G RA DUATION 2016
surpassed its stereotypes,” she said. “In the first time I realized, I really, really like this class. In the first time I finished a crosscountry race. In the first time I heard ITP perform and realized, holy mother of God, these are some of the most talented humans I have ever seen. In the first time a teacher became a role model, a mentor, a friend. In the first time I realized an English classroom or a history office could feel like home.” Kim said she’s found comfort in the realization that a few thousands miles “are nothing if you care about these people in the way you know you do. “Because if I am certain about anything,” she continued, “it is that even the largest of people must have, at some point, realized that fearing the world is no way to affect it. And I can think of no better time to begin than now.” For Lee Hark, the ceremony served as a farewell to his role as Upper School director. After serving at the helm of the Upper School for eight years, Hark will fully transition to his role as associate head of school over the summer. “I believe in this school with all my heart. This happened quickly, and it came as something of a surprise. I’ve worked at several world-class prep schools, and I’ve never felt that feeling before,” Hark said. That’s partly due to the fact that his three children are “literally growing up before my eyes at DA,” he said, with their lives having been shaped by teachers in the Preschool, Lower School and Middle School — and the promise of the “fantastic Upper School faculty” awaiting them in a few years. But his love for DA stems from much more than his family’s experiences, Hark said. “Our school is also the result of unique blend of variables including the families in this unique school community and the best head of school working in independent schools today, and I think that makes DA very special.”
1
2
At www.da.org/graduation: • Watch graduates’ reflections on their time at DA. • View a video of the commencement exercises. • Learn more about the Class of 2016’s accomplishments. 1. Hannah Lang and Pryce Sinclair cheese for the camera before the big event. 2. Scott Carsanaro accepts his diploma from Head of School Michael Ulku-Steiner. 3. Anna Baker, Arman Aydemir and Allyssa Althaus pause for a photo before the processional. 4. The 100 members of the Class of 2016 will scatter to 50 colleges and universities around the country and overseas in the fall. 5. With her diploma in hand, Liz Roberts exits Memorial Hall as a DA alumna. 6. Matt Sale and Nash Wilhelm-Hilkey pause for a selfie after the ceremony. 7. Lauren Hunt was among several seniors who rose from their seats to perform solos in the senior class’s performance of Sara Bareilles’ Many the Miles. P H OTO S B Y K E N A N D C O L I N H U T H
18
DURHAM ACADEMY
|
S U M M ER 2 0 1 6
|
W W W.DA.ORG
3