2020 Interlochen Arts Academy Convocation & Commencement Program

FIFTY-EIGHTH COMMENCEMENT MAY 23, 2020

INTERLOCHEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Glynn T. Williams, Chair The Honorable Kurtis T. Wilder, Vice Chair Sarah Harding, Vice Chair Keith W. Baum (’76) Evan J. Breibart Andrew W. Cordonnier (’81) Casey G. Cowell Mohamed A. El-Erian

Saul A. Goldstein Cynthia L. Hann Stephen E. Hayden (’64) Nancy L. Hoagland Jeffrey D. Jacobs Susan S. Kettering J. Christopher Kojima Barbara Kratchman Gregg A. Latterman John F. Manuel (’83) David P. Min

Elaine H. Mischler Thomas W. Morris William C. Nelson Tom P. Quinn Barrett J. Rollins Becky Ruthven Sumit Sengupta Claire E. (Corson) Skinner Sara Whiting Zhibai (Bill) Zheng (’96)

EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEES Trey Devey, President Bruce A. Corner, President of Engagement Council

OFFICERS Trey Devey, President Camille Colatosti, Provost John Bogley, Vice President, Advancement Patrick M. Kessel, Vice President, Finance and Operations Katharine Laidlaw, Vice President, Strategic Communications and Engagement Brittany Verner, Corporate Secretary and Assistant to the President

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ADMINISTRATION Eric Blackburn - Dean of Academics and Academic Support Samantha Charnes - Director, Institutional Research and Effectiveness William Church (’89) - Director, Theatre Arts Jason Hubbard - Vice Provost, Academic and Arts Education and Interim Director of Music Katherine Luellen - Executive Dean, Enrollment Management Michael Mittelstaedt - Director, Film & New Media Joseph Morrissey - Director, Dance Mary Ellen Newport - Director, R.B. Annis Math and Sciences Kristina Nichols (’95) - Vice Provost, Education Operations Melinda Ronayne - Director, Visual Arts Joe Sacksteder - Director, Creative Writing Clyde Sheets - Director, Interdisciplinary Arts Jennifer Wesling - Dean of Students Brent Wrobel - Director, Interlochen Presents

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY Interlochen Arts Academy is the nation’s premier fine arts boarding high school, where emerging artists from around the world transform passion and potential into purpose. Guided by distinguished artists, students pursue pre-professional training in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, film, and interdisciplinary arts alongside a robust academic curriculum, preparing them to excel in the arts and beyond. Nestled in scenic northwest Michigan, the Academy has been a leader in arts education since 1962 and has produced 46 Presidential Scholars in the Arts, more than any other high school in the country.

Dr. Joseph E. Maddy, one of America’s foremost arts educators, founded the Academy in 1962 to give talented students an opportunity to specialize in the arts at an early age without sacrificing the academic studies that are so essential for a successful future. The Academy is part of Interlochen Center for the Arts, the only community in the world that brings together:

• a 2,500-student summer arts camp program • a 500-student fine arts boarding high school with college-prep academics • year-round opportunities for hundreds of adults to engage in fulfilling artistic and creative programs • two 24-hour, listener-supported public radio stations (classical music and news) • 600 arts presentations annually by students, faculty, and world-renowned guest artists

MISSION STATEMENT Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts engages and inspires people worldwide through excellence in educational, artistic, and cultural programs, enhancing the quality of life through the universal language of the arts.

MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Arts Academy provides high school students who demonstrate significant artistic potential with pre-professional arts instruction and a challenging academic program that prepares them for college, university, and conservatory education. The Academy cultivates an environment in which students are encouraged to achieve their fullest potential as artists, thinkers, collaborators, and responsible members of a diverse, inclusive community.

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HONORS CONVOCATION L IV E ST R E A MED F ROM KRESG E AUDITORIUM | FRIDAY, M AY 22, 2020 | 7 P. M. WELCOMING REMARKS Trey Devey, President Camille Colatosti, Provost

INTERLUDE Pas de deux (The Vision) from The Sleeping Beauty, Act II Choreography by Joseph Morrissey Music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Performed by the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra; Dr. Leslie B. Dunner, conductor Dancers: An Phan and Emma Skrzypczak

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS & RECOGNITION OF HONOR STUDENTS Jason Hubbard, Vice Provost of Academic and Arts Education National Merit Scholarship Finalist Oliver Chen, Music Thomas Kaminsky, Music Priyanka Voruganti, Creative Writing

INTERLUDE “Weird” from ONE: Interlochen in Miami, Act I Poem by Emma Arvoy Performed by Sabine Wilson-Patrick, Creative Writing Marlo Irani, Film & New Media Aidan Anderson, Theatre Arts Katherine Humes, Theatre Arts Tiffany Blandin, Theatre Arts

PRESENTATION OF ACADEMIC AWARDS Mary Ellen Newport - Director, R.B. Annis Math and Sciences Eric Blackburn - Dean of Academics and Academic Support

MUSIC INTERLUDE

Colonial Song........................................................................................................................ Percy Grainger Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony Scott Teeple, guest conductor

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PRESENTATION OF FINE ARTS AWARDS

Clyde Sheets - Director, Interdisciplinary Arts Joe Sacksteder - Director, Creative Writing Joseph Morrissey - Director, Dance Michael Mittelstaedt - Director, Film & New Media

Jason Hubbard - Vice Provost, Academic and Arts Education and Interim Director of Music William Church - Director, Theatre Arts Melinda Ronayne - Director, Visual Arts

INTERLUDE Monologue from As You Like It by William Shakespeare Performed by Juliet Coe, Theatre Arts Sound Design by Cookie Dutch, Theatre Design and Production

PRESENTATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD IN ART Trey Devey, President

INTERLUDE “Le Mouton Qui se Sépare du Troupeau”

by Marlo Irani, Film & New Media

PRESENTATION OF THE ROGER E. AND MARY JANE JACOBI CITIZENSHIP AWARD Trey Devey, President

PRESENTATION OF THE YOUNG ARTIST AND YOUNG SCHOLAR AWARDS Camille Colatosti, Provost

PRESENTATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD AND OIL CAN AWARD Trey Devey, President Camille Colatosti, Provost

CLOSING REMARKS Trey Devey, President

RECESSIONAL

Joyride..................................................................................................................................Michael Markowski Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony Matthew Schlomer, conductor

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INTERLUDE SPRING AND SUMMER, 2017

by Hannah Schoettmer Back when Charley went by Charlotte, she took me to get soup and complain at a diner just outside the city limits. She bought a papaya from a fruit stand and told me to give it to a friend that I was fighting with, and I did, and he laughed at me. I started spending more time with Charlotte, learning about the Impossible Project and how they acquired Polaroid so now they’re basically Polaroid and what intermittent fasting is and how to trick yourself out of cutting your own bangs at night. She would tell me about her crush on Anakin Skywalker and then go back on that and talk about her crush on Noomi Rapace and then ask me if I’d ever considered going goth or soft girl or something more fun than glasses-wearing and skinny. She herself condensed all her eating into a six hour window and designed a diet consisting largely of hummus and tomato soup and cheat meals and would ask me for metabolism boosting tips. I told her try being born tall and she called me a jerk. I asked her how to stop letting people walk all over me and she said you should grow a pair. When Charlotte nicknamed herself Charley and went south, I realized that I should have left with her, a modern day Thelma and Louise except both the girls have square jaws and they’re on a pilgrimage to the bridge that Kurt Cobain slept under when his parents kicked him out. Instead, I fantasized about the things I thought Charley would be doing—going to the city pool to be baptized by a Shakira impersonator from Orange County. Shooting an airsoft gun. Taking a papaya, a big green firm unripe one, and launching it like a bottle rocket so it spun and turned and splatted on the top of a parking garage. Piercing her nose. I began a quest to become Charley. I spun out and skipped town and drove 11 hours to Idaho so I could light a candle on top of a hill that I first visited when I was fourteen and eat Trader Joe’s sushi and Google photos of Noomi Rapace in her goth getup and sit with her, watch the cars on the expressway and laugh at them. When I got home I looked up Charley on Instagram and found out she’d enrolled in a city college, shaved half her head, gotten a cat named Lucille. I considered going to the barber shop, but instead I started Googling colleges on the East Coast and best dog breeds for small spaces and how to grow out your hair.

Hannah Schoettmer is a senior creative writing major from Washington state. She received a silver medal this year for her writing portfolio from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and her creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Louisville Review, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, 24hr Neon Mag, and elsewhere.

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SENIOR HONOR STUDENTS Joaquin Aboitiz

Isabella Farmer

Chloe Lupini

Aliye Adams

Shana Fishman

Ava Machado

Lilah Asbornsen

Gabriella Fontana

Santiago Mieres

Maecy Ashmore

Soleil Garcia-Johnson

Dilara Naska

Kelly Avila

Sophia Gaunt

Maud Negreiff

Evrithiki Bailey

Gillian Greenlaw

Reagan Pendergast

Alex Bala

Rena Grossman

William Ramos

Elise Barbier

Dylan Hakken

Eli Reisz

Campbell Barnes

Rhubi Henderson

Abby Rice

Ella Barr

Ethan Hill

Dempsii Rosales

Caitlin Belland

Ethan Horgan

Griffin Rupp

Leah Bouley

Jonathan Hughes

Sabrina Schettler

Iris Brondz

Marlo Irani

Claudia Schlomer

Lila Brown

Sophia Jackson

Hannah Schoettmer

Phoebe Brown

Margaret Jacquay

Taylor Simpson

Bridget Bullard

Audrey Jellett

Emma Skrzypczak

Clayton Butler

Jinxuan Jiang

Khaia Smith

Sophia Chefalo

Noelle Johnson

Isabella Sobkowicz

Oliver Chen

Olivia Johnson

George Staton

Joseph Chiet

Katherine Jolliff

Andrew Stout

Isabel Chilian

Thomas Kaminsky

Carys Sutherland

Eduardo Chocron

Kerrig Kelly

Theo Swanson

Andrew Christian

Mia Kendell

Tim Swanson

Lauren Ciccolini

Lucas King-Wilson

Arezu Tavakoli

Juliet Coe

Elizabeth Kopca

Sydney Thiebaut

Christopher Correa

Adam Kuhn

Yueching Ting

Zachary Costello

Cielo Lee

Johnny To

Jameson Darcy

Changwei Li

Luis Tovar

Sean Deegan

Manling Li

Priyanka Voruganti

Katarina Deric

LeAnne Lin

Yihan Xue

Elsie Devey

Kiara Linver

Grayson Yuzon

Leah Dunn

Charlotte Lohmann

Alex Zajdel

Cookie Dutch

Emily Luo

Delia Zaleski

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COMMENCEMENT L I V E ST R E A M E D F RO M K RESG E AUDITORIUM | SATURDAY, M AY 23, 2020 | 12 P. M.

PROCESSIONAL

Pomp and Circumstance in G Major, Op. 39, No. 4 ..................................Edward Elgar/trans. M. Retford Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony Matthew Schlomer, conductor

The Star-Spangled Banner............................................................. Francis Scott Key/arr. Lucas King-Wilson Lucas King-Wilson, electric guitar

WELCOME Camille Colatosti, Provost

SENIOR SPEAKER Cookie Dutch, Theatre Design and Production

INTERLUDE And Joy Is Everywhere Music by Andrea Ramsey, Text by Rabindranath Tagore Interlochen Arts Academy Choir John Bragle, conductor

REMARKS FROM THE PRESIDENT Trey Devey, President

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Aaron Dworkin (‘88) Social Entrepreneur, Performing Artist, Philanthropist, Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, The University of Michigan, Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, The University of Michigan

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SENIOR PERFORMER

Sonata for Alto Saxophone.................................................................................................... Fernande Decruck Zachary Costello, alto saxophone Soojin Kang, piano

PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS Trey Devey, President Camille Colatosti, Provost Glynn Williams, Chair, Board of Trustees William Church, Director, Theatre Arts

RECESSIONAL

Libertadores - Symphonic Poem for Wind Band ............................................................... Oscar Navarro Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Symphony Matthew Schlomer, conductor

Senior Speaker and Senior Performer To honor the multifaceted artistic and academic talents of all the Arts Academy seniors, we have one Senior Speaker and one Senior Performer. All seniors who wish to apply are eligible for these honors. A Selection Committee, made up of faculty members and students, reviews all applications and selects semifinalists who are then asked to prepare their speech or their performance. Each semifinalist auditions in front of the Selection Committee, and the committee chooses a winner in each category. The application and audition process is both extensive and demanding. Our speaker and our performers this year are to be commended for their talent and passion as well as their dedication to the process that led them to be on the stage today.

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GRADUATING SENIORS Joaquin Daniele Aboitiz..............................San Francisco, Calif.

Carlos Manuel Aceves................................... San Antonio, Texas Aliye Michelle Adams........................................... Concord, Calif.

Devon Cordell Allen........................................ Mount Morris, Pa. Emma MB Arvoy...................................................... Albion, Mich.

Lilah Anne Asbornsen..........................................Florence, Mass.

Maecy Cecelia Ashmore.............................................. Batavia, Ill. Kelly Nicole Avila.......................................Norton Shores, Mich.

Evrithiki Vakidis Bailey.............................................Dallas, Texas Alex Bala.................................................................Gainesville, Fla. Florence Lara Rio Bannigan................Rugby, United Kingdom Elise Marie Barbier............................. Steamboat Springs, Colo. v Campbell Ying-Fei Barnes................................. San Diego, Calif. v Ella Nicole Barr......................... St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Isabel Louise Barron.............................................. Glen Allen, Va. Hunter Kii Begay.................................................... Laramie, Wyo. v Caitlin Claire Belland........................................Orange Park, Fla. Naomi Irma Bohanan..................................... Broken Bow, Okla.

Leah Grace Bouley................................................ Sheridan, Wyo. Iris Taylor Brondz............................................Anchorage, Alaska Lila Elizabeth Brown............................................Lake Forest, Ill. Phoebe Mei Brown................................................... Ashland, Ore. Jacob Patrick Bruski........................................ Rogers City, Mich.

Bridget Stephen Bullard.............................................Kohler, Wis. Clayton Damean Butler....................British Columbia, Canada Colby Elaine Case.........................................San Francisco, Calif.

Sophia Elyse Chefalo...................................Traverse City, Mich.

Oliver Bohan Chen....................................................... Ames, Iowa Shaan Chhadva.......................................................Mumbai, India Joseph Randall Chiet................................................. Weston, Fla. Isabel Anderson Chilian..........................................Roanoke, Ind. Eduardo Chocron........................................... Caracas, Venezuela Hugh Lindell Chomentowski......................East Lansing, Mich.

Andrew John Christian.................................... Kentwood, Mich. v Lauren Elizabeth Hartung Ciccolini.....................Glenview, Ill. Kanna Robyn Claar..............................Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan v Juliet Mildy Coe..................................................... Chatham, N.Y. Tallulah Coldiron..................................................Oakland, Calif.

Mikayla Anne Corin..................George Town, Cayman Islands Christopher Anthony Correa......................... Long Beach, Calif.

Zachary Jeehoon Lee Costello..........................Catonsville, Md.

Ricardo M. Cuadra....................................................... Miami, Fla. Paulina Cuadra Castro........Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic James Curry........................................................... Libertyville, Ill. Jameson Patrick Darcy...................................... Longmont, Colo.

Emery Leyton Davis................................... Cape Girardeau, Mo. Jacob Daniel Davis...........................................Interlochen, Mich.

Sean Foster Deegan........................................Cedar Rapids, Iowa Abigail Leigh Dellovade...................................... Canonsburg, Pa. Paul Edward Denison.............................................Corvallis, Ore. Katarina Helen Deric.............................................Bethesda, Md. Elsie Adele Devey............................................Interlochen, Mich.

Isabel Lissette DiFiore................................................Tampa, Fla. v Malika Destiny Rose Dinan............................. Cincinnati, Ohio v Ava Marie DiSimone............................................... Canton, Ohio Leah Nicole Dunn................................................. Belmont, Calif. v Cookie Faith Dutch......................................Traverse City, Mich.

Sarah Elizabeth Elmore.............................Southern Pines, N.C. Sonya Daehn Ewing.................................................Boston, Mass.

Isabella Catriona Fernandez Farmer..................... Leesburg, Va. Shana Rachel Fishman...................................... Falls Church, Va. Gabriella Maria Fontana.................................. Notre Dame, Ind. Paige Iris-Jeneane Freeman.......................Traverse City, Mich.

Enzo Gangi.......................................................Santo AndrĂŠ, Brazil Soleil Holiday Garcia-Johnson........ Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.

Sophia Emma Gaunt.................................................Austin, Texas Jackson Allen Gifford.............................................Edmond, Okla.

Sydney Renee Gills................................................. Hudson, Ohio Alexandra Akemi Gonzales Siu...................................Lima, Peru Christopher Omar Gonzalez...................................... Miami, Fla. Sophia Christina Gorostiza......................................Hialeah, Fla. Gillian Marie Greenlaw............................................Ballwin, Mo. Tatiana Petra Lee Gross................................ Los Ranchos, N.M. Rena Grossman......................................................Clawson, Mich.

Dylan Oliver Burke Hakken................................... Arlington, Va. Elizabeth Hanje...............................................Vestavia Hills, Ala. Hope Alpers Hanson...................................San Francisco, Calif.

Lewis Ming-Yi Harter........................................ Burlington, N.C. Anne Marie Hayes.................................................. Fenton, Mich. v Trinity Kellee Jessie Hearns.................................Detroit, Mich.

Mello De'Aj Henderson........................................ Columbia, N.C. Rhubi Semaj Henderson...................................... Columbia, N.C. v Four-Year Senior

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GRADUATING SENIORS Ethan Magnus Winslow Hill.......................... Montgomery, Ala. Sean Etienne Hodges..............................Sterling Heights, Mich. v Mackenzie Lazette-Lucille Holley........ West Bloomfield, Mich.

Talia Beatrice Honikman............................Santa Barbara, Calif. v Ethan John Horgan......................................................Edison, N.J. Remy Lionel Howard......................................................Lutz, Fla. William Michael Howard...............................Lees Summit, Mo. Benjamin Yarbrough Hudak.......................San Francisco, Calif. v Jonathan Glen Hughes........................................ Standish, Mich.

Marlo Reza Irani....................................................... Venice, Calif.

Sarah Jardine Kimmick Israel................................. Raleigh, N.C. Brianna Nicole Israelov..........................................Winnetka, Ill. Sophia Kathryn Jackson...................................Ann Arbor, Mich.

Margaret Beau Kelley Jacquay................................. O Fallon, Ill. Amanda Aurora Jaime..........................................Maricopa, Ariz.

Abby Marie Jecks.....................................................Eldridge, Iowa Audrey Elise Jellett............................................... Kerrville, Texas Jinxuan Jiang.......................................................Shenzhen, China Noelle Elizabeth Johnson...........................Traverse City, Mich.

Olivia Kappie Ella Johnson....................................Duluth, Minn.

Katherine Kelly Jolliff......................................Indianapolis, Ind. v Mervyn Patrick Jones....................................Interlochen, Mich.

Harris Whitefield Kahler.....................................Spokane, Wash.

Thomas David Kaminsky...............................Walla Walla, Wash.

Seessa Maldonado Kauffman...............................Idlewylde, Md. Kerrig Michael Kelly.................................... Siloam Springs, Ark. Mia Rose Kendell.................................................. Cadillac, Mich.

Lucas Aaron King-Wilson............................ Mechanicsburg, Pa. Seth Thomas Kirby.........................................Interlochen, Mich.

Elizabeth Meiren Kopca......................................... Arlington, Va. Adam Miles Kuhn...................................................Helotes, Texas Lola Rita Lama.....................................................Sag Harbor, N.Y. Cielo Bliss Barnsley Lee........................... Mountain View, Calif.

Nathaniel Ian Lee............................................Temple City, Calif. v Changwei Li........................................................Shenzhen, China Gabriel Colin Li.....................................................Palo Alto, Calif.

Manling Li............................................................Kunming, China v Mingze Li............................................................. Tangshan, China Alessandra Marie Liebmann.........................Williamsville, N.Y. LeAnne Lin.......................................................... Vernon Hills, Ill. Kiara Raquel Linver.................................................. Goleta, Calif.

Sam Woodward Litton............................................Seattle, Wash.

Charlotte Anna Lohmann...................................Eau Claire, Wis. Jonathan Daniel Lucke.....................................Clarksville, Tenn.

Emily Yufei Luo....................................................Alberta, Canada Chloe Marie Lupini......................................... Kalamazoo, Mich.

Veronica Renae Lybrand..................................Schenectady, N.Y. Ava Colleen Machado........................................Grapevine, Texas Pranav Prakash Malaviya.................................. Shanghai, China Gracie Marcellus..................................................... Powhatan, Va. Morgan Nicole Masters................................... Greenville, Mich.

Christopher Patrick McSherry......................Greenwich, Conn.

Santiago AndrĂŠs Mieres................................ Caracas, Venezuela Max Nicholas Mika..................................... Grand Rapids, Mich.

Abigail Marie Mohs...................................................Granger, Ind. Grace Elizabeth Monahan......................... Monte Sereno, Calif. v Jared Thomas Moore..............................................Crandon, Wis. William Jesse Mudgett........................................Fort Myers, Fla. Abby Ann Muller............................................. Rogers City, Mich. v Dilara Naska.............................................................Naperville, Ill. v Maud Irene Negreiff................................... Grand Rapids, Mich. v Asa Parsons Nestlehutt.............................................. Berwyn, Pa. Giannie Le Nguyen............................................Wilmington, Del. Shannon Yvonne Niland....................................Mocksville, N.C. Daniela Nimo................................................................Naples, Fla. Jasper McLeod Nolan........................................... Montara, Calif.

Luke Samuel Ogea.............................................Marquette, Mich.

Quinlan Robert Olsen.................................. Grand Blanc, Mich. v Ji Hu Park..........................................................Los Angeles, Calif.

Ilena Zephyr Paul.................................... Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Jared Ishmael Payne..................................................Toledo, Ohio Daniel Louis Pearson................................................. Plano, Texas Jacob Taylor Peery...........................................Elizabethtown, Ky. Reagan Greene Pendergast........................................ Atlanta, Ga. Ava Francesca Perez..............................................La Mesa, Calif.

Jordan Sterling Perkes................................... San Antonio, Texas Ava Quinn Peterson...................................................Freeport, Ill. An Hai Phan........................................................ Bettendorf, Iowa Joseph Dante Piedalue.................................. Frenchtown, Mont.

Charles Phillip Polomsky...........................Traverse City, Mich.

Linus Shek Yan Poon...................................... Hong Kong, China Jennifer Haley Pope...........................................West Hills, Calif. v Four-Year Senior

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GRADUATING SENIORS Jaelyn Alexis Quilizapa............................................ Isleton, Calif.

William Tisdale Ramos................................... Palm Harbor, Fla. v Eli Jacob Reisz........................................................... Encino, Calif.

Abby Lea Rice.................................................... Fort Worth, Texas Emily Madelyn Roberts........................................... Sarasota, Fla. Dempsii Reyanna Rosales............................Lincoln Park, Mich.

Lily Rubin......................................................... Highland Park, Ill. Griffin Alexander Rupp............................Corpus Christi, Texas v Colleen Adrianna Ryan..........................................Bethesda, Md. Isabel Sanso................................................................... Miami, Fla. Sabrina Brienne Schettler................................. Nashville, Tenn.

Claudia Hagedorn Schlomer......................Traverse City, Mich.

Hannah Joanne Schoettmer............................... Bellevue, Wash.

Malcolm Xavier Seaton........................... Cambria Heights, N.Y. Alexander Nicklas Shier.............................. Beverly Hills, Mich.

Dongmin Shin................................................. Seoul, South Korea Elizabeth Ryann Shorkey................................ Chesaning, Mich.

Taylor Shea Simpson......................................... Longmont, Colo.

Emma Grace Skrzypczak.....................................Kingsley, Mich. v Khaia Diane Smith............................................. Mullica Hill, N.J. Zachary Anthony Sobania.............................. Little Falls, Minn.

Isabella Katherine Sobkowicz............................... St Charles, Ill. Joseph Salomon St. Jules.......................................... Blue Bell, Pa. Carter Aaron Stark................................. Colorado Springs, Colo.

George Ellis Balodimas Staton....................... Delray Beach, Fla. Andrew Joseph Stout.......................................Nolensville, Tenn.

Austin Ryan Struble.......................................Albuquerque, N.M. Carys Victoria Sutherland.................................Southlake, Texas Theo Mark Swanson.............................................Meservey, Iowa Tim David Swanson..............................................Meservey, Iowa Arezu Mariam Tavakoli............................................. Flint, Mich.

Cayenne Pearl Teeter............................................. Howell, Mich.

Sydney Jae Eun Thiebaut..................................... Cadillac, Mich.

Robert Na Thompson.........................................Ontario, Canada Talib Sharif Thompson.............................................Yonkers, N.Y. v Miracle Charlotte-Anne Thornton................Franklinville, N.J. Yueching Ting.............................................. Broken Arrow, Okla.

Johnny To..........................................................Interlochen, Mich.

Yuwen Tong.......................................................... Shanghai, China Luis Enrique Tovar................................................Edmond, Okla.

Dylan Wade Tucker...................................................Glenville, Pa. Jordan Lynn Twadell................................................... Gurnee, Ill. v Jenna Mallory Van Valkenburg..................Traverse City, Mich.

Rebecca Villalta........................ Santa Ana, San Jose, Costa Rica Josef Warner Viramontes........................... Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Aleksandar Vitanov.................................. Kavadarci, Macedonia Edric Alejandro Vivoni Figueroa............................... Miami, Fla. Priyanka Voruganti................................................New York, N.Y. Raleigh Anise Walter........................................... Piedmont, Calif.

Katherine Eloise Warner........................... Grand Haven, Mich.

Sam Witt Weaver................................................. Nashville, Tenn.

Yu-Jen Weng............................................................ Rockville, Md. Zen Burkett Williams............................................Oakland, Calif.

Rae Ching Rachel Wong................................ Hong Kong, China Enle Wu.................................................................Jiangmen, China Jincheng Wu......................................................... Shanghai, China Yihan Wu .............................................................. Shanghai, China Wenbo Xing.............................................................. Beijing, China v Duoduo Xue............................................................Qingdao, China Yihan Xue......................................................Wuxi, Jiangsu, China Kahlan Elizabeth Yenney............................Traverse City, Mich. v Kai Tung Yeung.................................................... Shanghai, China v Grayson Patricia Yuzon.............................................. Mclean, Va. Alex Michael Zajdel........................................... Plymouth, Mich.

Delia Brynn Zaleski...........................................Amesbury, Mass. v Ann Zhao.................................................................Great Falls, Va. v Four-Year Senior

POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS Grace Isabella Adams Ward.............................Stone Mountain, Ga. Maria Sofia Alvarado...........................................Caracas, Venezuela Clayton James Bridgeman...............................Cape Girardeau, Mo. Katelyn Marie Buerger.....................................................Antioch, Ill. Elise Lenore Dahlberg.......................................... Snohomish, Wash.

Hannah Patricia Esquivel.................................... Los Angeles, Calif.

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Hixon Centennial Foster..................................... Carpinteria, Calif.

Julianna Kyungjun Lee...............................................Fremont, Calif.

Lochlan William Wallace MacLean........................ Lake Forest, Ill. Eamon J Mitchell....................................................Santa Cruz, Calif.

Caleb Thomas Orvik............................................. Watertown, Mass.

John Bagnall Rose.................................................. Hollidaysburg, Pa.

THE COLORS OF ACADEMIC ATTIRE Agriculture............................................ Maize Arts, Letters, Humanities.................. White Commerce, Accountancy, and Business................................................Drab Dentistry..................................................Lilac Economics .......................................... Copper Education ......................................Light Blue Engineering ....................................... Orange Fine Arts............................................... Brown

Forestry ............................................... Russet Journalism........................................Crimson Law ....................................................... Purple Library Science ..................................Lemon Medicine .............................................. Green Music .......................................................Pink Nursing ...............................................Apricot Oratory ........................................ Silver Gray Pharmacy .................................. Olive Green

Philosophy .................................... Dark Blue Physical Education .................... Sage Green Public Administration ...........Peacock Blue Public Health .......................... Salmon Pink Science ................................... Golden Yellow Social Work ......................................... Citron Theology ..............................................Scarlet Veterinary Science ............................... Gray

THE COLORS OF ACADEMIC ATTIRE The traditional pageantry of an academic procession is an impressive spectacle. Its significance may seem concealed behind a baffling array of rich and somber gowns of varying cuts and vividly contrasting multicolored hoods; yet within this kaleidoscope, there lies an orderly and time-honored system of displaying the symbols of scholarly attainment.

Although some American colleges and universities adopted the English custom of academic dress from founding, it was not until the late 19th century that academic attire came into general use for ceremonial occasions. The uniformity of the American system of academic heraldry, resulting from a code established by the American Council of Education, indicates the degree conveyed by an academic costume; the field, or faculty, in which it was earned; and the institution by which it was granted.

The most basic of the three parts of the scholar’s costume, the gown, differs for the three levels of degrees primarily in the sleeve. The pointed sleeve of the bachelor’s gown distinguishes it from the squared end of the master’s sleeve, which reaches nearly to the knee and is slit above the elbow. The doctor’s gown has

bell-shaped sleeves, and is the only one of the three that is permitted with velvet trimming on the front facings and cross bars on the upper portion of the arm.

The American mortarboard, derived from the Oxford cap, is black like the gown. Its tassel, for holders of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, is usually black, although in some instances color may be used to identify the faculty of the scholar. Gold tassels are reserved for holders of doctoral degrees and heads of institutions.

It is the hood that provides academic regalia its color and offers the most information about its owner. The silk lining bears the color or colors, of the degree-granting institution; its velvet edging displays the color assigned to that area of study in which the degree was taken. The length of the hood and the width of the edging increase with the level of the degree.

Variations in this uniformity may be observed in the special gowns worn by the governing officers of a number of institutions, the colored robes of the graduates of a few universities which have departed from the tradition of black, and the diversified attire of holders of degrees from foreign universities.

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INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY FACULTY & EDUCATION STAFF Brittany Adams, Liberal Arts Joshua Aldorisio, Music Library Risa Alecci, Presentations Keith Aleo, Music ('81) John Aley, Music Lindsey Anderson, Admission Jennifer Apple, Presentations Timothy Baase, Student Affairs Meghan Ballard, Health Services Dawn Bankey, Music Ann Bara, Math & Science Thomas Bara, Music ('87) Melissa Bennett, Dance Amy Bernard, Residence Life J Berry, Music Jeffery Block, Presentations Courtney Blue, Residence Life Mackenzie Borst, Residence Life Jennifer Bourion, Academic & College Counseling Nicholas Boyer, Presentations John Bragle, Music Christine Marie Brown, Theatre Arts Laura Osgood Brown, Music Sydney Brundige, Residence Life Brian Burr, Residence Life Colby Carson, Admission Brittany Cavallaro, Creative Writing ('04) Thomas Childs, Music Ya-Ju Chuang, Music Matthew Cochran, Music Bryan Conger, Music Michael Coonrod, Music

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James Courson, Health Services Lauren Courson, Health Services Robert Cracknell, Presentations Sarah Jane Crimmins, Admission Michael Culler, Presentations Elinore Dake, Presentations Andrew Daniels, Residence Life Michelle Davey, Math & Science Joshua Davis, Music Nathan Daywalt, Presentations Rachel Diebel, Presentations Jan Doerfer, Academic Library Katherine Dorn, Dance Gulshirin Dubash, Theatre Arts Lindsey Duddles, Residence Life Leslie Dunner, Music Taylor Eddy, Residence Life Chase Erwin, Liberal Arts Ashley Eschbach, Residence Life Conor Fagan, Visual Arts Patricia Ferguson, Residence Life Kristal Firman, Presentations Gaylyn Foxworthy, Music Library Noah Fried, Education Programs (‘01) Jean Gaede, Liberal Arts Eileen Ganter, Academic Library Chad Gapinski, Academic & College Counseling Dominic Garzonio, Admission Gary Gatzke, College of Creative Arts (‘98) Abigail Gee, Liberal Arts Kathleen Gieselman, Presentations Nancy Giffels, Health Services

Brad Giglio, Wellness Leo Gillis, Academic Library Katherine Glenn, Presentations Bridget Gongol, Academic Library Beth Gourley, Academic Library Danielle Gray, Health Services Elizabeth Gray, Theatre Arts Aretina Hamilton, Human Resources & Liberal Arts Cameron Harris, Film & New Media Sara Hartley, Admission Kellyn Hawley, Residence Life Alexandra Herryman, Presentations Corey Hill, Health Services Johanna Hill, Residence Life Andrew Hiss, Film & New Media Teresa Hittner, Liberal Arts Donna Hogard, Residence Life Joan Holland, Music Johnson Hunt, Visual Arts Maurice Jackson, Academic & College Counseling Kaleigh James, Academic & College Counseling Rachel James, Dance Cory John, Film & New Media Stephen John, Theatre Arts Timothy Johnson, Liberal Arts Courtney Kaiser-Sandler, Music ('94) Chad Kamrow, Liberal Arts Soojin Kang, Music Michael Kern, Academic & College Counseling

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY FACULTY & EDUCATION STAFF Martha Kitchen, Student Affairs Sarah Koontz, Presentations Ann Kullenberg, Math & Science Marc Lacuesta, Music Kenneth Larson, Music Steve Larson, Dance Trenton Lee, Liberal Arts Karen Leland Libby, Liberal Arts Emily Liberatore, Presentations Amanda Lifvendahl, Presentations Mary Limer, Residence Life Matthew Lindstrom, Theatre Arts Sydney Lusby, Admission (‘15) Thomas Lymenstull, Music John May, Health Services Brian McCall, Liberal Arts Tracey McDaniel, Health Services Andrew McGinn, Theatre Arts ('94) Sarah Merwin, Math & Science Nathan Meyers, Residence Life Chip Miller, Music Denise Miller-Smiley, Health Services Laura Mittelstaedt, Theatre Arts Lucas Moneypenny, Residence Life Holly Morgan, Residence Life Janet Morris, Admission Patricia Morris, Residence Life Leah Mosher, Liberal Arts Karen Mueller, Academic & College Counseling Cynthia Mussell, Academic & College Counseling Jeanna Muylaert, Presentations Taoufik Nadji, Math & Science

Jeffery Norris, Music Brad Novak, Music Kyle Novy, Music Nickey Olson, Residence Life Russell Orlando, Visual Arts Patrick Owen, Music ('93) Roxanne Paciesas, Residence Life Leland Parsons, Academic Library James Peck, Theatre Arts Mika Perrine, Creative Writing (‘96) Dane Philipsen, Music Jennifer Popovich, Presentations Jeanett Pritchett, Academic & College Counseling Ellamarie Quimby, Residence Life Kalyn Rabuse, Liberal Arts Thomas Riccobono, Music Emily Roberts, Residence Life Eleanor Robinson, Liberal Arts Marlene Robinson, Residence Life Melinda Rohn, Theatre Arts Juris Safonovs, Dance Mallory Sajewski, Music Library Ara Sarkissian, Music Deanna Sayer, Academic & College Counseling Jenna Scheub, Math & Science Matthew Schlomer, Music William Sears, Music Renee Skerik, Music ('82) Laurence Smith, Music (‘73) Nancy Smith, Health Services Patricia Smith, Visual Arts Susan Snyder, Music

Paul Sonner, Music David Spencer, Health Services Peter Stack, Residence Life Nancy Stagnitta, Music Marvine Stamatakis, Liberal Arts Anika Steppe, Visual Arts Sarah Jane Stogsdill, Residence Life Eric Stomberg, Music Lydia Stoye, Student Affairs Elizabeth Stuk, Admission ('07) Robyn Swinehart, Residence Life David Tanis, Wellness E. Tejada III, Residence Life Lesley Tye, Creative Writing & Film & New Media ('93) Emily Umbarger, Math & Science Cynthia VanMaanen, Music Ryan Vitale, Math & Science Rickey Waddell, Residence Life Corbin Wagner, Music S. Wallace, Residence Life Justin Walters, Residence Life Vester Waters, Admission Jaime Weidner, Admission Derek Weller, Music ('82) Dan White, Music Library Katherine Wibby, Math & Science Emily Wilkinson, Theatre Arts Karin Willman, Education Programs Jarrod Witzke, Health Services Aaron Wright, Residence Life Deb Wyse, Health Services Kara Zarafonitis, Education Programs

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NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS These generous supporters transform the lives of generations of Camp and Academy students through endowed scholarships, expendable scholarship gifts of $10,000 or more, and/or annual scholarships endowed in perpetuity through documented estate gifts.

Our talented students also receive support through gifts to the Interlochen Annual Fund. We acknowledge all of these gifts of support with sincere gratitude. To learn more, please contact the Advancement Office at 231.276.7623 or visit interlochen.org/give.

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Academy Endowed Scholarship

Alden B. Dow Memorial Scholarship

Charles and Rita Anderson Academy Scholarship

George W. Drake Memorial Scholarship

Diane Anderson Endowed Academy Scholarship endowed by her father John B. Anderson in honor and memory of C. William Trout

Dr. Scholl Foundation Scholarships

Dorothy Anderson Memorial Scholarship

Ella Fitzgerald Foundation Academy Scholarship

Katherine McKee Anderson Endowed Scholarship

Richard M. Fiegel Memorial Scholarship

Bob Annis Endowed Scholarship

Fisher Family Dance Scholarship

Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition Scholarship

Lawrence L. Fleming Memorial Scholarship

Martin A. Baloyan Memorial Scholarship

Edward E. Ford Foundation Scholarship

Charles Barr Organ Scholarship

Susan Leigh Foster Endowed Academy Dance Scholarship

Barstow Foundation Scholarship

Edward P. Frohlich Piano Scholarship

Boggess Family Endowed Scholarship

Otto W. Geissler, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Boutet Family Endowed Academy Scholarship in Low Brass

Mary and Donald Gonzales Memorial Scholarship

Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Brakeman Scholarship

James C. Gordon Memorial Scholarship

M. Brandenburg Scholarship

Romine G. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship

Judith Haskell Brewer Scholarship

Moe and Francine Handleman Endowed Music Scholarship

Brookby Foundation Scholarship

Harris Academy Visual Arts Scholarship

Nadine Brunner Endowed Memorial Painting Scholarship

William L. Hart Annual Trumpet Scholarship

Donna Louise Brunsma Endowed Scholarship

William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholarship

John Busby Memorial Scholarship

Pierre V. Heftler Memorial Scholarship

Camp/Academy Endowed Scholarship

Dorothy L. Henricks Memorial Scholarship

Canadian Friends of Interlochen Scholarship

John and Joan Herlitz Family Scholarship

Ellen Case Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Russell and Annabelle Holcomb Endowed Scholarship

Jerome F. and Blanche M. Cerny Scholarship

Erwin K. Holland-Moritz Scholarship

Clarence & Grace Chamberlin Foundation Academy Scholarship

Jack (John R.) Hood Endowed Academy Scholarship

Arthur J. and Glenna B. Collins Scholarship

Ruth H. Hughes Endowed Dance Scholarship

Annabel Comfort Memorial Scholarship

Interlochen Arts Academy Dance Scholarship

Janice F. Corson Scholarship

Roger E. & Mary Jane Jacobi Academy Scholarship

Creative Writing Award Scholarship

Roger E. Jacobi & Edward P. Frohlich Scholarship

Jean Dake Memorial Scholarship

JSJ Foundation Scholarship

Robert Leason Sharpe and Anita C. Dean Scholarship

R. Graham Keevil Memorial Scholarship

Mary Jane Dempler Endowed Scholarship

George and Joyce Kempton Academy Piano Scholarship

Amy M. Devey Endowed Academy Scholarship in Dance

James D. Kent Endowed Music Scholarship

Dunbar Percussion or Dance Scholarship

NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS

Knight Family Scholarship

Reader’s Digest Endowed Academy Scholarship

Ledden Family Dance Scholarship

David E. Reese Family Foundation Scholarship

Dorothy Lewand Endowed Scholarship

Mildred Reisner Endowed Scholarship

Sally A. Lewis Organ Scholarship

Dean E. Richardson Scholarship

Looyenga Family Endowed Academy Scholarship

Riverdale Children’s Theatre Opportunity Scholarship

Ted Loudermilk Memorial Scholarship

Rollert Music/Science Endowment Scholarship

Martha Lundy Scholarship

Sage Foundation Scholarship

Joseph E. Maddy Memorial Scholarship

Barbara Taylor Sandys Dance Scholarship

Doris V. Markel Voice Scholarship

George and Barbara Schilling Piano Scholarship

Martin Family Music Scholarship

Charles Ward Seabury Scholarship

Marvel Family Memorial Scholarship

Michael D. Silber Memorial Scholarship

Ilse Mayfield Scholarship

Singer-Songwriter Academy Scholarship

Dr. Robert Montague McDonald Endowed Arts Academy Scholarship

Harry A. Sisson Memorial Scholarship

Whitney S. McGuire Memorial Scholarship

Michelle Slater Academy Scholarship

Charles K. McWhorter Memorial Scholarship

Stephen Sprouse Memorial Scholarship

Memorial Scholarship

Stephenson Endowed Scholarship

Miami Music Project Opportunity Scholarship

Marguerite W. Stracke and Alfred O. Stracke Memorial Scholarship

Genevieve Rae Miess Memorial Scholarship

Target Foundation Scholarship

Miller-Jacobson Scholarship

Booth Tarkington Scholarship

Monticello College Foundation Scholarship

Laurence W. Thomas Writing Scholarship

Lyle Myers Scholarship

Sarah L. Titus and Tilda Morris Endowed Academy Scholarship

William and Jeanne Myers Endowed Scholarship

Miles I. Tunnacliff Scholarship

National Academy of the Arts Scholarship

Alice C. Tyler Trust Endowed Scholarship

Julius & Ruth Novick Memorial Scholarship

Frederick S. Upton Foundation Scholarship

Clara Noyes Endowed Academy Scholarship

William E. Votruba Memorial Scholarship

Travis N.T. Olson and Lucile M. Olson Scholarship

Margaret F. Ward Scholarships

Academy Opportunity Scholarship

Weatherwax Foundation Scholarship

Jean Parsons Visual Arts Endowed Scholarship

Susan Mott Webb Memorial Scholarship

W. Calvin and Marian Patterson Endowed Scholarship

Mrs. Richard H. Webber Scholarship

Helmer R. and Larida Petersen Scholarship

Bessie Mae Weissgerber Memorial Scholarship

Robert C. Pew Scholarship

Byrdene M. Wilson Memorial Scholarship

Herbert & Elsa Ponting Foundation Scholarship

Matilda R. Wilson Fund Scholarship

Milton M. Ratner Foundation Scholarship

Francis J. and Margaret S. Zimmermann Endowed Scholarship

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SENIOR SPEAKER, COOKIE DUTCH Picture me at 14: A few inches shorter, high pitched voice, all around pretty annoying ( just ask my older siblings). Got it? Well, 14-year old me decided to pack my bags, and fly all the way from Southern California to spend three weeks in northern Michigan at Camp with what my sister called “the weird artsy kids.” By the first week of Camp, I’d fallen hopelessly in love with Interlochen.

Going to boarding school had never crossed my mind, but something changed during those weeks in the woods—I had a gut feeling I found the place where I wanted to spend the next four years.

Everything leading up to my first day felt like a dream—until flight delays had me scrambling to make it to the late registration booths so I could move into my dorm before class. When the kind admissions staff person told me to go to Mott Rotunda for Spanish class, I nodded like I understood what she was saying, and then proceeded to wander around campus wondering 1. what a rotunda was, and 2. Where, in fact, the Mott Rotunda was located. Let’s just say, I didn’t end up making it to Spanish class—sorry Señora.

If I were to continue along the lines of my original draft, I’d talk about how Interlochen cultivates a community through “The Universal Language of the Arts.” I’d tell stories about the incredibly invested and passionate staff, and the motivated and inspiring students. I’d share my thoughts on why art can be created anytime, anywhere—but the transformational experience of Interlochen comes not from the art, but from the connections formed with fellow artists. But I wrote that draft in January, before COVID-19 changed everything.

When we were abruptly told we had to pack our bags in March, I thought: this is not fair. It was, to say the least, devastating, to say goodbye so soon to the place where I grew up. Those last few days, my friends and I got together and visited all our old dorm rooms, played all our favorite songs from freshman and sophomore year, and swapped all our best stories; after four years here we refused to spend our last days on campus being sad. We figured there’d be plenty of time for that in quarantine—and there was.

But on the final day of classes in March, as we were all struggling to accept our new reality, one of my teachers shared a quote that keeps coming back to me: “To be a true healer, you must forget yourself.” In my head I replaced the word “healer” with “artist.” “To be a true artist, you must forget yourself.” That moment reminded me of our theme this year: Artist as Citizen. To be a citizen artist is to be healer. To forget about yourself, and BE for others. We may come from different cities, states, and countries. We may not always speak the same language, or believe in the same things—but we share a passion for the arts, a passion strong enough to bring us into the middle of the woods, despite the brutal winters and the 10 p.m. curfew.

I am here today in hopes of entertaining you, and sharing some meaningful thoughts. Maybe I will make a few of you cry, and hopefully I will get a few laughs (although that last one’s a bit doubtful because I’m told my sense of humor is mediocre at best). But if I can only accomplish one thing today, it is to express my gratitude. To say thank you for the greatest gift I have ever received. It’s the gift given by every member of the Interlochen community: fellow students, teachers, staff members, alumni, and all that invest their time, heart, and soul in this special place. This gift is not the incredible education at Interlochen, but the spirit of Interlochen I get to carry with me for the rest of my life. Because I may not remember every play I read, or what I learned in Algebra 2, but I know that I will never forget the friendships forged, the art created, and the memories made.

I wish I could walk across Kresge with you all and breathe in the Michigan air one last time, but I’ve come to realize that Interlochen isn’t about the place; because art isn’t cultivated within a place, but as an idea. It’s the opening line of a play, the sound of tuning in the pit, the moment before a dancer leaps, the breath before the climax of the opera, the first word on the page, the brushstroke on the canvas—it’s the heart of Interlochen, an amalgamation of the moments we experience, the people we meet, and the stories we create, and it keeps on beating, no matter what.

The past few months, I’ve experienced a passionate and empathetic response to crisis. Campus may be empty, but the Interlochen community remains as vibrant and as strong as ever. I may be standing alone in front of a camera, but I feel like I’m standing on the stage of Kresge with all of you. I have with me my journal from the summer before I came to Interlochen. On the flight from California to Michigan I wrote, very eloquently, “Interlochen is going to be great.” I didn’t know much at 14, but I got that one right.

This has been my most painful goodbye so far, but also my most joyful. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. We may be saying goodbye to the place, but the spirit of Interlochen, well, we’re stuck with that forever.

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SENIOR SPEAKER FIRST RUNNER-UP, CAITLIN BELLAND Good morning faculty, staff, students, parents, family, friends, and my fellow graduating class. My name is Cait Belland, and I am honored to be speaking on behalf of the Interlochen Arts Academy class of 2020.

Class of 2020: we have shared a life-changing experience that we will never forget. As a four-year senior, I have seen many graduations at Interlochen. Graduation day has always filled me with deep happiness that my friends, the graduating seniors, will go on to positively impact the world through the beautiful power of art. Graduations are times of celebration and excitement for the future ahead. Our graduation is unprecedented because it brings together the past: the unforgettable memories we shared. The present: the pandemic our world is facing. And the future: more unknown than ever, but still ours to claim.

March 12 was the day we found out that we would be leaving our second home. Like you, I thought we would have the last two months to celebrate and say goodbye to the nooks and crannies where we experienced both triumphs and defeat, to the friends and faculty that had encouraged us and pushed us along the way. Instead, our two months turned into just a few precious days to say goodbye. Like some of life’s greatest heartbreaks, it was sudden. We were torn away from all we love about this sometimes cold and dark, and always beautiful place in the woods. It was not the way we seniors imagined that our high school years would end. Our high school, a high school where the student body wants to be.

We left the place that had instilled the most valuable lessons life could have taught us. We learned what it meant to be passionate about a craft, to deliver ourselves fully to that craft, to support others no matter what part of the world they are from, and to involve ourselves in our community. The Interlochen community is a family. The flags around Kresge Auditorium are symbolic of this place we call home. We are one, and as we face a worldwide pandemic, our support for our unique bond and identity never wavered and will never waver. I am proud of this family, this family that is “dedicated to the promotion of world friendship through the universal language of the arts.” That dedication unites us like no other high school community in the world.

The past two months have been a difficult and uneasy experience, but I know that through this, we will all become stronger and more determined. Very often, in the worst of times, beautiful things are created. It is not only the artistic technique that we will take with us after Interlochen, but it is the will and the drive we have to bring hope, joy, and love to the world. Artists empower the common good and we are responsible for impacting and enriching the world with beauty and inspiration.

We will always cherish and hold onto the memories we have made here. Interlochen taught us that art and friendship unite the world. What art teaches us is that it’s okay to be vulnerable and passionate, because especially in times like this, it is the artist that is able to reach the hearts of others. We are able to connect to people because they want to be connected to whatever we are expressing.

People appreciate the moments in life that make them feel loved and comforted.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our fast-paced world, for once, has slowed down. Human beings across the globe feel uncertain and scared. In life, when you slow down and allow yourself to deeply embrace feelings, art gives us the opportunity to ignite our souls.

It allows humans to feel, relate to, and embody their own life and experiences and show compassion. Art is not just the Interlochen community’s happiness, love, and hope: it is the entire world’s happiness, love, and hope.

I know that our senior class will remember all that art and world friendship has taught us. As Interlochen graduates, we will go on to positively impact the world. The world needs us now more than ever, and we, the graduating class of 2020, will answer the call.

Through our art, we will remember and express the depth of our emotions at this unique time in human history and our expression will surely help to heal and bring the world together.

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SENIOR SPEAKER SECOND RUNNER-UP, MAUD NEGREIFF Hello, and welcome to graduation. What an absurd year this has been.

I attended Interlochen as a camper for three years, and as an Academy student visual arts major for four. The enriched artistic atmosphere of this school has been a privilege to everyone, and I am so glad that we have all made it here to this day.

Though it was incredibly shocking and disappointing to learn how my senior year of high school would finish out, I couldn’t shake the immense gratitude I felt in my heart as I was saying goodbye to my friends and faculty, cleaning my studio, and packing up my dorm room. I was and still am grateful to have something so cherished and special as Interlochen, that losing it would cause me to feel this badly.

The year 2020 has been undeniably difficult for everyone on the face of the planet. As the next generation of young adults, we are stepping into some very troubled waters; our world, and the people living in it, need help. How unbelievably fitting this year’s theme of citizen artistry turned out to be. I am sure that you have all developed your own sense of what being a citizen artist entails, and that you have gained this understanding from your own hard work and dedication, as it is a practice which cannot be taught, but is implemented out of necessity.

In times like these, it is hard not to give into stagnation and the temptation to feel skeptical of the artist’s role in society. Though it is a struggle to consider how our art might reverse the seemingly irreversible and far-reaching issues we’ve grown up to face, who are we to deny ourselves the opportunity to try? It is not a mistake to say these are dark times. But, I would argue, it is a mistake to allow fear to paralyze you. It is a mistake to let uncertainty silence you.

Wherever you are going in the next step of your career, you will succeed. You will change the world for the better. You will find a community and help it thrive. You will inspire. As little or as well as I may know you, I believe in you.

People want to know you, and know your art. They want to hear your voice. They want to see your play, watch your movie, read your writing, look at your paintings, and listen to your music; but it is impossible if you do not let them, if you do not engage with them. This is where your humility, your empathy, and your citizenhood are most vital. As the Interlochen faculty have said to me over and over again, trust your audience. Extend your hand to them, guide them to your message, and keep the conversation as wide open as possible.

We have the power to turn our future around. Your journey with Interlochen has ended, but everything else has just begun.

Congratulations and good luck.

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Untitled - Maud Negreiff Ceramic installation

Maud Negreiff Originally from Portland, Oregon, Maud spent three summers at Interlochen Arts Camp, leading to her decision to come to the Academy as a freshman. Maud has received a National Gold Medal for her digital illustration in 2018 through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She was also the recipient of the Interlochen Arts Academy Fine Arts Award in Visual Arts in 2019. Her work explores the differences between the public and private, and she frequently operates under stream-of-consciousness modes of illustration and writing, with a heavy focus on text and image interplay. Maud will be attending Aquinas College in Grand Rapids this fall.

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A View of a Powerful Institution - Ann Zhao Oil on Canvas

Ann Zhao was born in Virginia but lived in Shanghai, China for the first 12 years of her life. She attended the Interlochen Arts Academy for four years. Ann has received a National Silver Medal in Drawing in the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She was also the recipient of the President’s Choice Award in 2019 and the Faculty Recognition Award in the 2020 Juried Student Exhibition. Ann’s work ranges from very large oil paintings to small-scale prints. The art she has accumulated in the last year are transcriptions and depictions of personal narratives serving to toy with numbness in accustomation and expectation. Through this concept and the physicality of space in her installations, Ann hopes to make her audience aware of the process of creating art, its handling, and the setting where it resides, with the ultimate goal of making fine art more accessible. Ann will be attending the Rhode Island School of Design this coming fall.

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Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Go - Ji Hu Park Sumi Ink on Paper

Ji Hu Park has lived in both South Korea and Hong Kong, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She is a four-year student of the Academy and attended Interlochen Arts Camp in 2015. Ji Hu has received two National Gold Medals for her illustrations in both 2018 and 2020 through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She was also the recipient of the People’s Choice Award and the Best in Show Award in the 2020 Juried Student Exhibition. Ji Hu’s work can be described as a physical manifestation of how her cultural identity affects her daily life, particularly family dynamics, language differences, and her transition from Asian countries to the United States. Although she uses a wide range of media to create her pieces, such as ceramics, paint, fabric, ink, and screen-printing, they always reflect an instinctually illustrative element. Ji Hu will be attending the Rhode Island School of Design this coming fall.

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P.O. Box 199 • Interlochen, Michigan 49643-0199 231.276.7200 • www.interlochen.org