Thank you Mr. Wirtz for the kind introduction.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to put it out there that I am really nervous, but I will take Coach Karpinski’s words about nerves, I think they just mean I care. So here it goes.

When our classes ended almost a month ago and we all went on our separate ways to embark on our senior projects, I spent 3 weeks filming an interview with my 97-year-old great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. Sitting at her kitchen table, we spent hours discussing her experience in the war. We held hands, and our eyes welled with tears as she talked about all that she lost as she went from the Lodz Ghetto to various concentration camps. She sat tall as she told her tale of survival, recounting how she literally ran with bullet and shrapnel wounds in her legs as she was liberated. I sat there proud of the strong, brave, and resilient woman in front of me, and I felt connected to her. In telling me her story, she transformed an isolated individual memory into something we now shared. 

While the interview was valuable to me personally, I didn’t know what to do with my footage to make it into a senior project. However, during the course of our conversations, my great-grandmother kept asking me —  what will you do with the interview? Who will see it? How many will watch?, clearly pressing me to share her story. Being a shy and private person, I was a little confused as to why she would want me to share her personal details with so many people. However, as she continued to explain the importance of spreading the lessons from her journey, I thought about how valuable what I learned was. I learned the dangers when a community does not stand up against hate. I learned how to be resilient, brave, and strong when presented with challenges. And I realized by telling her story, much as sharing a bit about her today, I can help us all learn to be courageous, to care, to advocate, and to speak up against hate. 

So, with the help of my great-grandmother, I came away with two takeaways about storytelling: the first: retelling stories is a way to amplify the lessons that can be learned from them. And second: I realized that as a member of a generation that will likely be the last living link to Holocaust survivors, I have an obligation to share her story. More generally, it is important to recognize when we occupy a unique position to tell a certain story.

I began to write this speech around the time I was finishing up my senior project. I struggled a lot. It was really hard for me to think of something to say when I felt that each member of our class had an anecdote or lesson that would offer just as much wisdom. With the insights I learned from my senior project in mind, I began to think about my speech today as a chance to be a storyteller for our grade. We’ve experienced some pretty amazing moments as a senior class, and I think as a speaker today, I have a unique opportunity to amplify the impact these stories had on me by sharing them with all of you.

The first story I want to tell is one that highlights the kindness that lives within the Hackley community. One of our classmate’s dedication and concern has left such an indelible mark on me, and I am sure all of us, and I hope its impact can be amplified by recounting it today. During midterm exams last year, our grade was overwhelmed and stressed. We poured over books, stayed up way too late making study guides, and devoted ourselves to work for two straight weeks. Personally, I found the exam time to be not only exhausting but isolating, a time where I didn’t feel particularly connected to the Hackley community. In the midst of the stress, our class president organized an effort to make goody bags for each junior. Receiving a goody bag personalized with my favorite snacks and a handwritten encouraging note put a smile on my face and pulled me back into the community I’d felt distanced from. This person’s actions reminded me that at Hackley, students care about each other’s well-being. Her selflessness and thoughtfulness made me think a lot about how a small act of kindness can have a tremendous impact, especially in connecting a community when individuals feel isolated. Little did we know how important that connection would become. Since that day, I have tried my best to take a step back during times that are stressful for me and check in on others. While the council’s goody bags may have made 100 of us smile that day, using this platform to tell this story, I hope to amplify its impact and encourage us all to do small acts of kindness.

I also want to tell you all a little bit about another time where we built connections as a grade after much isolation, this year’s Coffeehouse. The warmth, risk-taking, and resilience displayed at our spring coffeehouse this year showed me a lot about dissolving barriers that difficult circumstances may place. For those of you who don’t know, Coffeehouse is one of the most beloved Hackley traditions. In typical years, Upper School students pack together tightly in the PAC to be wowed by the musical talents of our classmates. At the end of last spring, as I watched the first Zoom Coffeehouse, I was surprised at how much I missed the in-person connection this event provided. We were all excited this spring when we were told that the final Coffeehouse of our Hackley years would be in person, albeit outside and modified for Covid safety protocols. To say that it was amazing would be an understatement. Although distanced and masked, the hosts welcomed us with warmth and humor, which made all the seeming walls of anticipation and nerves in the community fall away. Many first-time performers bravely took the stage, including a sibling duo with hidden talents. We even had a member of the senior class serenade us with a modified version of the Hackley alma mater. Performers were not weakened by separation but rather took advantage of what they had now to take risks and put themselves out there, dismantling any barrier of awkwardness that the new type of coffeehouse may have presented. The night ended with all of the seniors singing to old songs, arms around each other, relishing in a moment of connectedness that we had not felt in a long time. As a grade, we joined together as we realized that because of the challenges we experienced being seniors in a global pandemic, we could be closer than any class before and conquer anything as leaders of the school together. We were warm, brave, and resilient that night, overcoming the barrier of time and distance apart to forge a more meaningful grade-wide connection. 

The list goes on because, as I learned from my great-grandmother, stories are just memories that we can share. A friend regularly bakes for me every time I have a bad day. She has taught me the importance of outwardly showing people you care about them. I have two teachers who have spent the year encouraging me to be more confident. They’ve taught how meaningful it is to have people that believe in your abilities. I created a book club with three friends who share a love of reading. The fact that book club meetings are the highlight of my calendar has proved that surrounding myself with people who share interests can be inspiring. Having a teacher who excitedly shares his passion for research sparked my own love of exploration of scientific answers. Being part of a team that supports the middle school students as they develop their skills has highlighted the value of being a mentor. After advocating for me initially, my advisor has taught me how to do so for myself and has shown me why we must always have someone in our corner. And the teacher who has been willing to help with college essays and speech writing after the school day ends has shown me how going an extra mile can make such a big difference to the person on the receiving end. A common thread in these stories is surrounding yourself with people who will lift you up, who share your passions, who care about you – I encourage us all to not only to embody the traits that helped me in the above stories but to surround ourselves with people who will make us feel connected by doing these things.

I know for years to come I will continue to tell my Hackley stories, and hopefully shape others with the valuable lessons I have learned. I know how much my future actions, large and small, will be defined by the experiences these stories encapsulate. And to you my classmates, while we have shared many of these stories together, I encourage you to retell your own. But not only that, I hope you remember the small acts of kindness, the resilience, the support, and the advocacy as you create your own stories worth telling. And lastly, let’s all remember the strength is not only in telling the stories but also in being a good listener. Listen actively and with an open mind as others share their lives with you.

Before I conclude, I just wanted to thank Mr. Wirtz and the administrative team for keeping us safe and happy in school this crazy year. We know we are so fortunate. Thank you to Mr. King for teaching us the importance of gratitude and personally, thank you for your many book recommendations. Ms Crepeau, thank you for being the best dean we could have asked for. We appreciate all you have done for us. Thank you to our teachers. We know you always go above and beyond, but particularly, we know this year could not have been easy. Your smiling eyes and encouraging words got us through a tough time. You have instilled a lifelong love of learning in each one of us that will inspire us to do great things in the world. To B+G, FLIK, advancement, the HPA, board of trustees, and everyone else who makes Hackley run smoothly, thank you. To our families and friends, we recognize the sacrifice, support, and love you show to us each day that has made us who we are. Thank you. And while I have the microphone, Mom, Dad, Mason, and Charlie — thank you for being my best friends, my role models, and the people who I can tell anything to. 

Class of 2021, thank you for being you. We’ve created a story of kindness, support, resilience, and strength. We’ve all persevered through this global pandemic. I know we can do anything. Congratulations.