“Keep in touch!”

The sunny music of Boston Brass matched the spring day perfectly as the Schoolhouse bell tolled and the faculty and guest speaker led Lawrence Academy’s Class of 2024 from the rotunda to the cool shade of the graduation tent. Welcoming the seniors to their last formal gathering as a class, Head of School Dan Scheibe offered parting words of advice: “The simplest advice to our seniors is just enjoy the reveal — the moment when you walk out of this space into something much bigger.”

After thanking retiring faculty members Rob and Laura Moore — who, he noted, “have dedicated a cumulative 82 years of their lives to this school” — Dan introduced two seniors, Class President Serena Chang and Maddie Gibson. Maddie presented the guest speaker: Dr. Hise Gibson, an LA trustee — and Maddie’s dad — who retired as a distinguished U.S. Army colonel in 2021, after a 25-year career, and is now a professor at Harvard Business School.

“My dad has not read this, so you get to enjoy his naked reactions to what I’m about to talk about,” Maddie told the audience at the start of her remarks. “Growing up, he always supported and encouraged me to get used to doing the hard things early … That lesson carried me through my life at LA.”

Dr. Gibson greeted the Class of ’24 with a smile. “Just focus on me for the next seven minutes,” he told them, “and if you don’t remember anything, there’s one thing I need you to be with me on right here: Keep in touch, okay?” He had the seniors repeat the phrase several times during his speech.

The first time he went to war “was hard,” Dr. Gibson shared, “but it taught me that resilience is the key to overcoming difficult situations. It’s not just about getting through tough times, it’s about how you recover from mistakes.” He urged the graduates to take charge of their lives and focus on the things they can manage, because “while you can’t control every situation,” he said, “you can always control how you respond to the situation.”

Dr. Gibson also had a message for the seniors’ parents, reminding them, “We’ve done all that we can do. We’ve done the absolute best we can to prepare them for the world. We must now all embrace this change and let it propel us towards personal growth.”

“Remember that home is not a physical place,” he told the seniors in conclusion. “It’s a feeling … that you carry with you.

The battered white Crocs that Mako Muvirimi ’24 wore when he mounted the podium to address his classmates had served him well since he entered Lawrence as a freshman. “As Myra in the dining hall always likes to remind me, they’re full of blemishes,” he said with a smile. “But, I mean, each blemish stores a memory of my past four years here with you all.” Just as Mako’s Crocs survived high school, he pointed out, “you’ve survived it, too.”

“Today is more than a congratulations,” he continued. “It’s an acknowledgement — an acknowledgement of how, four years ago, we were all six feet apart underneath those four tents. And here we are today, closer than ever, gathered under one.

You can create home wherever you are … by building relationships, staying true to your values, and by staying in touch — with friends and colleagues, your former teachers, your parents, and, above all, yourself.

“Tune in to your mental and physical well-being and have a positive outlook on the future, to use your talents and resilience, to navigate life’s challenges, and to pursue your dreams,” Dr. Gibson said. “Your potential is limitless!”

“I used to feel apart myself — not in distance, but in identity,” Mako shared. “I was born in Zimbabwe, and my parents immigrated here to the U.S. when I was three. All we brought with us was faith that things would go our way. My parents were always working to build a future for us. And whilst my parents were gone, I was doing stuff such as teaching myself English and taking care of my sister as she grew up.

“You see, growing up, I was so caught up in getting caught up that I left so many things behind. I always felt I didn’t belong,” he added. “However, I can say for certain what I’ve known and felt these past four years: As a Spartan, I’ve known belonging … and I’ve felt myself becoming — becoming confident, becoming a proud first-generation American and Black man, becoming the type of man I hope my little sister can look up to.

“You see, even though my Crocs fit me, I’ve outgrown them,” Mako said. “I’ve outgrown LA. Bittersweet as that is, we all have …

Hopefully LA gave you the same sense of belonging it gave me, because belonging gave me the permission to discover and embrace the person I’ve become and I’m still becoming.”

From behind the podium, Mako produced a shoe box and, to the raucous delight of his classmates, took off his ancient Crocs and put on a brand-new pair. “Don’t worry, though,” he explained, “because they’re still the same style, same color, because I’m still planning on being me. Just as I hope all of you plan to go on and be you. It’s time for all of us to begin our next steps as we move forward in our lives. Love you, Class of ’24, and best wishes.”

“Our time at Lawrence Academy has been filled with growth, challenges, and unforgettable memories,” began Rahma Wario Doyo ’24, the second senior graduation speaker. “We all have had unique dreams that have shaped who we are. And today we celebrate those dreams and the journey we have shared.”

For Rahma, whose journey began in Kenya, “dreams have always been way beyond the limitations imposed by tradition and circumstance. Growing up, my destiny seemed pre-determined: at the age of 12, female genital mutilation — FGM — and becoming a child bride. FGM practice, rooted in cultural tradition, was seen as a rite of passage and a way to ensure girls’ marriageability,” but good fortune, courage, and her own dreams spared Rahma that fate. “As the only girl from my hometown to apply and be accepted at M-PESA Foundation Academy in Nairobi, I dreamed to stay in school and become an entrepreneur,” she shared. Convincing her father to allow her to continue her education was “a battle, but I won it!” she said with a big smile.

The restrictions of her culture, Rahma noted, allowed her to realize one important dream: “It injected a fire in me to make a change,” she shared, further explaining, “This fire came from seeing friends my age get married and have kids. When I was in tenth grade, I started ’Say no to FGM,’ a community initiated in partnership with Kabale Foundation to help girls in my community see a brighter future. Our meetings and an awareness campaign began to make a difference. Since its inception, our program has helped over a hundred girls avoid FGM and provide educational resources and support.”

Coming to Lawrence Academy was “another turning point” in Rahma’s life, she said: “Here, I found a platform, a place to share my stories and raise awareness about FGM. In my honors writing class, I wrote about my experience, and my peers supported my risk-taking, inspiring me to continue making my dream a reality for myself and for other girls like me. I will say that for you all, who want to make your dreams come true, it’s about seeking inspiration, having mentorship like my mom, and, most importantly, moving out of your comfort zone to make what you want a reality …

“As we move forward into the next chapter of our lives, let’s continue to dream boldly,” Rahma urged her classmates in conclusion. “Our journey ahead of us is filled with endless possibilities, and with the foundation we have built here at Lawrence Academy, I know we can achieve them. Let’s make our dream a reality.”