Dr. Ami Vaidya ’91
CHAIR/PRESIDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to extend a warm welcome to parents, family, friends, faculty, and staff. Most importantly, I want to congratulate the Dwight-Englewood Class of 2024. This is a resilient group of students who persevered after starting high school off with hybrid classes, nasal swabs and social distancing. I am speaking to you today as President of the Board of Trustees but also as an alum and mother to graduating senior, Uma Rajan. As a fellow parent, I have had the privilege of getting to know many of you and watching our children grow into these fine young men and women before you under the love and care afforded them by Dwight’s faculty and staff. I have much gratitude for these amazing mentors. In fact, can I ask our faculty, coaches, directors, and staff to please stand so that we can properly acknowledge your services.
Uma asked me not to embarrass her, but since I only fear the wrath of her sister, I made no promises. Sorry honey. I don’t know about you all, but as senior year has progressed, I have spent more and more time remembering moments of my daughter’s childhood: her first smile, a first word, first steps, first day of preschool, first finger painting, the first book that she read. As I think deeply about these memories, I am amazed by the tension between belief/ faith and uncertainty. In its simplest, when she picked up her first book at 4 years of age, we believed she would be able to read. Now when she read the same book again and again and again, aloud, at nauseum, we grew concerned about our precocious reader and as first-time parents researched every condition manifesting itself with repetitive actions as we were uncertain about what the behavior could actually signify.
We are all constantly balancing the push and pull between belief and uncertainty. Too much of the former may result in an arrogance of sorts, a cockiness that could prevent us from preparing for obstacles and challenges. Too much of the latter and we could be paralyzed as fear and doubt might prevent us from taking chances. I would argue to really be able to unleash the human potential there needs to be an equilibrium between these two states.
For the past four years as you have grown from adolescents to young adults in part due to the love and care of the people under this tent, especially your families, teachers and mentors who have believed in you and with openness, patience and understanding. But during these four years, there has been much uncertainty. COVID ravaged the world leaving us uncertain about how we would regain normalcy let alone toilet
the warmest year since global records began, much uncertainty exists about the future of various species and the global food supplies.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has left many women uncertain about their reproductive health. Political unrest has left many uncertain about national rights, safety, and humanity.
With so much uncertainty tipping the scale, how can we have hope? In what can we believe to bring us back to equilibrium? Well, I don’t think we have to look far. As sure as I was about Uma reading, I have a conviction in all of you. It may be an inappropriate level of optimism, but that is genuinely how I feel. On this stage are future authors, artists, innovators, healers, teachers, and entrepreneurs. I am filled with hope that you will take on the challenges to make our world better because of how you have been prepared at this school. Over these past four years someone under this tent has pushed you out of your comfort zone, challenged you whether in a class, on the stage, on the field/ track or even on a canvas. They told you it was ok not to know, but to try. It is your willingness to take a chance, to risk failure, to actually do, that allows us to believe. The critical ingredient of optimism is taking action. It is your work that will make your world.
You will be faced with challenges in the years to come. There may be limits before you. You will have to persevere, but know that anything is possible, even in the face of uncertainty if you lean in and do well. Embrace some of the discomfort that inevitably arises from not knowing all the answers. Realize it is a chance for you to be humble and learn. Dwight Englewood and the relationships that you have made here have empowered you to be “lifelong learners”.
Commencement Memories — 2024 Welcome Remarks | 1
I too sat on this stage years ago. I believed I could do anything I set my mind to. My parents and the community of teachers and mentors I had at Dwight gave me the confidence to know that I could.
As you cross the stage today graduates of D-E and enter the ranks of alumna, enjoy this beautiful day filled with belief and hope and just a tug of uncertainty.
Congratulations Class of 2024!
Good morning to the graduating Class of 2024 and company.
My name is Mia Soler and I have the honor of being a part of this incredible congregation and sharing these final moments of high school with the very people who made the experience so special.
It may come as a surprise to many, but I have a fear of public speaking. I get so nervous. I start sweating and shaking, all while I try to emit confidence. I’ve tried to heed common bits of advice, like mindful breathing or picturing everyone in their underwear, but nothing has worked for me. Until now; looking around me and seeing my classmates who have been supporting me even when the lower half of my face was a mystery hidden by a blue N95 mask dispels some of my profuse sweating.
I’m not only a part of the Class of 2024, but I’m a member of a family whose bonds transcend the four years we spent
a lifelong family when we, the great Class of 2024, banded together to win Spirit Week for our dean, Jeremy Meserole. This was his first time winning Spirit Week after a seven-year dry spell, and the class of 2024 came just in time to soak it up. Anyway, I’d like to share some quotes from over the years that have resonated with me.
Underground, niche indie film protagonist Rocky Balboa said, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” The soon-to-be graduates you see on stage have all lived their own Rocky narratives throughout high school. We each threw punches at a global pandemic, round-housed the college application process, landed uppercuts against the comeback of detention, and right-crossed every other obstacle thrown our way. We’ve been tested and we’ve been knocked down, but each time, with the support of our peers, we’ve bounced back into the boxing ring that is high school. Our capped and gowned presence on this stage is a testament to our resilience and excellence. We’re all former contenders, current champions, moving our talents to a new ring called
Dwight-Englewood School Senior Class Speaker | 2
college. Let’s not forget all the moves we’ve learned and continue to persevere well beyond our academic careers.
The late and widely celebrated poet Tupac Shakur wrote the following lyrics about his mom: “And there’s no way I could pay you back, but my plan is to show you that I understand, you are appreciated.” On behalf of the class, I’d like to thank the people who have pushed us to the finish line. I thank our teachers, who have equipped us with the critical thinking skills necessary to tackle the challenges of a changing world. To our dean, who had to deal with us from when we were moody fourteen years olds to now as we become bona fide voters: thank you for sticking with us not only as a dean but as a coach and a teacher. Thank you to the college counseling office for being there while we battled with an onslaught of happy and tragic emotions during college application season. Thank you to the staff who protect us when we’re crossing the road, maintain our beautiful campus, and cook delicious meals for us. The staff’s dedication to this school is unparalleled. I know I’ll miss skipping class to chat with the dining staff, and I don’t know what I’ll do in college without their famous chicken sandwiches accompanied by a generous helping of Fernando’s Special Sauce.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank all the parents in the crowd. Thank you for the gift of education, love, and guidance. Without the support of our parents, we wouldn’t be the successful intelligent young adults graduating today. I’d like to holler at my mom; thank you for agreeing to pay my college tuition after six years of D-E tuition. And let’s not forget about how much money I spent on boxed water and gourmet chips at the Coop. Seriously, your wallet has got to be hurting. I imagine all the parents right now feel as blue as they feel merry, knowing that we are one step closer to leaving their arms and commencing an odyssey of independence.
Speaking of family, my parents, brother, cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all have a certain poem memorized from their schooling in Cuba. This poem, called “Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca,” by José Martí, tells the story of a white rose that blossoms regardless of the weather. Its deeper meaning is about showing love and kindness to your fellow person, no matter how they may feel about you. Martí wrote this poem to describe his societal hopes for Cuba during the SpanishAmerican War. This poem resonated with my grandparents, who grew up with the Cuban Revolution as a backdrop to their childhoods. It resonated with my parents and their siblings, who fled to the United States after suffering under the Castro Regime. By virtue of not wanting to feel left out, I also have this poem memorized, and lately, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Amidst a school year that has tested our community through acts of hate and intolerance not just globally, but
on our campus, it’s been so tempting to give up on making change and to give up on each other. For the first time ever, I wondered if there was a place for me at this school, but then I remembered what Martí wrote:
“Cultivo una rosa blanca en junio como en enero, para el amigo sincero, que me da su mano franca.”
Basically, what it means is that regardless of the circumstances, cruel or forgiving, it is through showing kindness to all we will progress as a community. Though I’m commencing from Dwight-Englewood today, I’ll always care about this school and its people deeply. For that reason, I say, don’t give up on making this institution, and the world, a place where hate never prevails. Don’t give up on kindness.
Four score and seven years ago, John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” At first, I didn’t get it. I go to school every day and sit through seven hours of classes. What more can I do for my community? But then I saw, through clubs and classes, that D-E is a place where students, no matter what division, are empowered to aid their community, whether that be just on campus, Englewood, the nation, or the world at large. D-E has given us the best schooling anybody could ask for, and now it’s time for us to pay it forward. The Class of 2024 is full of future doctors, lawyers, artists, engineers, mathematicians, and a plethora of other occupations, all of which will make for a better world. I encourage, not just my classmates, but every D-E student to use their education to contribute to the public good.
As Sonny Corleone said in The Godfather, let’s go to the mattresses… against the conflicts and issues that plague our world. This is the end of a four-year-long journey, but our lessons of civic action and being lifelong learners, as well as our bonds with one another, don’t end today.
I’ll forever have this moment frozen in my mind, even as our graduates go on to change the future, and grow full beards or get tattoos. I look around one last time and see my classmates. I no longer feel fearful of making this public address. Instead, I feel triumphant. I’ve nearly forgotten about my fear of public speaking. But I also feel like crying, sobbing even, thinking about how the next time I peruse the Leggett hallways, it won’t be as a high school student but as an alumna. We will never get these years back, so let’s savor our last few moments together before we get our diplomas and commence our new voyages.
Now, let me share one last quote: once upon a time, the Terminator said, “Hasta la vista, baby.”
Thank you all.
Commencement Memories — 2024 Senior Class Speaker | 3
Jeremy Meserole
DEAN, CLASS OF 2024
Dr. Vaidya, Members of the Board of Trustees, Principal Lalli, Faculty and Staff, Friends and Family, and of course the Dwight-Englewood School Class of 2024:
Good morning. It’s an honor to have this opportunity to speak to everyone gathered here today. I’m so happy to congratulate you, the graduating seniors, as well as your family and friends, on getting to this point, where, in a little while, you’ll receive your diplomas and enter the ranks of D-E alumni. It’s a significant achievement, something you should be incredibly proud of. You’ve journeyed through a lot to get to this moment. And in watching you on this journey, I’ve seen how difficult it has been, how inspiring, how challenging, how joyful, and sometimes, all of these things at once. But you’ve managed, and succeeded, and here you are. Well done.
In preparing these remarks, many thoughts, emotions, and feelings came up - in particular, wanting to get the words, the remarks, the message “right” for you all. What eventually settled was sending you off with some words of encouragement and hopefully some guidance, too. Commencement itself, by definition, is a beginning - to commence, to start. While your journey here at D-E as students is at an end, your beginning
During your time in the Upper School at D-E, there have been seasons of uncertainty and transition, and, as you leave, the School is in the midst of further uncertainty. When faced with periods of time such as this, it is helpful to return to one’s roots, so that we can reexamine what sustains us and what gives us life, and what offers us the possibility of sustaining ourselves through challenge and difficulty. Our school’s roots lie in its mission statement which begins so wonderfully with the phrase, “As a community of learners…” and ends with the imperative to “…make it [the world] better.”
We also have our values: Respect, Honesty, Judgment, Community, Courage, Commitment. Our mission and our values ground us, and in them, can be found much wisdom. We are a community that exists, most essentially, most beautifully, to make the world better. Our values guide our attitudes and behaviors, providing a compass as we move forward, as well as when we find ourselves off course. We can simultaneously return to them when needed and set off with them as a guide into the future. And we can choose, each day, each moment, to embody them. I’ve seen you do it over the course of the last four years. Not perfectly, not without missing the mark at times, but you’ve tried. And that is all one can ask for in life - to try, and when succeeding, to do so with grace, and when failing, to find the willingness to persevere and try again. Collectively, I’ve seen you respect one another and treat one another with dignity; you’ve been honest; you’ve
Dwight-Englewood School Dean Class of 2024
acted with sound judgment; you’ve built up community, both with each other and with all of us; you’ve found the courage to keep going and to do the right thing even when it was the harder thing to do; and you’ve consistently demonstrated commitment - to excellence, to the development of yourselves, and, equally importantly, to each other.
Today is our chance to celebrate you, and for you to celebrate yourselves and the accomplishment of graduating from Dwight-Englewood. As you do so, one thing I will ask you to do is this: that you remember, whenever possible, to be kind. There is so much goodness in this world, but there is also so much pain and hurt. We are in need of those who can mend things - those who can love the world, offer it kindness. I’ve spent time recently listening to talks given by Thich Nhat Hanh, a great teacher and wise soul in whose words I’ve found great comfort and solace. In one talk, he said, quite simply, to remember to smile. He said that in doing so, we smile for ourselves, we smile for our community, we smile for our ancestors, we smile for our family. This can be a great act of kindness which can radically transform a moment. It offers a cosmic perspective on what matters most - joy, hope, and love.
I asked seniors for advice in writing this speech - I have shared with them lines of poetry over the years, as well as metaphors that I hoped were inspiring, and maybe were somewhat, but may have been a bit sentimental. However, the feedback I was given was to try something new other than poetry and figurative language, which is tough for an English teacher. So, I found a loophole - while I am not quoting a poem, I am going to quote a poet, Rita Dove. Speaking of poetry, she wrote the following:
If we’re going to solve the problems of the world, we have to learn how to talk to one another. Poetry is the language at its essence. It’s the bones and the skeleton of the language. It teaches you, if nothing else, how to choose your words.
Choosing your words, understanding the power of language, learning how to listen to others and how they use language - these are essential skills hopefully we’ve taught you while here at D-E, and hopefully you will take them with you into the future. Language shapes our experiences, gives voice to our dreams and desires, and, ultimately, allows us to understand who we are, who we aspire to be, and what we can be. You are at an inflection point in your lives - you’re about to pivot, change directions, and head off in a new direction, moving forward with confidence. The confidence you take with you I hope is a quiet confidence, one that is humble, still, reflective - not boastful or arrogant. Remember who you are and where you come from, and surround yourself with people with whom you can be vulnerable and honest. We all
are where we are, and we all are who we are, because of the people around us - how they helped us, how they nurtured us - we do not live in isolation apart from one another. We are linked and connected.
I’d like to add one last thing that my father-in-law shared with me a few years ago. He and I went out to lunch, and in the course of our conversation, we started discussing the nature of leadership. My father-in-law was a pilot and retired as a Brigadier-General in the United States Air Force, he was a vice-wing commander in the Air National Guard and served this country in Operation Desert Shield during the Gulf War. Leadership is something my father-in-law has studied and considered a great deal. In our conversation, my father-in-law said quite simply, that when leading, be yourself. That’s it. Because when a crisis strikes, you will fall back into yourself and who you are anyway. And your training takes over, too, so that in those moments, who you are most truly merges with what you’ve been trained and taught to do. So, when leading, do so with authenticity. And when following, do so with authenticity, too. Offer feedback, provide advice, work in collaboration and support the efforts of others - all with humility, a listening ear, and courage. Say what needs to be said, recognizing your own limitations, and do so with the collective good in mind.
In the years ahead, there will be days that challenge you and stretch you, and days where laughter and joy abound - so ground yourself by falling back into yourself, knowing you have the courage and resolve and strength to do what needs to be done, even if you feel overwhelmed. Take a pause when needed, breathe deeply, and keep going. Observe what’s going on around you, what’s literally happening in the moment. Pay attention to what you see, attend to it as you can, and remember that you are a gift. Each of you is a gift - to yourself, to your family and friends, to all of us.
We are a community. You are an essential part of this community, and always will be. Communities are built by people, they are made for people, and they ultimately are comprised of people. You have gifted us with your presence here in this community, and we will miss you. I will miss you. Thank you for being you, for sharing yourselves with us. We wish you all the best and every good thing as you leave this place and head out into the world which awaits you - and which needs you. You have what you need for now, and when you find that you do not, remember you are not alone - you have each other, you have us, and you have yourself. So, congratulations again - enjoy this moment, this day - you deserve it; well done.
Commencement Memories — 2024 Dean Class of 2024 | 5
Kim Lalli
UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
There is an ancient greek myth about a god named Prometheus who angered Zeus when he stole fire from heaven and gifted it to the humans on earth. In retaliation, Zeus did two things. One of which was condemn Prometheus himself to be tied to a rock so that he could be attacked daily by a large and angry bird. The other is that Zeus had the first human woman created. She was endowed with various gifts from a variety of gods and named Pandora - which translates, in Greek, to “all-gifted” or “all-giving”. Now, the punishment was not the creation of the woman but the presentation of that woman to Prometheus’s twin brother, Epimetheus. And, lest anyone under the tent think that I’m about to suggest that the creation of women or the institution of marriage are, in and of themselves, a punishment - that is certainly not where this speech is going.
What Pandora brought with her from the heavens was a jar. In common parlance, it’s often referred to as a “box” but to be clear, it was a jar. And in the jar, the gods had trapped all the evils of the world - sorrow, disease, vice, violence, greed, scorn, envy, and ignorance. And when they gave Pandora this jar, they told her not to open it. Which, of course, she did. And when she opened it, all the evils of the world escaped. In a panic, Pandora slammed the jar closed - never to open it again. But alas, one final curse was left within the jar. Hope.
Now, you may be wondering why the gods considered “hope” among the evils that they did - why hope was included with things like violence and ignorance. Well, the Greek Gods were not known for their love, respect or appreciation of humans - hence the rage over them being gifted fire in the first place. They thought humans to be foolish, demanding, arrogant and weak. And what could be more evil than plaguing a foolish person with vice or envy? Well, plaguing the fools with hope - pointless, mocking, ridiculous hope. In a world controlled by capricious and often angry gods, hope was a joke to be played on humans - not a gift to be seized by them.
The story I just shared with you was the one told by Hesiod in his poem Work and Days, written around 700 BCE. Like all good stories, poets and artists reinterpreted this tale. Sometimes, the person responsible for opening the jar was no longer an impulsive woman but instead a generic and “foolish man”.
A Renaissance poet, Andrea Alciato, depicts the Goddess of Hope as sitting atop the jar and saying, “I alone stayed at home while evils fluttered all around”. And an engraving completed by Giulio Bonasone depicts Epimetheus - the brother - holding the lid of the jar aloft while blessings like
security, harmony, fairness, freedom, mercy, happiness, peace, worth, and joy fly into the air. One powerful reinterpretation is by Theognis of Megara, another Greek poet, who wrote the following around 600 BCE:
Hope is the only good god remaining among mankind; the others have left and gone to Olympus.
Trust, a mighty god has gone, Restraint has gone from men, and the Graces, my friend have abandoned the earth.
In other words - trust, restraint, and grace have fled the earth but hope remains. And in this case hope is not a curse but perhaps the only thing left on earth that is good.
Whether Hesiod started the conversation about hope or not, it’s often been considered by artists and writers alike. Aristotle said that “Hope is a waking dream” and Pablo Neruda wrote “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” In the classic children’s book Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein encouraged his readers to “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” Emily Dickenson penned the following:
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.” .
And just three years ago, at a presidential inauguration, Amanda Gorman shared with the nation a poem dedicated to hope that concluded with the words:
When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
What I want to say to you all today, on this day of celebration and new beginnings, is that hope - like the interpretation of an ancient story - is a choice that we get to make. And the world will, daily, force us to make a choice. We can choose to see the jar as full of evils or full of blessings. We can choose to see what was left inside when the lid was slammed shut as a curse or a gift. And can choose what role we play in the shaping of the future. Will you do the hard work of building
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trust where none remains? Will you muster up the courage to show restraint? Will you fight the urges of ego and extend grace to those around you? Will you build your own jar of blessings? Will you look for the thing with feathers and allow it to perch in your soul? Will you be brave enough to see and become a new dawn? Will you “meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better”?
disease, vice, violence, greed, scorn, envy, and ignorance you have met those challenges with harmony, fairness, freedom, mercy, happiness, peace, worth, and joy. So, go forth with your jar of blessings, open the lid, and change the world.
I can’t begin to express how proud we already are of all of you - and all that you’ll do.
Congratulations Class of 2024!
Class of 2024
Sophia Feldberg Adelman
Daniel Alec Aliko
Amanda Lucy Backal
Percy Elizabeth Bedell
Luna Jean Berger
Eli Jonathan Berman
Anya Bhatia
Rhys Alexander Bowie
Emma Hathaway Brown
Jackson Robinson Burke
Zuri Iman Burnett
Alyssa Renee Calmas
Gabriella Carballo-Alvarez
Eshan Chaudhry
Oliver Lleyton Cherwin
Nathalie Anne Chow
Jackson Thomas Clift
Alexa Sydney Cohen
Zoe Treanor Coleman
James Daniel Hsu Collins
Haley Cordover
Katherine Ann Danforth
Reece Decker Davidman
Emmitt McCarron Davis
Kristen Rhysa Andie DeRoché
Peter Andrew Dokas
Miles Ulysses Eby
Quincy Alexander Eby
Channing Blythe Epstein
Ryan Elliot Epstein
Antonio Papa Estefano
Olivia Drew Felder
Kaelyn Blythe Felder
Razil Nadine Fernandes
Sunita Teelin Fibiger
Eric Morris Florman
Frederick James Fogelson
Anika Anshul Gandhi
Everett Reid Garber
Christian Julian Oronde Garrett
Oliver Edward Boris Glezerman
Peri Leda Goldberg
Grant Laurence Goldman
Baylin Herbert Goldstein
Colombe Cornelia Gordon
Joshua Ryan Greene