Graduation 2011
June 14, 2011On June 13th the Robert Louis Stevenson School was pleased to honor the graduating class of 2011. Family members, faculty and staff, and others in the Stevenson community proudly looked on as the nineteen graduating seniors walked down the aisle in their caps and gowns to the melody of “Pomp and Circumstance”. It was an exciting and emotional time for all as the students prepared to receive their diplomas. The day was one of celebration, reflection, and new beginnings for the graduating class.
Head of School, Douglas Herron, opened the ceremony with his uplifting remarks. He then introduced the faculty members, each of whom relayed anecdotes highlighting strengths and achievements of the members of the senior class in addition to their fondest memories of the students during their time at Stevenson.
Attendees were treated to an inside look at school life for the 2011 graduates, courtesy of a slideshow created by Hayley Handler that captured moments of the students’ senior year at Stevenson. The ceremony also featured a musical performance by Jordan Schwartz and Eliza Oler Epstein, whose beautiful voices captivated attendees and provided an example of the talents of the graduating students.
Some of the most touching and illuminating aspects of the ceremony were the thoughtful speeches given by two of the graduates about their time at Stevenson. In his speech, Brian Kelley thanked his teachers, “for instilling a wealth of information in my mind and giving the community at large an invaluable donation of knowledge,” and thanked his classmates, “for their camaraderie and individuality which have each taught me and many others so many things that cannot be learned from a textbook.”
After the ceremony, the entire community gathered for a reception to celebrate the graduates and to bid each other a fond farewell.
Looking forward to challenges to come attendees and graduates alike are likely to keep in mind this observation made by Brian Kelley, “With every new chapter comes a new experience, and what is lasting are the memories that we make in the time that we have, out of the range of possibilities that we are given.”
