By Taylor Boyd
A power outage may have darkened the room, but it didn’t stop the 21 graduates of the 53rd Carlisle School Commencement Exercise from receiving their diplomas on Thursday, May 21.
Head of School Neal Meyer said she hopes the graduates’ futures are filled with success, fulfillment, and joy.
“Along the way there will be obstacles and setbacks because that is the nature of life. But you are prepared to face them with determination and resilience that brought you to this moment; they will continue to guide you through the years ahead,” she said.
Meyer said every experience, good and challenging, has something to teach the graduates.
“So today, turn the page on this chapter of your life and step boldly into what comes next,” she said.
The Class of 2026 earned 154 college acceptances to 65 universities and received more than $11.7 million in scholarships.
Meyer thanked the graduating class for the role each of them played in making this year a success, and said they each brought something unique to this community.
Noting the majority of the class had been together and grown up alongside one another since their earliest school days, Meyer said about 10 other students joined them along the way, bringing new energy, perspectives, and friendships that became lasting bonds.
“You became one united class committed in the bonds, not by when you started, but what you built together – a class united, a class committed, a class of achievers. The traditions and spirit of the school have been woven throughout your time here, whether it’s gathering in the student lounge, celebrating at homecoming, watching the sunrise together at the beginning of the year, or the sunset close at the end of the year, these moments signify your experience and connected you to one another, and now your graduation with the lights off connected you even more,” Meyer said.
Valedictorian Dylan Victoria Spencer said as many people know, she’s been counting down the days to graduation essentially since she began high school.
“I’ve been so excited to start a new chapter…that many times I would think to myself, ‘I just have to make it to graduation.’ However, as this year’s coming to a close I found myself going back to all of the happy memories that I’ve had throughout my time here,” she said.
While her high school experience has had its ups and downs, Spencer said she’s grateful for everything that’s happened.
“Because regardless of how it made me feel in the moment, I have learned and grown. This chapter of my story is one that I am very proud of because of it,” she said.
When she started high school, Spencer said she hated public speaking so much that she couldn’t even read a short story aloud in class. While the nerves are still present, Spencer said she now feels confident and comfortable speaking in front of the audience.
“Michael Josephson said it well when he stated: ‘Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.’ All of us are about to close this chapter of our lives and begin a new chapter that will be drastically different from anything that we’ve experienced before. I don’t say this with anxiety or stress, I say it with excitement and anticipation. I’ve learned the importance of living in the moment because you never know what will happen in the future,” she said.
While she often found herself wishing life could hurry up while in high school so she could move on and start something new, Spencer said looking back she now wishes she had a few more minutes to make some memories.
