Commencement Memories 2022

COMMENCEMENT MEMORIES Class of 2022

A Collection of Messages and Remarks from: Pat Gedney Boig, Acting Head of School Robert E. Miller, Board of Trustees Charlie Spitzley ’22, Senior Class Speaker Kim Lalli, Senior Class Dean Alison Mariella Désir ’03, Commencement Address Joe Algrant, Upper School Principal

Commencement Program Call To Order

Aidan Hunter ‘23 Student Government President-Elect

Processional

“Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” by Edward Elgar

Welcome

Patricia Gedney Boig, Acting Head of School

Trustee Address

Robert E. Miller, President, Board of Trustees

Dwight-Englewood Stage Band Boogie Stop Shuffle Charles Mingus arr. Homzy

Senior Class Readers Sunaya Mueller ‘22 Jonathan Toumit ‘22

Presentation of Awards The Bailey Award The Trustees Award

The Senior Citizenship Prize Senior Class Speaker Charles Spitzley ‘22

Message from the Faculty Kim Lalli, Senior Class Dean

Dwight-Englewood Symphony Orchestra Symphony No.4, Opus 98 by Johannes Brahms Allegro Giocoso (3rd Movement) arr. Richard Meyer

Introduction of Commencement Speaker Patricia Gedney Boig

Commencement Address

Alison Mariella Désir ‘03 Founder, Harlem Run and Run 4 All Women; Co-Chair, Running Industry Diversity Coalition; Author, “Running While Black”; Organizer & Creator of “Meaning Through Movement”

Jazz Rock Ensemble

I’ll Be There Gordy, Hutch, Davis, West arr. Emerson

Farewell Remarks

Joseph W. Algrant, Upper School Principal

Presentation of Diplomas Joseph W. Algrant, Robert E. Miller, and Kim Lalli

Recessional

WELCOME FROM PAT GEDNEY BOIG ACTING HEAD OF SCHOOL Pat Gedney Boig

We are so very proud of you: the members of the Class of 2022 and grateful for your families. Yours has not been an easy path, but you have come through unprecedented difficulties with flying colors. Your presence here today confirms that.

I recently received an email from a parent whose child will enter Dwight-Englewood this fall. The parent forwarded to me the words from English poet and 19th-century philosopher, William Johnson Cory. He said it reminded him of Dwight-Englewood and why his family accepted our offer of admission.When I read it, I was amazed by how much it resonated with me.

William Johnson Cory on Education: At school, you are engaged not so much in acquiring knowledge as in making mental efforts under criticism. A certain amount of knowledge you can indeed with average faculties acquire so as to retain; nor need you regret the hours you spent on much that is forgotten, for the shadow of lost knowledge at least protects you from many illusions.

As our Mission states: we strive to foster in each student a passion for lifelong learning. We seek excellence, honor integrity, and embrace diversity in order to develop the skills, values and courage to meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better.

So to the Class of 2022, I hope you will carry these ARTS & HABITS with you today as you continue your journey.

Congratulations and very best wishes to our soon-to-be alumni––the Class of 2022.

Commencement Memories — 2022

Welcome Remarks | 1

​ ood morning. It is my honor and privilege to welcome G you all here: the great Class of 2022 and our faculty, parents, guardians, grandparents and family members, each of whom has played a pivotal role in the lives of our graduates.

But, you go to a great school, not so much for knowledge, as for ART & HABITS: for the habit of attention, for the art of expression, for the art of assuming at a moment’s notice a new intellectual position, for the art of entering quickly into another person’s thoughts, for the habit of submitting to censure and refutation, for the art of indicating assent or dissent in graduated terms, for the habit of regarding minute points of accuracy, for the art of working out what is possible in a given time, for taste, for discriminations, for mental courage, and for mental soberness.

How does this translate 150 years later at Dwight-Englewood School? I’ve said this many times in Admissions interviews: that at Dwight-Englewood, it’s not so much the body of knowledge we want our students to have, but more a passion for the process of learning that will last a lifetime.

TRUSTEE ADDRESS FROM ROBERT E. MILLER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robert E. Miller Thank you all. My name is Rob Miller. For those of you who don’t know me, clearly you’re not reading the New York Post enough. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to extend a warm welcome to parents, families, friends, and of course, the Dwight-Englewood Class of 2022.

I’d also like to welcome, and give a special shout out, to our extremely talented and dedicated faculty and staff.

Dwight-Englewood is a special place because of each and every one of you. You’ve excelled in an environment for the past two years where uncertainty has been the rule rather than the exception. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank you.

Dwight-Englewood School

I’d also like to acknowledge and to thank two members of the administration in particular. Chris Schmid who will be retiring from his role as Athletic Director after serving nearly 40 years in various roles in D-E’s athletic department. Chris, thank you and best of luck in retirement, .and Joe Algrant who will be speaking here in a few minutes for the last time as he is moving on to assume the role of Head of School at Ethical Culture, Fieldston.

Under Joe’s leadership, Dwight-Englewood has become a top independent high school in the tristate area, while also being a leader in embracing the social and emotional well-being of its students. Dwight-Englewood is a better place because of Joe’s leadership, and we are extremely grateful for all he has contributed. Joe, we wish you great success in your next chapter.

Class of 2022, you have also excelled during a time of uncertainty. You lost much of your sophomore and junior

years to the worst pandemic the world has seen in 100 years, but you overcame it. The unusual circumstances of your high school experience do not diminish your accomplishments. They most certainly amplify them. And now you are embarking on your next chapter amid some volatile and unprecedented times. Consider some of these New York Times headlines: “Researchers begin human testing of a new version of a life-saving vaccine.”

“U.S. puts pressure on allies to join in economic sanctions.”

“Deeply Divided Supreme Court Votes on Abortion Rights” “Study voices fear that college debt will burden lives” “National debate developing over how 4 year olds should be taught” “New York Region faces severe teacher shortage and intense competition for qualified applicants”

Class of 2022, as you graduate high school and head off to college or whatever your next chapter may bring, know this: The world needs you. In the words of Apple. CEO, Tim Cook, “There are problems that need to be solved. There are injustices that need to be ended, persecution that needs to be eliminated, diseases that need to be cured.

We need your energy, your passion, your intellect, and your ingenuity.” So, what next? That’s the fun part. The answer will vary for each of you but know this: It won’t be solved by sitting on the sidelines. This is your opportunity to put fear and doubt behind. Dream big. Write a different story for yourself because, as a generation, you have a potential impact that few others have ever had. It’s up to each of you to make that matter. There is a quote that appears in the National Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.:

Thou shalt not be a victim, Thou shalt not be a perpetrator, Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander,

Class of 2022. Cultivate a range of experiences early in life.

College is a prime time to do that. Kevin Love challenged graduates at a recent address to, “take detours on your journey and experiment fearlessly.” I love that concept: take detours on your journey and experiment fearlessly.

You get clarity through experimenting and taking detours.

The process of discovering yourself, of inventing yourself or reinventing yourself, is just beginning. Find your North Star, let it guide you in college and in life.

Graduates, continue to seek out opportunities where success isn’t guaranteed. Some you’ll choose, and some may choose you.

Expect to fail. Expect to rebound with resolve. Continue to hone the skills you’ve so gracefully shown during your high school years that demonstrate your resilience. The cost of failing at something during your next four years in college will never in your life be lower and the reward may never be higher. If you remember nothing else from what I said today, remember that.

This is the end of your schooling at Dwight-Englewood, but it’s just the beginning of your relationship with the school as an alum. Don’t forget about us. We will always welcome you back. This will always be your home.

Class of 2022, my last piece of advice is the easiest one.

Celebrate. You’ve earned it. Your high school experience has been like none other. And don’t forget, your parents have earned it too. Have a great time at your graduation celebrations and smile for that extra picture that you don’t want to take. In years to come, you’ll be glad you did.

Congratulations, Class of 2022. You’ve made us very proud.

Commencement Memories — 2022

Trustee Address | 3

Volatile, yes. Unprecedented, no. These New York Times headlines are all from the front pages of the New York Times in 1986––the year I graduated from high school.

The vaccine was for AIDS, not COVID-19, The economic sanctions were imposed by President Reagan on Libya, not President Biden on Russia. Each generation faces challenges, some new, some that have been around for generations. Many that seem insurmountable.

These words, written by Yehuda Bauer, speak to the fact that it is always necessary to call out evil and to take an absolute stand against it. But the words about never being a bystander are a transcendent lesson. They are a call to action. To engage, to try, to fail, to try again. Bauers words beg you to never sit passively as your life passes, but to storm the field of existence and embrace failure and triumphs, challenges and successes. It’s not enough to be a witness to the majesties of the world; you must be an active contributor. Speak up for what is right and condemn that which is wrong. Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say. But make sure you listen as well. I guarantee you this: a thoughtful debate can’t be argued in 240 characters or less.

SENIOR CLASS SPEAKER Charlie Spitzley ’22 If you told me a year ago that I’d be here, talking to you all with a blue buzzcut and going to college in California, I would’ve thought you were crazier than Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian somehow becoming a couple. I have been at this school for pretty much my entire life, so I have some pull in my opinions about this institution. I’ll try not to be too heavy on the reads nor will I choose to be grandiose about this school’s greatness, for we, like Dwight-Englewood, are constantly evolving.

I remember my first days at this school. Picture Pre-K 4, you arrive in your overly-priced children’s clothing, Dwight-Englewood School

ready to build blocks and fight to be the turkey in the thanksgiving assembly. You are uncertain about a lot of things, but you know that you are in a loving environment with smiling teachers and spoiled milk––I mean, children.

I learned a lot in my time in Lower School, like how to approach word problems, write creatively, and cry when you didn’t get a 100% on a vocabulary quiz that literally didn’t matter at all.

Being a Lifer, I have gotten the unique experience of being able to know around thirty of my fellow graduates for, basically, my entire life, and I would like to thank them all because they made my journey so special. I would like to thank their parents too, for spending a lot of money on an education and then even more on therapy to resolve the newly diagnosed anxiety disorders.

Speaking of therapy and anxiety, let’s talk about the trauma that was Umpleby. Can we take a moment to appreciate how magnificent the new Middle School is, like really. Now that we have appreciated it, can we take a moment to feel bad for all of us who did not get to use this building and instead had to spend three years walking up and down the stairs of a brick box built in 1965? I mean, one of the only good things to come from 1965 was the premier of the hit soap opera, Days of Our Lives.

But, we’re survivors, and this is a theme that I would like to highlight throughout our entire school experience.

I look back on these last few years and am in awe of all of us. I mean, we have gone through COVID, hybrid schooling, in addition to our rigorous course schedule and other extracurricular commitments.

We are surrounded by so many amazing faculty members and teachers. Representing our grade we have our beautiful dean, Ms. Lalli, who embodies Dwight Englewood’s core values of commitment, courage, and threatening the students who didn’t fill out their RUVNA surveys and couldn’t keep their masks on. I’m gay, yes you can clap, and I have gone on the journey of discovering my sexuality throughout my expirence at Dwight-Englewood, aided by the one thing that D-E never runs out of: white gay men. If I had to choose my favorite, it would have to be Dr. Carragher. Dr. C helped me and many others feel safe, accepted, and proved that one can be both a gay male authority figure, and liked by straight teenage boys. I have gotten to know all the gay faculty members, and I can say Dr. C is gayer than a Fire Island production of Angels in America. No but really, all of the amazing LGBTQ+ educators at DE and more have shared their life experiences with us, have demonstrated that you can overcome adversity, and, in so doing, have become role models for me and many others.

Now let me put my jokes aside and get vulnerable for a second, for my ability to do so is something I have gained through hard work, and I hope I can share a message of hope with you all. At the end of my first semester of Junior year, I thought that I wouldn’t make it to graduation. I thought I was alone, that no one understood me, and that

I had taught myself that I must be the greatest person in the room at all times, that for some reason the meaning of life was to fix all your flaws and achieve the best grades, achieve the social accolades of my peers, and that if I didn’t, I was fundamentally flawed. I thought that pain was my enemy, that I had to avoid and suppress every semblance of hurt in order to appear strong. I thought I was nothing if I allowed myself to be weak, to be honest.

I am here today because I realized I was wrong: I am so much more than a grade, than a moment of weakness, than my shame. I don’t have to avoid pain anymore, for I can face it head on, not needing any substance, distraction, or external motivation to get through life’s challenges. I am worth so much more than I know, and no matter what I am doing or what I have done, I deserve to feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Today, I am whole, and I am a fricking warrior.

So let me finish by reminding you that we are not alone, that we must reach out to each other when we need help.

I am not here by my own willpower, I am here by virtue of the support I have received from teachers, caregivers, family and a power greater than myself. All of you, my fellow classmates, have been a part of communities where there have been struggles, and you all have the power to be there for others in the same way these people have been there for me, for this collective care and love has saved my life. I have been sober 478 days, and I have never felt better physically or spiritually in my life––and nutritionally too, for again, we are no longer eating food provided by Flik dining services.

I thank you all for the privilege of getting to speak to you today. Remember to take each day a day at a time, and take the next loving action that will bring you closer to what you value most, even if it simply starts with opening the door, most likely to your super expensive college dorm room.

To quote the great words of legendary Harvard Law graduate Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, “We did it!!”

Commencement Memories — 2022

Trustee Address | 5

While many of us have faced loss, grief, and other hardships throughout the pandemic, I personally have grown immensely in this tumultuous time. I feel it has made all of us here grow stronger, more resilient, and has granted us the opportunity to not have to eat Flik food anymore.

I didn’t deserve to be here. My classmates and teachers know I had to take time off from school to deal with my issues, which included struggles with substance abuse.

I say this proudly, for I have taken the time I needed to understand who my true self is, and where I had lost that person in the past.

or at least give you some of the agency back that these twin pandemics had taken from you.

So, because I couldn’t find the words. I know, shocking. I turned to my kids’ bookshelf. Books written for children are beautiful and poignant because they teach a lesson without all the pomp and circumstance, or bloviating or pontificating of books designed for older folks (see what I did there?). They aren’t trying to impress you with impenetrable metaphors or ten-dollar words; they are simply trying to teach our littlest people right from wrong, persistence, kindness, and occasionally, how to torture their caregivers and siblings. I chose for you a book called, What Do You Do With A Chance by Kobi Yamada.

It’s a story about a child who one day receives a chance; in the book, “chance” is an origami butterfly and it flutters near the child who isn’t quite sure what to do with it but after much thought decides to reach for it. They try, miss and fall and are laughed at, so they decide never to take a chance again. They ignore all of the chances that flutter around them.

Until one day, the child realizes that they still wanted a chance, but weren’t sure if they’d be brave enough to grab the next one to come along. Then the child has a realization that, “maybe I don’t have to be brave all the time. Maybe I just need to be brave for a little while at the right time.” When another chance comes along, the child chases it and captures it, realizing that, “when I hold back. I miss out. And I don’t want to miss out. There’s just so much I want to see and do and discover.” See? Simple.

MESSAGE FROM THE FACULTY Kim Lalli, Senior Class Dean In June of 2020, I sat on the floor of my bedroom on a zoom call, because that’s what all parents living in an apartment with young kids and a full time job did for most of 2020, trying to find the words to send this group into your first pandemic summer with even a shred of hope and a glimmer of joy. There was very little hope or joy to be found that June as we faced a collective unraveling of the world as we knew it. In hospitals, our front line workers battled an insidious and seemingly endless war against an enemy that refused to be caught, figured out, or neutralized. And in towns and cities around the country, Americans of all colors, backgrounds, and religions came together to speak out and against an insidious enemy that refused to be caught, figured out, or neutralized. But, I was your Dean and an educator and so, darn it, I was going to find a way to help you make meaning out of this moment Dwight-Englewood School

My hope was that you would take this message and find a way to do something over the summer that challenged the picture in your head about what the world had to offer and what you had to offer the world. And you did!

In glorious fashion. When we returned in the fall, I asked you all to share with me one thing you did over the summer that made you proud - big, small, or in between.

You all had read hundreds of books, learned new skills like sewing and playing the cello and making sourdough, delivered thousands of masks to your local communities, contributed to political campaigns, raised and donated money to nonprofits, started nonprofits!, reinvested in long held passions like art and writing and cycling, worked as camp counselors, built and rebuilt connections with family and loved ones, and at least one of you built a patio with your dad.

As your stories and pictures poured in that fall, my heart swelled with both pride and a deep relief in the potential of young people to truly change the world. And then junior year happened - it was fun and hard and sometimes

normal, but usually not. We were still battling, but at least, we could largely do it together.

And then, all of the sudden you were seniors. And not “normal seniors’ ‘ either. You were lightyears beyond any class that had come before in terms of maturity and wisdom because the pandemic had forced you to grow up: to reckon with deep uncertainty, to wrestle with disillusionment, and to navigate tremendous loss. Things we don’t typically ask adolescents to do quite so much of or quite so quickly. And yet, you had “lost” 18 months of childhood, 18 months of togetherness, 18 months of the routine of regular life. And this moment came as you peered up the mountain of the college process and into the arena of all the complicated challenges of being a senior in high school.

When Harold draws only one side of a mountain so that he can climb up and get a better view, he falls over the other side into thin air. But, Harold kept his wits and his purple crayon and quickly drew himself a balloon so that he could safely land and continue his journey. As someone who has worked with seniors before, though under very different circumstances, knew that senior year comes with many feelings: of excitement, of exhaustion, of celebration, and often some version of disappointment.

What I wanted you all to know was that even if you fell off of a mountain into thin air, you had the power to remake the world so that you could land safely and continue your journey. Though Harold is alone on this pursuit, his purple crayon and his wits keep him company and he ultimately finds his bedroom window and returns to his bed. The reality is that while we are often amongst surrounded by those who support us and will happily use their own purple crayon to deliver us safely home, there are many moments behind you and in front of you that you’ll have to navigate alone: but if you keep your wits and your purple crayon, you’ll be just fine.

And now all of the sudden, we’re here and you’re graduating. And I have one last story for you. There’s a book called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse

by Charley Mackesy. There’s one for each of you under your chair, actually. There isn’t much of a plot, it’s really just about a boy who first meets a mole, and then they

When the boy first meets the mole, small and easy to ignore or even hurt, the mole asks the boy what he wants to be when he grows up. The boy responds simply with “kind”. He asks the boy what he thinks success is and the boy responds simply with “to love”. As they wander further, the boy looks apprehensively over the valleys and mountains that stretch before him and asks the mole, “what is over there?” and the mole responds simply with, “it’s the wild. Don’t fear it.” And as the group journey deep into this wild, the boy confesses that sometimes he feels lost and the mole, simply and sagely, responds with, “me too, but we love you. And love brings you home.” When they eventually meet the horse, who is large and imposing and ascendent, the boy asks her what’s the bravest thing she’s ever said, and the horse says, simply, “help”. At the end of the story, as the group sits quietly, their adventure complete, the mole asks the boy what his best discovery has been and the boy says simply, “that I am enough as I am”.

The illustrations are sparse and imbued with the idiosyncrasies of life. For instance, there’s a page marred with speckles of paint and smudges and a tiny note about the author’s dog walking over the page as he worked; make of that what you will - but their simplicity and the brief but keen exchanges between the friends makes for a pretty profound little book. I read it to my 5 year old just recently and couldn’t help but be distracted by thoughts of you all and the journeys both behind and ahead of you.

I know that despite the celebratory nature of this day and these moments, there is also somewhere the twinkling of fear and the static of uncertainty.

You are all headed into your own wilds - unleashed from the routines and supervision and daily guidance of the “grown ups” that love and care for you. I want so badly for you to relish in this freedom and strike boldly into that wild. I want you to find your own quirky little team of chances, and harolds, and horses. I want you to be lionhearted in your pursuits but gentle with your own heart. I want you to know that you are enough just as you are and that your purple crayon is always within arms reach. And finally, I want you to know that if you ever feel lost, we love you and love brings you home.

Good luck and good wishes ‘22. I am so proud of you.

Thank you for giving me this final moment as your dean.

I will miss you.

Commencement Memories — 2022

Trustee Address | 7

So, I returned to my kids’ bookshelves and pulled out a classic that many in the audience know and were perhaps read when they were children, Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. This story is about an intrepid little child who goes on a journey at bedtime with a magical purple crayon. What begins as a spirited quest full of high seas adventure, picnics, and apple tree groves quickly becomes a desperate search for a way back home.

meet a fox and are ultimately joined by a horse. Over the course of the story, and as the group grows, they have small adventures and big conversations; they have moments of joy and wonder and others of vulnerability and questioning.

Dwight-Englewood School

Class of 2017 | 9

Commencement Memories — 2022

Dwight-Englewood School

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER REMARKS Alison Mariella Désir ‘03 Thank you, Pat. And thank you to the students, teachers, parents, and staff who made these four years everything that they were for you. I don’t have to tell you that the past two (and more) years have been difficult, you’ve lived it.

The pandemic, the violence against Black people, Asian people, immigrants, trans and non binary people, shootings at an alarming and increasing rates across the country - it has been overwhelming, at best. But standing here in front of all of you - having an opportunity to speak to the future - brings me hope.

It’s my honor today to deliver the commencement address for this incredible student body, 19 years after graduating here myself.

On my graduation day, I spent the entire two hours of the ceremony crying. I even cried when we took the stage with Dwight Mix to sing for the class. I was crying because I would miss my friends but mostly because I was scared.

Scared of what was next. Scared of the so-called “real world,” Scared because I was about to leave everything I knew to head off to Columbia University in New York - aka: the city - and I had no idea what to expect or if I would fit in.

Wanting to belong had been a big struggle of mine up until that point in life. Despite being super high-achieving at Dwight -- varsity sports, Jazz Rock, AP classes, voted “most likely to succeed” and “most likely to become president of the United States” -- I had still very much struggled with feeling like an outsider here. As one of only a handful of Black kids on campus, I often felt alone in my experiences -- othered and unworthy.

When I entered college in the fall of 2003, all of these feelings bubbled up inside of me and I found myself feeling deeply alone, insecure and lost.

I struggled to figure out what “I wanted to be when I grew up” feeling limited by the few career options I knew - lawyer, doctor, engineer, and I spent a lot of my time partying to forget my worries... Did way too much partying.

Still lost, I did what everyone does when they don’t know what to do with their life - I went back to school for my (first) masters.

I went back to Columbia University and got my masters in international affairs, deciding that I would focus my attention on my father’s home country - Haiti - and the issues of immigration and statelessness at the border with the Dominican Republic I advocated for more humane treatment and access to resources and citizenship for Dominicans of Haitian descent. I had found something that I was passionate about and that was connecting me to my father and my roots - but I still felt lost. I became overwhelmed by just how difficult it would be to make the type of change that I was advocating for and pretty quickly became disillusioned after graduating and being unable to find a job.

On top of that, my father had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia several years back and his symptoms were finally to the point that he needed around-the-clock care; care that at the time, fell on the shoulders of my mother and me.

As my father’s condition degenerated, so too did my mental health. In 2011, I hit what I now know was rock bottom, wondering whether I deserved to be on this planet and where the passionate overachiever had gone?

During that period of my life I didn’t do much else beyond scrolling on social media and watching all of my classmates live the dream - investment bankers, lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs. One person’s feed stood out to me: my friend was training for a marathon. But he didn’t look like the typical marathon runner - the one you see on magazines - tall, skinny, white.

He was 5’9, fat, and Black. I was intrigued by his decision to run a marathon and followed his story closely. I reached out and asked him questions like - what happens if you have to poop when you run? Do you eat while you’re running?

When he completed a marathon 16 weeks later, his achievement was proof to me that I too could do

Commencement Memories — 2022

Senior Class Speaker | 11

Back when Umpleby still existed, before the STEM Center, when we couldn’t leave campus during our “frees”...imagine that!

But nonetheless I graduated and got a job as a paralegal at a top 5 law firm in New York City. Becoming a lawyer was not something that I wanted but something that seemed like it would be impressive and fit within the trajectory of overachieving i had been living. But that job came and went as did several others.

something like that. I too could do the impossible. I signed up and began training.

my strength in service of my vision, then it becomes less important if I am afraid.”

Over the course of the 16 week training program, a new Alison, or more like - the old Alison - emerged. I found myself to once again be capable, disciplined, and stronger than I had ever thought possible. Not only that -- training for the marathon connected me with a community of runners and sharing miles together was transformative.

In June of 2012, I completed my first marathon and raised over $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In that moment, I knew in my heart that my life would never be the same; it would be infinitely better.

I’ve dedicated my life to making movement - long distance running, more specifically - accessible to and inclusive of Black and brown communities around the country. I work tirelessly to normalize conversations around mental health. AND I even have a book coming out - Running While Black - that tells my story and hopes for the running industry in great detail. Pre-order it now!

I started a running group in Harlem, named Harlem Run, in November of 2013 with the goal of sharing the transformational power of running with other Black people like me - people who could certainly benefit from long distance running if only they knew it was for them, if only they saw themselves represented.

I showed up for 4 months straight on Monday nights all by myself until eventually, I got my first member. Six months later, we were consistently a group of 150 people running together in the streets and parks of Harlem.

In January of 2017, my running took on even more significance, this time on a national scale. I organized a 250 mile run from Harlem to Washington DC in protest of the incoming administration’s policies and plans to defund Planned Parenthood. Over 1,000 people joined me on the run and I raised almost $200,000 for Planned Parenthood. I was featured on CNN, MSNBC, Time Magazine, ABC - any and everywhere. I also graduated with my second masters from Columbia - in counseling psychology- that year.

The next few years, I continued to harness running for social change, raising over a million dollars for organizations dedicated to voters rights and social justice.

I’ve been recognized by Women’s Running Magazine, Runner’s World, Outside Magazine, The Root 100 and more for my contributions.

But, most importantly, I’ve learned to trust my voice, to be disruptive, and to love and appreciate who I am in spite of what the world may think of me or how it may seek to destroy me.

In the words of one of my heroes - Black feminist and activist Audre Lorde “When I dare to be powerful - to use Dwight-Englewood School

However, most importantly for you all to know - is that I had no idea that this could be my life when I graduated from Dwight. In fact, I had no idea that this could be my life 10 years after I graduated. My passions, my path were revealed to me, over time.

All of the time that I spent feeling lost and disconnected and helpless and depressed - was painful. But, in retrospect, moving through those difficult times armed me with the determination to never go back to that place.

To never doubt that I was worthy. To speak truth to power.

So what’s my message for you?

Some of you may know, or think you know, exactly what you want to be when you grow up; exactly what drives you. You may already be on that path to what you feel is success.

That is a gift. Hold onto it and nurture it.

But others of you, like myself, might spend your lifetime putting together pieces of the puzzle as you figure it out.

There is no correct path, no correct way to do life - no matter what your teachers or your parents tell you or hope for.

You must find and make your own way, and be willing to accept that the pain and difficulties you face will be in service of something greater.

I cannot wait to see what each of you will make of yourselves. In fact, I am counting on you to create the kind of world where my 2-year-old son, Kouri Henri Figueroa, can thrive.

The future is truly resting in your hands, and I can’t imagine a better class to be tasked with the job of saving it.

Congratulation to the Dwight-Englewood School Class of 2022!

Commencement Address | 13

Commencement Memories — 2022

WORDS FROM JOE ALGRANT, UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, COMMENCEMENT 2022 Joseph W. Algrant Thanks to Alison.Thanks for all the music.

In the words of Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir and Jerry Garcia, “Sometimes the lights all shining on me, other times I can barely see, lately it occurs to me, What a long, strange trip it’s been” And it certainly has been that. I can only imagine what you must be thinking about what kind of a journey these last years have been, both at Dwight-Englewood and in the real world.

But I am not here to talk about the past. I am not here to talk about your class in relation to Covid-19 or anything that came along with it. I am kind of tired of that, tired of looking at you through the distorted lens of covid. We have needed to do that for two and a half years, and it was the right and necessary thing to do for all the reasons we have discussed over and over again.

The stresses of uncertainty and inconsistency, of not knowing. The stresses of pandemic, of racial trauma and injustice, of school and shopping center shootings. The feelings of loss and grief and sadness. The mental health consequences of it all: all real, all consuming.

What a long, strange trip it has been.

Here we are today though, stronger for surviving these last three years and at this wonderful inflection point.

In the words of Catalina Mahe, acknowledging Mr. Roth’s math class’ understanding of an inflection point: everything before your graduation will be one thing, and everything after will be another.

This particular inflection point is so confusing, though, that we don’t even know what to call it; Is it graduation or is it a commencement? Is today a beginning or an end? Of course it is both, and as one of you so aptly put it earlier this week, I am ready to “check outta here” but also ready to “check in” to my new life. I would assume that you are all thinking about the journeys that you (we) are about to take..

And while it’s the end of a period of time that has been so fraught, I’d like to hope that it’s the beginning of a period of time that is easier and kinder to you. I’m not sure that will happen, though, because you are walking out into a Dwight-Englewood School

mess of a world, created by the generations before you that have mucked up so many things. But I don’t want to talk about that either. We all know it, and know that as a result you’ll face challenges for which we have tried our best to prepare you. We’ll see how well we’ve done as you go into the world, but as Mr Jewett said to you on Friday, we have great hope that you will solve problems.

As all your advisors said, in fact, as they paid creative tribute to you in all their ways from interpretive dance to video-to-word association to stand-up comedy to real schmaltz. But their messages, aside from the roasting, were all about hope, confidence, and success as they apply to your futures.

In 1971, when I was a high school sophomore, I was sent away to boarding school because my parents were divorcing and it was my best option. We were in the middle of the Vietnam War. Being what I thought was a savvy New York area kid, I wanted to bring protest to school. So I enlisted like minded souls and organized a campus protest. We put a bunch of signs up, advertised on the campus radio station, and brought a couple of speakers. We were all excited, adrenaline pumping for an energetic anti-war rally. Five people showed up. Total, including students, adults, even including the speakers themselves. I was mad, sad, frustrated with my school community: Why didn’t anyone else care about this awful war? What does it take to rile up the public enough to do something?

Fifty years later we can ask the same question…. What will it take to rile folks up enough to make the changes we need? Guns, racism, homophobia, needless wars; you name them, they remain. We can’t be numbed by them, we need to be stirred into action.

But I think that you are in a better place than previous generations to do that. In your way you are better organized, more nimble, more resilient. Maybe even moresmarter. Winnie the Pooh knows that, “you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

Let’s look at a couple of examples #1: Club 22. What was that? Considering that we have not seen a prank for several years, you folks did a great job.

Did I hold my breath for 45 minutes while that party went on in Hajjar, and did I worry that something would break, or someone would complain? Absolutely. And did you manage to do this while your dean was not on campus?

Yes. And did you manage to make it all work? Well you did, and I breathed easy once it was over, and indeed, you stopped on time and cleaned up in the required five minutes so that the seventh grade could come in.

#2: You almost got the senior lounge back (R.I.P.)––not quite, but you tried hard. You did get your off campus lunch privileges a whole lot earlier. #3: You convinced us to let you go have paintball wars in the wilds of western New Jersey. #4: That crazy eliminator game that you convinced us to let you play, first by changing the name from “Assassin” (which I could not allow) and making the rules work so that it could happen in school without causing massive disruption. If you reach under your seat you’ll find a memento from the game - lest you should ever forget chasing each other around, and in case you ever need a real clothes pin to dry some clothes.

Put those items together and what do we see?

They’ve led...mostly. Even when it seemed like they were slacking off, the seniors I have taught and advised were able to pull it together. Having been given class time to share with their junior peers, they frankly shared the mistakes they made in the fall as well as the “pro tips” that got them through the college process. That kind of commitment and care was delightful to witness. – Steve Bailey I’d like to give a tip of the hat to senior government representatives, who most certainly do represent the class directly, as they maintained high levels of energy, positivity, and commitment to school life right up to their last day of service on May 18th. On behalf of Mrs. Christian, Ms. Murphy, and everyone in Student Government, I want to say “thank you, thank, thank you.” – Phil Swirbul “This group showed more dedication than in all my years of experience. Students in AP Statistics this year continued to ask questions about the more advanced topics, exhibit curiosity, and ultimately take pride in their work.” – Mr. Middleton

I see a class that was determined to do your best and show the rest of the upper school what kind of character you had and that you understood the importance of being positive role models for the rest of us.

You understood that the underclassmen needed to see strong leaders who could show them the power of having a good nature while pushing past the myriad of obstacles in your path.

Ethan Sher, you spoke to this directly the other night as a team captain chosen to speak at the spring athletic banquet.

One of the reasons I entered this profession was to create an environment that would promote student activism and a solid foundation for good decision making. Where standing up for what you believe was something that we taught and rewarded. You folks in 2022 have given me that satisfaction––both about the fun stuff but also the real stuff.

Even as you have also struggled with the challenges of being a second semester senior. If you recall, I told you earlier in the term that your legacy as a class would be determined during the last weeks of the year. And that unfair as it might seem, what the faculty will remember

“I found them to be kind, supportive of each other, and genuinely interested in learning.” - Ms Barrett “The students would clap and cheer presentations, root for the classmates to do well on tests, and help each other at every turn. They were supportive and respectful of differing opinions. When individual students demonstrated personal foibles, the other students would laugh good naturedly, and the student themself was able to laugh at themselves.”

So you did it 2022 – you rose above and raised the bar for the classes to follow you. They will struggle to match your record. And truthfully, there is some element of surprise here, because if you had asked us in September would you all get to this wonderful place where you are today, please know that we were asking ourselves this question on a regular basis, I don’t think we could have given you a definitive yes. We worried that you weren’t really ready for senior year, weren’t really ready to apply to college much less go to college, weren’t really ready to embrace the challenging courses that you were about to begin.

Boy, were we wrong! And boy, are you now ready to go.

That’s been most cler these last three weeks. You know that moment when a plane comes to the end of its trajectory on the runway and you start to feel it rising

Commencement Memories — 2022

Commencement Address | 15

I see a class that has been creative, adaptive, clever, adventurous, a little bit villainous. I see a class that, despite the world around you, has stepped up and led with positive force during a time when you could have done the opposite.

about D-E 2022 is how you ended your time here, and that you could blow it all by acting poorly during the spring. So how do you think you did? Well I took a poll, and here’s the feedback:

off the ground. You get that feeling in your stomach that tells you are now airborne and in a different part of the stratosphere. How do I know that?

The publications that we’ve been astounded by. If this were a lecture I’d be showing you the covers of Parnassus and Calliope, and reading you poems and stories, The speeches we’ve heard. Who says things like: “Through the pandemic, we have proven to be resilient and flexible, growing individually while tightening the fabric of our school”? or The conversations that we’ve had. I can only hope that I’ve done half as well as you. Your legacy is cemented in courage, resilience, and success.

Your success, however, while largely due to your dedication, hard work, and energy, has been supported by just a few people who are here today.

It’s the folks in front of you who have created the environment that has inspired you to thrive. They have pushed you out of your comfort zone, which is when you learn best. You didn’t always like it, and it was important and necessary, but especially hard in the pandemic. So let’s take a moment to thank the faculty and particularly your 2022 advisors and your dean, Kim Lalli.

And you need to know that the faculty have also pushed themselves to push you and to help maintain the standards of the diploma you are about to receive.

Sometimes with real sacrifice they kept their eyes on the prize, in order to help you do the same. Together you’ve done that and today the prize is yours. I’m sure they have your thanks. They also have mine, in ways that I probably cannot begin to adequately demonstrate.

Thanks to retiring faculty: Schmid and Heveran. Between them over 85 years of DE experience. That’s a remarkable legacy in two critical pieces of the curriculum, and their contributions have set a course for the School that will endure for generations more, both in spirit and accomplishment. Best to you in your next careers.

Thanks to Pat Boig who has so ably taken on the charge of keeping Dwight-Englewood on track and moving forwards in the way that we need right now.

And of course, 2022, we want to say thanks to your parents and all the adults in and around your family who have supported you. They’ve been by your side for longer than anyone, and will continue to be as you go forwards.

Dwight-Englewood School

And now, as we end, your principal has one last request to make, for the last time, and it’s the same one that I make to each member of each class as they prepare to graduate: Before you leave today, take a last tour of your School.

As you wander the campus, know that the walls and the halls, the labs, the fields, the galleries and the stages, have absorbed your presence and will forever reflect your combined essence.

Much as your names permanently cover the senior rock, you souls have permanently embedded themselves in our culture and history.

Know also that we are changed by you, as much as you are changed by us.

The next time you come to campus the air will feel different so breathe it in now as you spend your last few minutes as Dwight-Englewood students. Please remember to come often to visit. We will always want to know what and how you are doing. This place will always be your home.

And finally, while I told you I wouldn’t give any, I do offer parting words of advice that are simple to say, if not necessarily so simple to follow: Be accomplished at something you love to do.

Be empathetic as you strive for your dreams.

Be sensitive to the needs of those around you.

Be assertive about what you know is right.

Be determined to make the world a better place.

Be sure to love others and allow yourself to be loved in return.

Today we are sad, we are happy and we are perhaps a bit jealous to see you go, but the time has finally and surely arrived, and your diplomas sit behind us, ready to be presented to their rightful owners.

Class of 2022, we love you, we’ll miss you, we bid you farewell.

And now, on behalf of the faculty of the DwightEnglewood School, Dean Lalli and I are pleased to present the Class of 2022 for their diplomas.

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. Nelson Mandela

Class of 2022

Ben N. Aaron

Livia Ilasz

Joseph A. Agresta III

Winston I. Im

Andrew Max Alfano

Ryan Kennedy Jafri

Alexander George Altirs

Annelise Faith James

Pranav Appalaneni

Lucy Kate Jerome

Olivia Nicole Asteris

Rohin Juneja

Jordyn Michelle Auerbach

Logan Scott Kay

Gabrielle Barber

Eleanor Hayoung Kim

Maximiliano Bitar Campos

Tyler Koutros

Anna Yael Braun

Ava Elizabeth Krauss

Owen Davis Brown

Emma Grace Lagana

Natalie Amelia Carnoy

Linsey K. Lam

Amber Sophie Carr

Macri H Leanza

Hyeri Chun

Ryan M. Lee

Ellen Chung

Thomas Martin Eaglefeather Lehrer-Seller

Joseph H. Chung

Josh Lerman

Christopher Civan

Bella Lauren Levin

Griffin James Cooper

Joshua Richman Levin

Isabel Cracchiolo

Chloe Jane Liu

Catalina De Alba MacLean

Reese Isabelle Low

Michael Aidan Derrico

David Charles Mager

Arabella Sorai Ellis

Catalina Mahe

Sergio Estefano

Ava Juliet Maletta

Yuan Feng

Julia Zoe Mascialino

Raissa Jadine Fernandes

Benjamin Matiash

Richard Lawrence Ferrentino

Paige S. McCullough

Tristan Savitt Fisher

Alannah McEvoy-Benisti

Oliver Denna Fontaine

Nava Y. Minsky-Primus

Marcus Elias Gabriel

Ellington Tucker Kai Mitchell

Luc Gagnon

Hannah Model

Dylan M. Gallagher

Sunaya DasGupta Mueller

Francesca Gabriela Gallo

Joseph Alan Murphy

Ariella Gesthalter

Olivia M. Muttart

Mason Bennett Goldstein

Erika Stanleigh Nathanson

Shayne Barrett Goldstein

Benjamin A. Nayman

Brett M. Goodman

Jonathan Ng

Graham Wright Gordon

Sophie On Nguyen Thuc Nghi

Lucy Faith Greene

Naz Melisa Ozden

Krish Gulrajaney

Nehir Lara Ozden

Emma Josephine Hazelton

Armaan Ashok Pamani

Lauryn Natalia Henry

Finnula Jane Papailias

Nicole Hirsch

George Rafael Perez

Jack Pilot Mariana Pimenta Jaimie L. Qu Ajani Isaiah Rasbury William Kramer Rich Cathryn Johng Riedel Jack Raphael Rinaldi HyunWoo Ro Chloe Klein Rubel Daniel Russell Antek Miquelot Sack Malachi Nasser Samedy Angela Ariana Sandev Ethan Marx Scher Ethan Rafael Schwartz Sophia Margaret Seriale Teddy Shapiro Travis Heath Shapiro Andrew Shi Alexander Siegel Giulia Rose Silverstein Rémy C. Simon Joy Simson Gobind Singh Theodore Robert Sloan Brianna Sorkin Charles Henry Spitzley Suchita Sridhara Sloan E Steinlauf Lana Sofia Stenmark Zerlina Abeni Sutton Benjamin Staplin Tausner Samuel Bayard Tausner Jonathan Toumit Angelica Grace Victor Luke Taylor Wiener Alex Hayden Wilf Dominique Dawn Williams Oliver Young Wesley Zhuang

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