Andover magazine — Commencement 2023

COMMENCEMENT 2023

PUBLISHER Tracy M. Sweet

EDITOR

DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Andover, the magazine of the Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy community, is published four times per year. It is produced by the Office of Communication at Phillips Academy, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810.

Main PA phone: 978-749-4000

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ISSN-0735-5718

© 2023 Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Nancy Hitchcock

Ken Puleo

Jill Clerkin Allyson Irish Rita Savard

Neil Evans Gil Talbot Bethany Versoy Jessie Wallner

Andover for Life

Dear Class of 2023,

The brightness of your class—in energy and personality—was all that was needed for Commencement to shine on June 4. Thank you, 2023, for being who you are as a class over these past four years and during Commencement Weekend, and for who you will be as alumni for many years to come.

While elements of Andover’s Commencement exercises have been in place for decades, others are new. Your class will always hold the distinction of processing along what is now the Chandler-Wormley Vista, an iconic space named for Abbot Academy’s first two Black alumnae, Beth Chandler and Sheryl Wormley, both Class of 1955. You then gathered on the Greener Quad, named in honor of Richard T. Greener, Phillips Academy Class of 1865, whose trailblazing work during the post–Civil War era touched the lives of faculty, students, and statesmen alike. Both spaces figure prominently into the school’s traditions, most notably graduation.

Commencement Weekend included many poignant messages shared by classmates and faculty. School co-presidents Nigel Savage and Sui Yu offered inspiring charges to keep challenging yourselves and to make an impact on other people’s lives. Emma Cheung shared, “Although we are going separate ways, the support and strength we have gained from this community will stay with us always.”

Your class expressed strength and resilience while navigating a pandemic and being separated at times in your Andover journey. You thankfully were spared storminess at key moments in June, including prom and Commencement, which was in person, with family, and together.

Your community now expands beyond this campus and includes 25,000 members of your Andover family who cannot wait to meet you. Ben Perez said it well: “We cannot wait…to celebrate each other’s wins, no matter where in the world we end up bringing our own piece of Andover home.”

At Community Convocation, athletics instructor Martha Fenton ’83, P’17, ’21, ’23, remarked, “As your time at Andover winds down, I think I can safely speak for all the adults sitting amongst you in this beautiful chapel that we hope that you, too, will always find your way home to Andover.”

She was absolutely right. Andover will always be your home, Class of 2023—and we will always be excited to welcome you back to campus. #AndoverForLife

In knowledge and goodness,

Jenny Savino P’21, ’24 Jenny Amstutz ’86 Director of Alumni Engagement President of Alumni Council

Community Convocation

“ learned that Andover isn’t meant to be done alone. If I hadn’t asked for help, I never would have opened my eyes to all of you. I wouldn’t have found my people or my community. I will always be thankful to Andover for giving me such a comprehensive education—but am most grateful to all of you. You, my classmates, friends, and teachers, have taught me that asking for help—although one of the hardest things to do sometimes—is a strength.”

Commencement Concert

“ loved being able to offer a piece of what I consider home— in the form of El Barrio Cutz, my impromptu barbershop. I have found that although my experience of having been born in El Salvador is unique to me, by creating space to hear other people’s truths, there are countless lessons, laughs, and vulnerable moments that one can use to grow as a person. You are all incredible people, doing incredible things, with incredible goals, which I know you all will achieve and even surpass.”

“Find ways to show your gratitude and love each and every day. Don’t wait for the right moment or the big moment. Random acts of kindness are just that. Random. A hug. A smile. A note or a word of encouragement…something to make someone feel seen.”

BENJAMIN B. PEREZ ’23

EMMA B. CHEUNG ’23

MARTHA G. FENTON ’83, P’17, ’21, ’23 Instructor in Athletics

Baccalaureate

“The only thing guaranteed on this Andover circle is that it keeps going. Even after we graduate, we will continue to immerse ourselves in environments that challenge us socially, academically, and emotionally, because that is who Andover has taught us to be. And when we are tasked with the obstacles of the real world that make us doubt our ability and who we are, we know that we can always come back to our Andover family so that we can all find strength together.”

“The Andover of each generation is redefined. There are aspects that recognize about your Andover and there are many I do not. There is one that strikes me as your most distinguishing feature compared to the Andover of the past. I’ve seen it at performances of all kinds and in these past few Commencement ceremonies that I have been fortunate to participate in as a trustee. It is, I believe, your superpower: the way that you celebrate one another—the eruptive, ecstatic, and very loud way that you celebrate one another.”

“When you arrived, you instantly became part of our community, and throughout the years your spirit was evident on the athletic fields, in music, in theatre and dance performances, and of course in the classroom. In every setting you cheered each other...encouraged each other...shouted out to each other. Loudly sometimes...and it felt great! Never stop doing that. Continue to show up for your friends, continue to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and, most importantly, continue to keep up that fun spirit.”

ANANYA B. MADDURI ’23

DR. KEITH T. FLAHERTY ’89, P’23

CARMEN MUÑOZ-FERNÁNDEZ Instructor and Chair, Spanish

Commencement

Address to the Class of 2023, June 4

Gand guests, our faculty and staff, faculty emeriti, and members of the Board of Trustees.

Parents and guardians, thank you for entrusting Andover with the education of your children. The pathways they have forged to arrive at this day are uniquely theirs. All they have invested in their intellectual pursuits, in their friendships, and in themselves now form the surest foundation for a bright future.

As we celebrate the Class of 2023, please join me in a round of applause for all that they have accomplished.

After last year’s Commencement ceremony an older alumnus stopped me and commented that he attended both the 2021 and the 2022

“ Your teachers can say with confidence that not only are you prepared for college, but you are also prepared for the demands of today’s society, prepared to foresee what the world needs, and prepared to conceive and create solutions that are completely unknown to us today.”

RAYNARD S. KINGTON, MD, P Head of School

“When I look at my peers in this class I am filled with hope. I see the sense of knowledge and goodness, see the spirit of non sibi, I see the soul of a people who care about others. see changemakers, see industry leaders, and I see heads of state, but most importantly I see a group that understands that they have a responsibility to serve... when I say we have an obligation to serve, I mean we have an obligation to touch people’s hearts, to make an impact on people’s lives, and to love people just as those at Andover have loved us.”

NIGEL SAVAGE ’23 School Co-President

Commencements and heard both of my speeches. He said, in that direct New England way, “You were better this year, but you still speak too fast and take too long.” So, I hope to be even better this year on both counts!

Today, I ask you to consider how you will take your Andover education into a world that is vastly different from that experienced by any previous generation. The main driver being the ubiquity of technology in your lives.

Technology puts the world at your fingertips and, ironically, makes it all too easy to retreat from real life.

It’s tempting to stay in your personal enclave, to surround yourself with likeminded people, to let technology do the work or have an outsized influence in your lives.

You may have heard about the surgeon general’s recent advisory on social media and youth mental health. He cautions that we do not have an adequate understanding of the scope and scale of social media’s impact on adolescent mental health. He faults tech companies for their lack of transparency and for limiting access to data. We know there are benefits and risks inherent in these platforms, but our knowledge of their impact is much too limited.

Of course, social media’s benefits include providing connections and affirmation for those who often need it most—marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities, for example. On the other hand, we

also know that 24/7 technology commonly exposes young people to inappropriate or harmful content and can lead to risky behaviors.

I share this, not as a public health physician looking to dampen your big day, but in the spirit of our motto, “goodness and knowledge.” Your generation ultimately will be the one to address technology’s shortcomings and to find solutions toward healthier and safer online environments. Each generation faces its own set of complicated issues that demand its attention and action. You are not the first generation to deal with the impact of technology. Even the famous 1945 Harvard report, General Education in a Free Society, discussed the implication of technological advances on education: radio, film, recordings, television. But today’s tech advances are of unprecedented complexity and magnitude. Almost all the issues you face connect to technology in some way.

I share the surgeon general’s advisory with confidence that Andover has equipped you with the skills needed to navigate toward the promise of technology and away from its pitfalls. Your teachers gave you agency in the classroom while guiding your learning. You challenged and supported one another while also staying true to your own beliefs.

Think of the reasons why you chose PA, why you chose to immerse yourself

“Given that we have been privileged with a remarkable education, it is important that we maintain this sort of curiosity. We have a greater obligation to keep challenging ourselves. A greater obligation to stay curious about our place in the world. A greater obligation to keep thinking about the question, “What now?” A greater obligation to keep feeling in awe of the world...It has been an honor and a privilege to be here with you all today. I stand here in awe of each and every one of you and my heart is full of the possibilities of what we might achieve.”

SUI YU ’23 School Co-President

in an intentionally diverse community, why a rigorous academic program was important to you.

You came to PA to learn how to think critically and independently about the world and the challenges it presents us. You came here to develop your own values and ideals, to interrogate what is right and just based on those ideals. Our job as educators is not to tell you what to think, but to teach you how to think. Unlike today’s technologies, we do not aim to predict your next move.

Your teachers can say with confidence that not only are you prepared for college, but you are also prepared for the demands of today’s society, prepared to foresee what the world needs, and prepared to conceive and create solutions that are completely unknown to us today.

As our time together comes to a close, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that you have already proven your ability to navigate the unknown. Your education and so much else was disrupted by the pandemic in real and lasting ways. Each year presented its own unique challenges, such as remote, hybrid, and HyFlex learning and Covid testing, masks, and vaccinations. You’ve been through a lot, you’ve been shaped by these experiences, you’ve been tested, and you have responded with remarkable resilience and determination.

When we invoke our goodness and knowledge founding principle, as Nigel reminded us earlier, I want to focus

on the second part of the quote: knowledge without goodness is dangerous.

I would find it hard to imagine a more concise or more prophetic articulation of today’s challenges with technology than those few words written almost 250 years ago in our school’s constitution: knowledge without goodness is dangerous.

I want to double down on this institutional value and encourage you, as newly minted alumni, to continue doing what you have done so well during your time at Andover.

Unite goodness and knowledge and ask the important questions, those that require nuanced understanding beyond what today’s technology can serve up, questions whose answers require a goodness that technology will never provide: What do others need from you? What do your family, community, discipline, and world need? Ask yourself: What is missing in these spaces? And then fill that void with those pieces of yourself that you discovered and refined as a student here.

Class of ’23, when these questions come up, lean on the foundation of your Andover experience for guidance. Your deliberate pursuit of goodness and knowledge forms a compelling case for what you will do tomorrow, next year, and well into the future.

Good luck and Godspeed! 

ANNOUNCING THE CLASS OF 2023 Alumni Representatives

The offices of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving welcome you to the Andover family. We look forward to seeing you at future alumni events here on campus and around the world!

ALUMNI CLASS PRESIDENT

Venkat Sundaram

The primary leader for the Class of 2023, the alumni class president has specific responsibilities to regularly communicate with the class. In the year leading up to your Fifth Reunion, the president serves on the reunion committee and recruits classmates to assist with reunion planning and outreach.

CLASS SECRETARIES

Sui Yu, Sebastian Altomare, and Elyse Goncalves

Class secretaries collect news from classmates and write class notes for Andover, the magazine of the Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy community. Keep in touch!

CLASS AGENTS

Melissa Chang, Bobby Corkery, Vanessa Fan, Leila Hardy, Dylan Kayser, Erin Kim, Jasmine Ma, Ananya Madduri, Jessica Xu, and Sui Yu Class agents serve as partners with the Office of Annual Giving. Agents create class-specific fundraising and marketing strategies with the goal of increasing philanthropic participation amongst their classmates.