The 13 graduates of the 51st Carlisle School Commencement Exercise on Friday, May 24 were directed to be their authentic selves while embracing “the challenges of life ahead and with courage and determination.”
The words of wisdom were from Interim Head of School Neal Meyer, who added the graduating class can do this knowing they have good character, strong intellect, and the necessary leadership skills.
“Being like others is easy. Walt Disney said, ‘The more you are like yourself, the less likely you are to be anyone else, which makes you unique.’ Go against the norm…don’t follow the crowd… be you, be your authentic self,” she said.
Meyer told the graduating seniors the future is theirs to shape, and it’s crucial to commit to a plan and see it through.
“But remember, it must be your plan. Each one of you has the power to leave a mark so let the world know you, the true you, not some computer created version. Let the world know you, the most authentic you,” she said.
While many people consider the number 13 unlucky, Valedictorian Lorelei Zagol said she believes it’s fortunate in the graduating class’s case.
“Through the random luck of the universe, I and 12 other people were joined to bring this final year” to a close together, “to claim our victory, and our diplomas upon this stage,” she said.
Whether its trends, politics, or technology, Zagol said change is a constant in life.
“Even now on this very stage, we will embark on another monumental change. This change will greatly impact our lives. To many, including myself, the prospect of change can be frightening. Fears of failure and fears of the unknown are common across time and humanity,” she said.
Zagol noted that change inevitably comes with uncertainty and the idea that one may not be prepared to take on the future. However, change can also be a good thing and can lead to growth.
“We are a small class, but that is not something that defines us. To paraphrase a quote I once read, ‘Even the mightiest of redwoods began their lives as mere saplings.’ We are all but saplings. Small trees with the potential to grow,” she said.
Zagol said graduates will grow by learning and gaining knowledge that can help them in the future.
“I heard it said that the most successful people never stop learning, even when they are older. Indeed, Albert Einstein once said, ‘Wisdom is not a product of schooling, but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it,’” Zagol said.
“We might be a small class of 13, but we have limitless potential. In our years of high school, we have gained knowledge and in our years in university we will gain knowledge. We will grow as people obtaining skills and accomplishments, newfound mastery, and intelligence. Armed with these, we can become the change we see all around us, we can truly make all the difference in the world,” she said.
The ceremony’s guest speakers were Carlisle alumni and siblings Kate Gibson and Lydia Gibson, who offered advice to the graduating class.
To prepare to answer the question of what’s next after graduation, Kate Gibson said “First, hold on to the people who are dear to you, whether that’s your classmates, your family, your friends, your friends from a summer camp, or from here.
“The second lesson I would share is to remain open to new friendships as you go along,” she said, adding associations, even if fleeting, can make life enjoyable.
Kate Gibson also advised the class to take the opportunities offered, even if they are not planned, and most of all, relax, calm down, and focus on what matters.
“Getting lost on the way to class or getting to work isn’t a catastrophe that it seems like at the time, nor is missing out on a party, not getting a job that you might have applied for, losing a game. As a beloved former headmaster at Carlisle used to say, ‘not all flowers bloom at the same time, or in the same way and that’s okay,’” she said.
For her advice to the graduating class, Lydia Gibson told seniors to go to their professor’s office in college, and “ask them questions about whatever you’re curious about or don’t understand. I wish I’d done this more often because every time I did, it made classes more fun and more interesting. “Whenever I showed up to my professor’s office hours they were welcoming and helpful, and happy to talk. A couple of them are people I still keep in touch with now,” she said, adding doing this will also help ensure better grades.
She told graduates to talk to strangers, albeit not late at night or in a dark alleyway, because having conversations with people encountered in everyday lives can teach lessons students will not learn in a classroom.
“But also, they’ll tell you what it’s like to grow up in another country or another part of this country. Or how it feels to lose your home or raise a child, face a disaster, fight injustice, or get completely lost in a work of art,” she said. “They’ll tell you how it feels, in other words, to be whoever they are.”
Lydia Gibson said this will often help the graduates define who they are.
“Which is something I think you all are still figuring out, which is good. But it can also help you expand your own edges, and that’s even better,” she said.
Like her sister, Lydia Gibson also encouraged the graduating class to relax and cherish the people in their lives.
Several annual awards were also given. The 2024 Carlisle Alumni Award was given to Christiana Jarrett, the Hooker/Garrett Award was awarded to Laura Walker, and Susan Aaron won the Francis T. West Chair for Teaching Excellence.
