we are profoundly grateful for all you have done for Walnut Hill. While your time as board chair may be coming to an end, your continued presence in our community is something we all look forward to.

You truly exemplify the motto Not for Ourselves Alone.

I also want to thank the faculty, staff, administration and Board of Trustees for the extraordinary effort you made throughout the year. You went above and beyond the call of duty and stepped into your roles, regardless of what they were with one singular goal in mind, to bring students back to campus and provide them with the best opportunity to learn, grow, create and heal. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Parents, I know first hand what this year felt like for you. Throughout all of this, you stood by your Walnut, you helped them understand how to deal with stress and disappointment, you provided a nurturing and supportive hand and you parented with love and understanding. I want to thank you as well for standing with us, as we experienced this year together, from starting remote, to quarantine protocols and getting your kids back and forth to campus and for some of you, not seeing your kids for extended periods of time. You made it through the college process in one piece and made it to this point. Congratulations to you as well.

As I sat to think about what to say to you class of 2021, this year of all years, I struggled, more than usual. After spending time reflecting and meditating on this question, I came to a few important realizations.

The first was that you are a special class, not only because of this past year, but because my own son is also graduating from high school this year and so I feel a deeply personal connection to you as a Dad. I share in the joy and pride each parent and relative has in seeing all of you reach this important milestone and so this particular graduation has a double meaning for me.

The second realization, was that 30 years ago, on a hot summer June day, I graduated from Linton High School in Schenectady, NY. I remember the feeling of hope and optimism that came with starting a new chapter in my life. It is hard to believe that 30 years have gone by so quickly, but it has. And with that passing of time, I’ve grown wiser than I was back in June of 1991 and I encourage all of you to embrace this moment fully.

It would be an understatement to say that this year was one for the history books. We have lived (and are living) through history as it is being made. Something I know we will never forget. Regardless of your age this year, every human being on earth was affected and transformed.

Many pundits, scholars and thinkers have contemplated what kind of world emerges from this moment in time. I too have contemplated that question, so this morning I want to go back in history a bit to provide some context to what we might anticipate comes next.

All of you were born in the years immediately after 9/11. Those of us who lived during that moment in US history remember the immediate shock of the devastating attacks on the United states. Many of your parents, like myself, found ourselves trying to understand how we would navigate this post 9/11 world.

The world did change, in some big and significant ways. As a country the war on terror began, and it would ultimately shape our lives for many years to come and our presence in Afghanistan would make it the longest war in American history.

Air travel was changed forever, gone were the days when we could walk to the gate with our families and say goodbye to them from the window and look to see if we could see them on the plane as it pulled out of the gate. We got accustomed to taking off our shoes and taking out our laptops and devices as we went through security.

Anti-Muslim violence grew across the country and world. And widespread surveillance of citizens increased through the passing of the Patriot Act.

During the first few years after that historic event, many of you were born. As parents, we found ourselves welcoming you into a world that felt unsure and uneasy. And yet, with each passing day and with each year, we watched you grow, you filled our days with joy and excitement. You challenged us as new parents and with each important milestone, you reminded us of what was really important in our lives. Family, connection and community.

We could not have imagined that these changes would shape the course of the next two decades and all the while, we watched you grow. Ultimately, the world adapted and grew accustomed to the way our lives had become different. The world entered into a new normal.

Many of us couldn’t appreciate at the time how quickly the years would go by. With each new chapter, from elementary school to middle school and eventually to high school, it became clearer to us that those years were going quickly and that like everything else in life, this day, your graduation day would arrive.

So today, as we celebrate this extraordinary accomplishment, I would like to charge you, the graduating class of 2021, to think about what comes next, what happens after COVID and the racial reckoning in our country, and how you might plan to start again. Armed with the gifts you have and everything you have learned here at Walnut Hill. Like 9/11 we can all agree that the world has changed, forever. The past 15 months from March of 2020 to today has once again marked an important shift in the collective human experience. All of us have yet to fully understand how we will emerge from this historical time. But make no mistake, class of 2021, this is what it means to live through history.

When we look back at the world before, can we identify those things that we are comfortable with leaving in the past?

What will the world look like over the next few weeks, months and years? I believe that this is a pivotal moment for humanity.

For the first time in 100 years the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre was recognized nationally, and finally Harvard Business School has included it as a case study in their MBA program. Just last week President Biden announced that the United States would lead the effort to assist in an effort to share millions of COVID vaccines around the world. In places like India, Vietnam, Peru, Nepal and throughout the continent of Africa, the pandemic continues. It is easy for us coming from a place of privilege to think that the hard part is almost over. That things are going back to normal. But in reality, it is not.

The digital economy will continue to alter the way we work and the way the world learns. Telemedicine and delivery services will continue to be the norm. Blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency are reshaping the landscape of the internet, this evolutionary step is poised to redefine the way artists work, curate and retain rights to their creative work.

Many believe, as do I, that we have the potential to be headed towards the realization of human ideals, and stand to bring radical structural change to the world, beginning with the financial system, modern creative industries, and hopefully and most importantly human rights

These are just a few of the possible ways that things will never go back to the way they were. It is the proverbial tip of the iceberg that we are only beginning to realize as we emerge from the past year and half.

But let us not forget that we are a community of privilege. Your education from Walnut Hill, the diploma you hold in your hands is available to fewer than 1% of the world's population and while we may be celebrating the reopening of schools and colleges across the United States in the fall, this global health crisis is far from over. Social justice, systemic racism and human rights remain the most important work of our time. Will humanity navigate this period by maintaining the ideals of a free democracy?

Class of 2021, you embark on the next step in your journey by entering into organizations and institutions that will also be adapting and evolving. This is an incredible opportunity for you to become important instruments and catalysts of change. I believe that requires all of you to understand the times you are living in. How do you integrate these historic moments into your daily lives and emerge as global citizens prepared to be part of a global community.

Your education, training, and preparation at Walnut Hill equips you with the skills, knowledge, and experience that can help to inform you of what comes next and the critical role you can play in making those important changes happen. Your experience here, as part of this global and diverse community, has provided a deep understanding of the values we hold, excellence, creativity, growth, community and respect.

All of you will continue to experience this rapid pace of transformation and part of what comes next will mean taking time this summer to renew and recharge yourselves. Never forget what has happened, but lean into what comes next. As you start again, you should be intentional about leaving behind those things that no longer serve you. I charge you to make room for those things that allow you to live your lives with intention and purpose.

Embrace this moment and reframe your thinking. Instead of saying things like “I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.” I charge you to say, “I am starting again. From here. From this place and this moment.”

Starting again means we understand that the first and next step comes from a place that is different from where we were before. Starting again, implies an openness to continue personal and collective growth. Starting again is an opportunity to correct those things that were wrong before and making the collective promise to not repeat those mistakes. Starting again, includes forward movement, not backwards.

The next few weeks, months and even years will usher in a collective restart, one that the entire world will experience, together. Your generation is so uniquely positioned to play a major role in defining the future, and this, class of 2021, is your time. As parents, we are ready for you to continue to make history. So seize this moment.

Congratulations class of 2021! All of us are deeply proud of what you have accomplished so far! We can’t wait to see what the universe has in store for each and every one of you!