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c e re m o ny “I realized that we don’t need to be so concerned about the future because we are prepared, we will figure it out. Not because we learned Shakespeare’s “To Be or Not To Be” speech or its standard analysis by heart, but because the American Section taught us to go out of our comfort zone, to experiment, to be creative, and even, God forbid, to fail! The most valuable lesson I learned here and what makes the Section so different from any other school in France, is that you need to DARE... ...Let’s keep doing it, let’s keep DARING to try new things, to question accepted ideas, to go out of our comfort zone, to succeed: I DARE US, Class of 2011. I DARE us to take this learning and do great things with it. As we move on to our next chapter, we should continue to take the opportunity to challenge ourselves, to learn how to be greater and more useful. I DARE us to formulate beliefs and convictions about what’s right and wrong in this complex world; I DARE us to go out and fight for those beliefs; I DARE us to go out and change the world.” Alexy Abélanet Student Speaker, Class of 2011
“Imagine each of us as a color, all the colors possible. One could call this a mess, a blur, a painting without value because of its uncoordinated colors. Or call this magic, beauty. There is harmony despite the abundance of colors. We form a unique tableau, merged together but somehow still different. This painting has character, strength and passion. It’s just a fantastic mess. Each spray of color is a dream. Every blotch of ink is a will. There’s chaos but our unity, our experience at the Lycée, our pride of being the American Section Class of 2011, makes us the most valuable work of art one could ever want.” Claire Weil Student Speaker, Class of 2011