Commencement 2010

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Margaret’s

ommencement

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Episcopal

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Christopher J. Adams Natasha Afshar Ivory A. L. Agan Fernando Almejo Jeffrey M. Askin Diana M. Barriga Sahar C. Bayat Taylor E. Bayles Ashley D. Bean Alexandra R. Blett Sean P. Burke John T. Carpenter, Jr. Brian Y. Chang Hikmat A.K. Chehabi Justin W. Cheng Spencer M. Corwin Erin R. Desmond Sourabh A. Dhillon Haley A. Dotson Jonathan R. Dreyer William H. Findiesen Alexander H. Fragapane Brent J. Freese Paige M. Gammell Leonardo Garcia Garrett J. Giacopelli Jennifer GonzĂĄlez Hunter B. Graham

Jacob S. Graham Amy L. Gutierrez Alexander S. Hanna

Christina L. Hart Matthew P. Henderson Melody N. Hernandez Melanie J. Hess Wade C. Holmes Savannah C. Holte Alexander C. Hope Jordan A. Hopper Elizabeth C. A. Hosinski Hanna E. Hurr Kyle M. Jones Kasey S. Jong Marisa A. Jue Jeffrey A. Jung Spencer W. Keane Robert J. Keith Patricia S. Kharazmi Kory J. Kiraly Kelly L. Knutson David K. Kushner Andrew S. Lind Chieh-Chih Liu Cameron H. Lukos Tyler J. Marano Ryan E. T. Marean Christina M. Massrey Kyle P. McArthur Keaton M. McCalla Connor A. McClure Asako C. Mikumo Hayley H. Miller Rebecca K. Miller Nohemi Moctezuma

Alexis-Jean Moore

Kayla Y. Moritzky

John I.

Murayama Andrew Pak CloĂŤ N. Peralez Carina N. Prynn Daniel J. W. Quinn Christine A. Reid Antigone C. Robinson Rachel R. Rohrer Sanam Saghafi Kiyana Salkeld Stacy L. Sanderson Henry E. C. Saunders Evan J. Skenderian Beatriz S. Stambuk-Torres Harrison R. Stern John T. Swanson Celine N. Toubia James M. Travis Robert W. Travis Jeffrey Tung Alfredo M. Valencia Farida Valji Catherine E. Verano Simran K. Virk John L. Wagner Katherine A.Walters Kevin S.Wang Christopher M.Wilkins Trevor B.Yorke

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School is pleased to present this commemorative publication focusing on the Class of 2010 Commencement ceremony.

For additional articles and photograph galleries highlighting the Class of 2010, including the Bishop’s Spirituality Award winner and events such as the Upper School Awards, Senior Breakfast, Senior BBQ and more, visit http://commencement.smesnews.org.

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ommencement 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Commencement Ceremony The Class of 2010 Commencement Ceremony featured addresses by Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut, the Associated Student Body President, the Valedictorian and the commencement speaker.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Marcus D. Hurlbut, Headmaster

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Commencement 2010 offers a compilation of speeches presented during ceremonies and services honoring the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Class of 2010.

B a c c a l a u r e at e S e rv ic e At this evening service, the community gathered to hear the Salutatorian Address and to give thanks for the graduating students, their families and the commitment of the school’s teachers and staff.

Editor Nicole Peddy Editorial Board Jeannine Clarke, Kathi Coleman, Stephen Harrington, Marcus D. Hurlbut, Anne Mack, Nicole Peddy Please send comments or questions to the Communications Department St. Margaret’s Episcopal School 31641 La Novia San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-2752 communications@smes.org www.smes.org For additional articles and photograph galleries highlighting the Class of 2010, including the Bishop’s Spirituality Award winner and events such as the Upper School Awards, Senior Breakfast, Senior BBQ and more, visit http://commencement.smesnews.org.

St. Margaret’s publishes responsibly. This publication is printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, using soy-based inks made from renewable resources such as natural pigments and vegetable oils.

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Candlelighting Ceremony The Upper School student body passed the “light of leadership” from the senior to junior class, inspired by addresses from the Associate Headmaster and Upper School Principal, 2010 Associated Student Body President as well as the 2011 Associated Student Body President.

Senior Banquet Graduating seniors and their families shared a meal outdoors, together with the St. Margaret’s community, listening to faculty addresses.

College Choices Learn where these recent graduates are headed in their academic careers.

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he St. Margaret’s community gathered on Gateway Field on June 12 to witness the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2010. Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut addressed those gathered, welcomed the guests, presented the Class of 2010 and gave the closing remarks.

“Good evening and welcome to the 25th commencement at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. Thank you for joining us as we gather for one last time to celebrate the Class of 2010.

“I would like to welcome and offer special thanks to Mayor Pro Tem of the City of San Juan Capistrano, Mrs. Laura Freese, who has joined us this evening. Welcome also good friend and St. Margaret’s second Headmaster Mr. Markham B. Campaigne who led the school from 1986 to 2003. Thank you for joining us this evening, Mark.

“This evening we also honor and reflect on the long and glorious career of the founding Headmaster of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, The Reverend Canon Ernest D. Sillers who passed away this past October at the age of 99. Father Sillers was an exceptional force in the world of education here in Orange County, and I am honored to have known him and to have been given the opportunity to follow in his very large footsteps. It was one of the high points of my time here to walk down the

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aisle on St. Margaret’s Day, arm-in-arm with Father Sillers and Mark Campaigne. He will be deeply missed, but his belief that ‘Every student is a scared and precious child of God’ will long endure on this campus.

“It is a long-standing tradition at St. Margaret’s for the president of the Associated Student Body, to offer a few words at this time. Please welcome Mrs. Lora Allison to introduce our speaker.”

After the Headmaster’s welcome, All-School Community Service Coordinator Lora Allison introduced the Associated Student Body President Taylor E. Bayles: “This year’s Associated Student Body President is a complex character, almost as complex as his character of James Leeds in “Children of a Lesser God” or his portrayal of Cain in “Children of Eden.” His third-grade teacher, Mrs. [Margaret] Risner, said that ‘He writes interesting stories and was wonderful in Tom Sawyer.’ And, in seventh grade, Mr. [Lance] Novotny, indicated that ‘He has what it takes to be successful in Latin and in life, illustrating both a solid academic zeal and a conscious effort to act maturely and with kindness.’

Associated Student Body President Taylor E. Bayles arrived at the podium with his greeting: “Five, four, three, two, one; metal screeches as a group of cackling adolescents hurtle into the speckled darkness of an “imagineered” universe. The air rushes past our newlyrevealed skin, much as it would in the dreams we have where we can fly. Suddenly, a flash-bulb-supernova catches the elated grins of small children, the half-squinted eyes of nostalgic parents and four shirtless dudes.

“This was the scene that took place amongst the six-dollar slices of pizza and relentlessly sanitized handrails at Disneyland’s Space Mountain that allowed a group of us to experience something defining—a completely random act. Acts as seemingly strange and senseless as these, and the memories produced from such events are some of the more important things about high school, and they are what I want to touch briefly on today.

“It is my conviction that if it weren’t for seemingly frivolous acts and events, like falling out of Wade’s moving car at one in the morning, or John Swanson hitting on a series of Harbor House waitresses, our high school experience would be a series of facts, figures, and soft-

“It is evident that Taylor’s career at St. Margaret’s has been infused with tremendous personal growth and in some ways I feel like he has taken every single one of us on the journey with him. Taylor has taken all the right steps to be a successful leader in Upper School. He demonstrated deep commitment to St. Margaret’s, driving from Lake Elsinore on Highway 74 each day to arrive on time, or almost on time. He also developed passions. He acted, he sang, he wrestled and he served. Taylor Bayles has spent ten years at St. Margaret’s opening his soul to us, as a privileged audience.

“Taylor and I have had a running joke about his uncertainty with regard to my sarcasm. But let it be known that when it comes to my appreciation of Taylor’s growth as a leader over his high school career, I am deeply sincere. It has been an honor to work with him for the past four years and know that his deep commitment to serving humankind will ultimately benefit all of us at some point again. I am pleased to introduce this year’s President of the Associated Student Body, Taylor Ellis Bayles.”

Taylor E. Bayles Associated Student Body President

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focus recollections—a disjointed mass of information, the finer points of which would soon fade, highly marketable and valuable, but somehow lacking. It is the memories that we have formed in the past four years from the actions that have taken place in the maddening lull between the milestones of our lives that will help our days at St. Margaret’s to remain emblazoned in our minds as the days when we were young, full of ideals and completely willing to dress up like pirates.

“But it is not just for the memories that I say that random acts are so important. There are only so many things you can learn from a textbook. From Benzene rings to the Byzantines, textbooks can assail you with thousands upon thousands of pages of information that can inform you and enrich your life. No one sitting in front of me today can discount the value of the education we have received at St. Margaret’s, or the compassion and foresight brought to campus and the classroom by the faculty and staff here.

But mitosis rarely teaches you about who you are outside of an academic context and it is because of this limitation that it is so necessary for us to look elsewhere for information about ourselves. For this information, some look to their hobbies, or the books they’ve read; I prefer to pick apart the events that are a result of my psyche at its most impulsive, its most elated, because this is where a glimmer of your true self lies. While reading “Pride and Prejudice” can teach you that Mr. Darcy is, indeed, most unpleasant, it will always be dressing up like a banana or Lady Gaga for no reason and nowhere near a special occasion that will teach you about the courage you never knew you had and the intense pride you can have in just how odd you can be.

“This is not to say that all impulsive actions are grasps at self-discovery, nor is it to say that we should throw ourselves into a sea of uncalculated decisions. The lives we live call for decisive, planned actions, many of which can and will have profound effects on our futures as scholars and, eventually, professionals. The world we are faced with outside the walls of St. Margaret’s is one that will require our full attention and effort. No one owes us anything, but it is because of the effort we must put into our lives and the decisions we must spend days, not seconds, calculating that makes embracing the occasional impulse so sublime.

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A l m a M at e r Hail to St. Margaret’s, gladly we praise you, Thy namesake from Scotland, a legend of love.

Home of friendship, school of our learning, Trusting in God who guides from above.

Thy halls and courtyards, church and highlands Source of knowledge, wisdom, and truth; Though we may travel the world with its treasures We’ll cherish these memories of our youth.

Refrain: So give me the school of the Tartan and the cross, The valley and the river.

To God sing thanks and praise, We shall serve you all our days, St. Margaret’s of Scotland forever.

Hail to St. Margaret’s, birthplace of scholars, Seeking the good in all women and men.

Proud of the crimson and blue of our colors, A banner of courage and peace o’er the glen.

As swallows return to San Juan Capistrano, Their history inscribed on the parchment of fame, We hold a light to a noble example, That others might follow and honor God’s name.

Refrain: So give me the school of the Tartan and the cross, The valley and the river.

To God sing thanks and praise, We shall serve you all our days, St. Margaret’s of Scotland forever.

Music adapted from a traditional Scottish melody.

Lyrics by 1982 faculty and staff.

“In closing, I exhort you; I even insist, that you take time this summer and while you’re in college to indulge in acts that, at that time, may not seem to have any intrinsic value. Even if that experience remains what it was at face value initially, you will have higher chances of watching that experience unfold into something beautiful, something that teaches you more about yourself than any philosophy class could ever hope to. Thank you for your time. We finally made it through!”

“If you’re a numbers person like I am, that’s 15 years, 131,400 hours, or approximately 7.8 million minutes and many cherished memories! We call him a “lifer.” John has been a leader both in front of the pack as well as behind the scenes. Creative and talented, he starred as James Leeds in “Children of a Lesser God,” which was recently honored as the Cappies Best Play of 2009-2010. He has starred in many other notable plays including “Children of Eden,” “Les Miserables,” “Our Town” and even played the Cat-in-the-Hat in “Seussical: The Musical.” He plays the guitar, mandolin, banjo and the harp guitar. He was instrumental in the creation and success of our Lemon-Aid Project, among many other pursuits in and around campus.

As you can see, he has made a significant contribution to the life of our school. In fact, if you joined us last night at Baccalaureate, you heard him accompany Melody Hernandez with a stirring rendition of “Stand by Me.” He is an able and well-deserved leader of this wonderful Class of 2010.

“I am pleased to introduce the Senior Class President, on his way to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall...John Swanson.”

Senior Class President John T. Swanson then presented the Class of 2010 Senior Gift, addressing those gathered:

John T. Swanson Senior Class President

After the Highlander Chorale’s performance of Enya’s “May it Be,” Senior Class Dean Steven J. Sherman introduced Senior Class President John T. Swanson: “Today is an important date for us all, especially for the graduating Class of 2010. Speaking of dates …Can you guess the year when these events occurred? O.J. Simpson was declared not guilty in his criminal trial, the San Francisco 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, Forrest Gump won the Oscar for Best Picture, the Dow closed above 5,000 for the first time, a gallon of gas was a shocking $1.09 and this year’s Senior Class President became a Tartan: 1995.

“I am a lifer. Fifteen years ago my parents enrolled me in the pre-kindergarten program here at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and ever since I have been a Tartan.

Thinking back, nearly every rite of passage I have experienced in my life was facilitated by this school; be it from preschool into kindergarten and uniforms, or my overly-optimistic passage into Middle School and the “freedoms” therein. These significant rites of passage combined with the day-to-day experiences, like my time on the bench in Lower School or frantically working on essays and PowerPoints at midnight in Upper School, have helped me grow into the man that I am today. I cannot deny that the past 15 or so years of my life have been directly shaped by this school and the opportunities it has offered me. This is a fact that every student here, both current and former, can confirm about themselves, even if they’ve been here for less than 15 years.

“I may not be very well travelled, but I think it is safe to say that St. Margaret’s is one of the few places where

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somebody can play football one semester and sing on stage the next, all while learning about the travels of Abu al-Abbas. In ways like this, we are able to take whatever we want from our school experience to become the people we are today or at least explore who we may want to be. We, more or less, have been free to take whichever path we choose and this is crucial to garner by the time we enter the real world as adults; to change the direction of our lives, for the better or worse, if we so choose.

“I cannot deny that the past 15 or so years of my life have been directly shaped by this school and the opportunities it has offered me.”

“At the center of our school there will be a sign marking the intersection of our old campus and the new, soon-tobe constructed Performing Arts Center and Middle School campus. A junction that marks the transition for Middle School students into Upper School, the point between performing arts and athletics, and the moment where past, present and future all meet. Students will be able to walk along “Tartan Way” to where it reaches this crucial point in the campus as it meets another path at an X at the heart of the campus. This four-way intersection at the focal point of our campus symbolizes what this institution truly is at its core: an environment where academics, arts, athletics and the Episcopal Church all meet. It is for this very reason that so many of us can clearly recognize the fact that this place is home to such a diversity of talent and interests; that in this school, anyone can easily find a way to find or define themselves for, as is the case at the crossroads, every opportunity is as accessible as the next.

from St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, from the Class of 1997 to the present. Every single student commemorated stood where we stand on their graduation day, at the intersection of their adolescence and maturation into adulthood and the real world. Like the sign that marks the intersection at the center of the campus, every name on these plaques will recognize a moment in an alumni’s life that goes to the core of who they truly are; a moment that everyone here is sharing now with each other.”

After the presentation of the Senior Gift, Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut again took to the podium to introduce the Valedictory speaker, Andrew Pak. “The Valedictorian of the Class of 2010 began his St. Margaret’s career in the fall of 2005. His path to St. Margaret’s, however, was significantly different from the paths of most of his classmates. Born here in California when his parents were graduate students at California State University, Sacramento, he then moved with his family to Korea when he was five. He attended elementary school in Seoul until half-way through the sixth grade when his family once again returned to the United States, leaving extended family members back in their native South Korea.

“On behalf of the Class of 2010, I am proud to present our class gift: the refurbishment of the plaques commemorating the first 11 graduating classes in the Chapel Courtyard, along with the addition of 14 more plaques to commemorate and acknowledge more than 1,000 of the nearly 1,500 students who have graduated Andrew Pak Valedictorian

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“The transition back into American culture was challenging given that his first and only language at the time was Korean. When he eventually applied for admission to St. Margaret’s, he said this about himself: ‘My special talents and abilities are in art, music and being able to learn quickly. I have very good time management skills. I am an inquisitive person and I have an excellent memory.’ No one who has taught Andrew during his St. Margaret’s Episcopal School career would disagree with this early self-assessment.

“His record at St. Margaret’s since his arrival has been a study in high achievement and breadth of involvement.

In the classroom, he has excelled in a wide range of courses from the highest level math and science courses to Advanced Placement English literature and composition.

Yet, as his teachers have pointed out, his special gift is the manner in which he goes about living his life and approaching his learning. Mr. Roland Allen comments, ‘Andrew doesn’t keep distance or put up a barrier between learning and who he is. He has complex internal churnings that seem to integrate learning with his person.

That process allows him to love every discipline and to find everything interesting.’

“Beyond the classroom, Andrew has distinguished himself as an excellent musician playing the clarinet here at school and also with the Orange County Youth Orchestra and the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra where he has earned principal or section leader in both orchestras.

“While Andrew has clearly grabbed at pretty much every learning opportunity we have, his lasting contribution to St. Margaret’s may well be through the depth and strength of his character and his thoughtful and genuine service to others. Despite his very heavy academic and extracurricular load, he has found the time, five hours of time every Saturday, to volunteer at a home for mentally and physically disabled children. Additionally, he has also used his exceptional musical talents to form a group to perform for these students once a month.

“When Andrew submitted his application to St. Margaret’s, he stated that the quality he valued most in himself and in others was honesty. In his five years here, he has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he is indeed honest, genuine and unpretentious. In keeping with the theme

for the yearbook of the Class of 2010, he very much understands and appreciates “the art of becoming yourself.”

“Yesterday when I asked Andrew if he was ready for tonight, he looked at me patiently and said quietly, ‘Of course.’ He also indicated that his speech might be a little different from those of the past. If his stellar record here is any indication, my guess is he’s right on both counts, as usual.

“Please join me in welcoming the Valedictorian of the Class of 2010, Andrew Pak.” Andrew Pak approached the podium and presented the Valedictory Address: “In light of postmodernism, one of our most recent topics in Advanced Placement English, I wanted to try something new. When I found out that I would be speaking on behalf of the Class of 2010 today, I received numerous congratulations along with a wide-range of speech suggestions. So I thought it would be fun to start with a small collection, a collage, of what people wanted me to say, not what they thought I would actually say.

“Call me A-Pak. Let me begin this collage the same way I started my Moby Dick paper junior year as Fari thought that was, ‘The most magical intro ever.’ Although I’m quite flattered, I personally do think it is a bit better than, ‘Call me Ishmael.’ So yup, call me A-Pak. Now I want to share the life-essential three Vs that Jeff Tung asked me to talk about today. One, V is for valedictorian; two, V is for victory, and most importantly, V is for V-chat. On a more serious note, my mom wanted me to use a famous quote and basically talk about life. Being the good teenage son that I am, I rolled my eyes and said that I would. So here’s a quote by an unknown author that I found online about life: ‘Life is simple, it’s just not easy.’ I think the quote explains itself quite well. Now, the next two suggestions are better explained through actions than words. This was Erin’s idea [whistles the alma mater]. And last but definitely not least, here it is to Alex and please don’t find this offensive [puts on the crown].

“I’m sorry for not being able to use all of your ideas for those who gave me awesome and inappropriate suggestions, but I feel like I have to be more directional now and talk

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about a concept that fascinated me this year. After going through countless clichés this past week or so, I decided to talk about the “story-truth” the author Tim O’Brien describes in his novel “The Things They Carried.”

“Are stories truer than what actually happens? We tell stories all the time. We laugh, cry, hate or love depending on how the stories are told even if they are about the same thing. Stories evolve constantly, and even if they are told by the same person on the same subject on the same day, they are never alike. Good storytellers never tell the truth exactly; many times, they improvise on details that never actually happen. In some cases, almost nothing about the story is true. But then do you feel cheated?

Well, no. The story-truths only make what actually happened more realistic; therefore, if you trust the story and feel a connection to it, then you believe in the “story-truth,” the truth that doesn’t exist, but is truer than what really happened.

“Life is simple, it’s just not easy.”

“Let me tell you a story. This goes way back to freshman year in the second week of Ms. [Kate] Meloney’s biology class. I used to be the most detailed note-taker...ever. I wrote every single thing down. For example, if a complicated food chain of our ecosystem was presented on the PowerPoint, its hand-drawn replica would also be in my notebook. Furthermore, everything was aligned perfectly with a ruler. It’s fortunate that my obsessive– compulsive disorder lasted only for about two years into Upper School, but that’s a whole different story. So, as usual, I took good notes in the first week of the biology class. On Monday of the following week, Ms. Meloney gave us a pop-quiz. Thankfully it was open-note because all she wanted to see was whether we were taking good notes. I was very confident. After taking the quiz, I knew I got a 100 percent. The next day, I found a 40 percent written across my name. Yep, I failed my open-note biology pop-quiz. How can you possibly fail an open-note quiz with the best notes in the class? It turns out I copied down the wrong chart...story of my life. My good friend Brian, who barely ever takes notes, if any legible, got a perfect score. That was a pretty funny wake-up call to

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Upper School and ever since then, I’ve failed many more pop-quizzes.

“You see, many things in that story were fictional, just merely created from the top of my head. To be honest, I don’t even remember which day it was, what my exact score was or what Brian got on the quiz. But the story still remains true for those who accepted the “story-truth.”

The story could even have been entirely fake, but does it matter? Didn’t the lies become the truth?

“We often believe in the “story-truth” more than the actual truth. As much as we like the stories, however, they can be dangerous. Our attraction to “story-truth” can be seen in daily lives as well. Think about how many hours girls and guys have wasted believing in the miracle of a perfect love story. How many dollars have been squandered purchasing basketball shoes endorsed by King James?

How many pounds of makeup have people gone through believing that they can look as beautiful as a famous female celebrity like Miley Cyrus? We like the “storytruth;” dream of the “story-truth;” and believe in the “story-truth” because, many times, the truth hurts.

“Stories are powerful tools because they touch upon our hearts, not so much upon our brains. As humans, we tend to be emotional beings and therefore, we are subject to be easily swayed by our own emotions. Morality, consciousness, fear and guilt can defy cold, hard logic. So with just the right story, everyone can be manipulated.

“We have countless stories told to us throughout our lives, sometimes an overwhelming amount. It’s important to realize which “truth” in our lives derived from a story because the line between the truth and the “story-truth” is often blurred. Sometimes we just have to sit back and filter out the ones that bring us harm.

“So we come back to the question: Are stories truer than reality? I think the initial answer is yes. Stories are truer to us in our hearts than the actual truth. But the more important question is: Which of those story-truths should we believe?”

“Walt has been a rock of dependability. His strength of character is a source of reliability and comfort for all of us.

“Walt doesn’t expect from anyone anything he doesn’t expect of himself. He’s optimistic about human nature, compassionate about fallible human nature and concerned more about grace than justice. In his 16 years here he has been a very popular history teacher, great cross-country track and field coach, he led our Honor Committee through complex and gut-wrenching deliberations, he has been an academic and curricular leader, he has been a great coach to new and established teachers and my confidant.

Walter E. Linaweaver Upper School Assistant Principal

After the Highlander Chorale’s performance of “Let the River Run” by Carly Simon, Associate Headmaster and Upper School Principal David G. Boyle introduced the Commencement speaker, Upper School Assistant Principal Walter E. Linaweaver: “Our Commencement address today will be delivered by my friend and a colleague of many years, Walt Linaweaver.

“We asked Walt to give this address because this will be our last chance to hear from him. He has accepted the role of Middle School principal at St. Mary and All Angels School in Aliso Viejo. Walt is joining a long list of St. Margaret’s teachers and administrators who have grown tremendously in their years here, became a sought-after commodity and were recruited to leadership positions elsewhere. Most recently Mrs. Heather Murray was lured away from here for a middle school principal position in Colorado, where she is thriving. Walt learned to be an academic leader here and will be taking his leadership skills to new challenges.

“If this were a military organization, Walt’s chest would be covered in campaign ribbons and medals–those campaign ribbons and medals would speak to his accomplishments, his honor, his diligence and his decency, in 16 years of service to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

“He’s leaving an indelible legacy – with the leadership team of the Upper School, he has helped craft a school culture where personal accountability of students is stressed and every individual’s dignity is protected – he’s upheld the faculty, he’s a careful listener to parents and he has always given students the benefit of the doubt. We wish him the best of luck in his new role.

“Please welcome, Mr. Walt Linaweaver.”

Accepting the microphone, Upper School Assistant Principal Walter E. Linaweaver delivered his comments to the community, especially to the parents and graduates gathered on Gateway Field: “Seniors, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak this evening, first and foremost, because this is a significant moment in your lives. At the conclusion of this ceremony, you will have ended one chapter of your lives and, at the very same instance, you will have begun a new one.

In a very real sense, you will have crossed the threshold into adulthood with many of the rights, privileges and responsibilities that come with it. I am also pleased to share in your Commencement Ceremony this evening because in true Tartan tradition, this is a family affair. Your parents have invested their time, resources and, most importantly, their love in an effort to provide you the best educational opportunities available. They have reason to be proud of you and themselves for making the sacrifices that come with a St. Margaret’s education.

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“Seniors, I hope that as you sit here right now, you feel a healthy sense of autonomy, an autonomy that is grounded in a sense of personal self. I believe that God made each one of us into unique persons. Consistent with this, during your years at St. Margaret’s, you have engaged in an educational program designed to shape you into individuals who can advocate for yourselves, make decisive decisions and own your own words and actions. This is what it means to take personal responsibility and to stand on one’s own two feet. These are also prerequisites for leadership.

“Honor, diligence and decency is a phrase embedded in the culture of our Upper School. The author of this phrase is the proud parent of one of you. When Mr. Tim Quinn introduced this phrase to the Upper School community while serving as principal, he hoped to bring tangible meaning to character education at St. Margaret’s.

You were mere youngsters when Mr. Quinn incorporated this phrase into the life of our school; heck, Woody wasn’t even three feet tall yet. Nevertheless, you join many other graduates who have benefited from Mr. Quinn’s wisdom.

I am confident that if you live your lives in a fashion that is consistent with these characteristics – honor, diligence and decency – your life and the relationships you forge with others will be enriched in tremendous and farreaching ways.

“In so many respects, the purpose of your St. Margaret’s education has been to help prepare you for lives of leadership. A good leader by definition serves others. To be a good leader one must remain open to lifelong learning.

Leadership, I think, is closely wedded to individual purpose. There is a reason that each of us is as we are.

Our lives are meant to make a difference.

“The wonderful Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho, who wrote “The Alchemist” and other notable works, explains something similar to this. According to Coelho, ‘We all need to be aware of our personal calling. What is personal calling [according to Coelho]? It is God’s blessing, it is the path that God chose for [each of us].’

“This emphasis on leadership is very personal to me.

Many years ago, when I was about your age, I allowed my life to spiral downward out of control to what is still the low point in my life. I will save you the sordid details, and

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simply say that, at the time, I lacked self-discipline and I was trying to be someone I was not. In essence, I was rejecting my personal calling and I felt failure in virtually all areas of my life. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to start anew at a school like St. Margaret’s. This new school became a special place for me. It instilled in me the sense that all people, myself included, have within us the ability–and I dare say responsibility–to lead. Lead not in every situation and lead not in some uniform style.

Rather, lead at a time, in a place and in a fashion that befits our individual personalities and the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

“Each one of you has the ability to lead. Every generation is in need of good leaders. I encourage you to accept your opportunities to lead, and to do so with a sense of personal confidence that is grounded in the belief that you have a unique purpose in life and it is related to others.

Whom will you inspire? To whom will you serve as a role model? What situations will occur in which you can affect positive change?

The most effective form of leadership sometimes comes from the most unlikely of sources, and this form of leadership is sometimes delivered with few if any words.

Think for a moment about a quiet, steady influence in your life; someone who has supported you through thick and thin; someone who has guided you in the right direction; someone who has helped you without fanfare or even the slightest hint of a thank you in return. Perhaps this person is your parent, or a relative, or a teacher, or a neighbor, or a friend or simply an acquaintance who has taken notice of you. Powerful influence and leadership can be delivered in the most unassuming of ways.

“Seniors, if you believe in something, don’t be afraid to express your point of view, especially if it can help other people. Progress often occurs only after conscientious individuals raise objections to whatever state of affairs exist. History provides us countless examples of this. As slow as progress sometimes seems, progress can and does occur.

“Though it is important to exercise discretion in these sorts of matters, I encourage you to give thought to what the late John F. Kennedy conveyed in his Pulitzer Prizewinning book, “Profiles in Courage.” In this book, then-Senator Kennedy presented examples of individual leaders within our country’s democratic system who defied political logic at a given moment in history because of a higher principal that they believed ought to take precedence over their popularity. Sometimes it is important to stand one’s ground, to risk being misunderstood, or to do the right thing even though others disagree. Popularity, and its close companion celebrity, are not all that they are cracked up to be, especially when they come at the expense of integrity.

“In preparing for lives of leadership, it is important for you to bear in mind that leaders of all kinds sometimes must overcome doubts – doubts that others have in them.

One rather prominent example of this is Abraham Lincoln. Throughout his life, people often undervalued Lincoln’s abilities because they perceived him to be physically awkward and strangely serious. Then, they would be surprised at how impressive he was when he spoke, especially during a campaign debate. When Lincoln was elected president in 1860, he received only 39 percent of the popular vote. In the weeks after his election, one southern state after another declared secession from the Union, due in large part to his election. Adding insult to injury, Lincoln ultimately had to be whisked into Washington, D.C. in the cloak of darkness in advance of

“You each are a gift to this world and you each possess talents and interests that are meant to shape this world into a better place for all.”

his inauguration due to the very real concern that someone would attempt to kill him upon his arrival.

Many people, at the time, were less than impressed. Over much of the next four years, as the Civil War raged on and the horrors of war spilled forth throughout our land, Lincoln was routinely castigated and even mocked in newspapers. Despite all of this, and even though he suffered from depression, Lincoln remained steadfast in his conviction that the Civil War must be waged to its conclusion so that, to use his own words, ‘This nation…shall have a new birth of freedom.’

“The very best leaders, I believe, share one trait: they have a vision that is wedded intimately to their souls and makes their time and place as leaders a natural fit. There are many examples of this from every walk of life that I leave you to consider for yourselves. However, I would like to pose this question to you: What vision will you allow to manifest inside you that will become the foundation of your leadership? Seniors, the final thought I would like to share with you about leadership is this: When you find yourself serving in a position of leadership, I recommend that you separate people’s doubts in you from people’s criticisms of you. In regards to doubts, allow them to feed your motivation and to make you stronger and more determined to succeed. In response to criticism, listen to it. Allow it to inform you. Remain flexible enough to modify your own thinking. This is what great leaders do.

This is what Abraham Lincoln did. Indeed, the president selected one of his fiercest critics to serve as secretary of war during the Civil War. That person, Edwin Stanton, proved to be invaluable to President Lincoln; and, President Lincoln proved to be unquestionably great.

“Coming full circle back to our home here, we are all blessed to be members of the St. Margaret’s community.

The school that Father Sillers founded just over 30 years ago has grown and evolved considerably over the years.

Having started with just a few trailer classrooms on a patch of weeds; look at us today. We are not perfect, no institution is; but, I believe Father Sillers’ vision for our school is perfect. Our Episcopal heritage endures through good and bad times and it is grounded in a spiritual focus centered on love of all humanity. Though we each as human beings harbor our own prejudices and selfish tendencies, our spiritual charge to love others offers us unlimited potential to overcome our personal failings.

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“In a few minutes, you each will receive a diploma that signifies the completion of your education at St. Margaret’s.

As you go forth with your lives, you carry your St. Margaret’s experiences in your hearts and minds. Allow this to provide you direction, especially in honoring God. You each are a gift to this world and you each possess talents and interests that are meant to shape this world into a better place for all. Whether you are loud, quiet, tall, short, male, female, black, brown or white; eccentric, conservative, rich, poor, funny, serious, athletic, artistic, whatever. In the end, beyond all other human traits, you are individual children of God and that makes you uniquely special. This, I believe, is why Father Sillers toiled so hard to build schools like ours.

“Remain flexible enough to modify your own thinking.

This is what great leaders do.”

“Seniors, there is something about leaving St. Margaret’s for the last time that works on one’s psyche and tugs at one’s heart. This place is different. Embrace the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing at this moment; they are an honest representation of you and they reflect the loving affect that this school community has had on your lives.

If you do this, you will honor your own legacy at this school as well as your parents and other fine people who have helped shape your experience along the way.

“In parting, seniors, I leave you with the words of Maya Angelou: ‘Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got.

Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.’

“Seniors, I wish you well.

“Thank you for your many contributions to St. Margaret’s.”

Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut took the podium once again to present the Class of 2010.

“We now come to the moment in the program you have all been waiting for, some of you for 15 years. For any

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number of reasons, the Class of 2010 is special not the least of which is that out of its 95 members, 20 began their St. Margaret’s careers in our preschool with Mrs. Ingrid Andrews who is here this evening to present the diplomas to this group of “lifers.”

“While today’s Commencement is a time to send the Class of 2010 off to new and exciting chapters in their lives, it is also a time to honor and express our heartfelt gratitude to the parents of our seniors who have been so integral to the success of this class and to the school overall. All of you have invested enormous amounts of your time and vast sums of hard-earned resources to support your children’s education, and we are deeply grateful to each and every one of you for your belief in us and your willingness to entrust your children to our care.

“We offer our special thanks also to those of you who are here this evening at the graduation of your youngest child. Many of you have been here for a long time and we sincerely hope that even though you, too, are officially bringing your St. Margaret’s Episcopal School career to a conclusion, you will return often and stay in touch.

“But now we are here to honor and bid farewell to you, the Class of 2010, and to share this wonderful moment with you. The campfire sing-a-long at the senior retreat in Ojai set the scene for a memorable year during which you joined together to set records, win awards and bring honor to yourselves and the school. The breadth and depth of your contributions have been remarkable and you have set the bar high for classes to follow.

through contributions of time to Special Camp for Special Kids, Safe Rides, J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, Habitat for Humanity and mission trips here at home and in Africa and South America.

“And of course, we will never forget the Girl Scout Cookies and Lemon-Aid. Many, many people beyond the walls of St. Margaret’s benefited from your generous spirit and enormous contributions of time and talent.

“In your four Upper School years, you have been part of 52 league championships, nine CIF team championships, and nine individual championships.

“Seniors on our football team won four consecutive CIF championships, one state championship and a total of 56 games against one loss in the past four years. Seniors on our girls’ tennis team won two consecutive CIF championships and 50 consecutive team matches in the past two seasons.

“Seniors on our boys’ volleyball team went from winning zero matches and zero games four years ago (0 and 99 or something like that) to a league and CIF championship this year.

“As actors and musicians, you took on difficult and challenging theater productions and broadened our horizons through this year’s Cappies best play, “Children of a Lesser God,” and Upper School musical, “Into the Woods.”You were integral to the continued growth of our band, orchestra and dance programs, and you left a lasting memory when the all-male section of the Highlander Chorale sang at cum laude.

“As a class you have given in extraordinary ways to a variety of community service efforts. You have amassed more than 11,000 hours of service in your four years

“The breadth and depth of your contributions have been remarkable and you have set the bar high for classes to follow.”

“But now it’s time for diplomas for, as Class President John Swanson has reminded us, ‘Alas, no matter how good and angelic we were in the eyes of the administration, we must leave.’ All of you this time!

“Mr. President, it is my honor to present to you the Class of 2010.”

After delivering diplomas to the Class of 2010, Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut delivered his closing remarks to the community: “So here we are, at the end of the line in this chapter of your lives. Congratulations to you and to your families for many years of hard work and dedication.

“As you prepare to leave the school of the Tartan and the Cross and head to 70 colleges and universities in 21 states and the District of Columbia, I hope you will take what you have learned here and make a real difference in a world that very much needs you. Remember that from those to whom much has been given, much is expected.

Your lives have been touched by a caring, compassionate and dedicated group of teachers who have broadened your horizons and deepened your understanding of our world today. My hope is that you will give to others as they have given to you and be shining lights for goodness and justice wherever you go and in whatever you do.

“In a few minutes you will stand and sing the alma mater, one last time, walk down the center aisle, gather for your final photograph in the courtyard, toss your caps in the air and like those caps, scatter in 95 different directions.

“But for one last time, take a moment and soak in the surroundings and cherish these memories of your youth.

“Safe travels and Godspeed.”

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B

ACCALAUREATE sERVICE

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t the Baccalaureate service, Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut welcomed the congregation: “The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, the Reverend Canon Robert D. Edwards, members of the St. Margaret’s Board of Trustees, parents, relatives, alumni, and friends, distinguished members of the faculty, and members of the Class of 2010 “Welcome to the 25th Baccalaureate service at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

“It is an honor to welcome you this evening at this special time of the school year.

These Baccalaureate services are part of a long tradition in schools like ours where we join together for one last time in this sanctuary to share a spiritual moment together. For many of you, this will be your last official service in this Church – a place where an important component of your St. Margaret’s education has taken place.

“As you move on to new and exciting challenges following tomorrow’s Commencement, it would be my hope that you would look back with fond feelings

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and meaningful memories about your experiences here.

From those early days for some of you in red sweaters to your presence tonight in full academic regalia, you have invested serious time here, and I would hope that your spiritual beings have been equally enriched and strengthened through the experience.

“This evening’s ceremony also marks the first time that we have gathered for Baccalaureate without the presence of the founder of our school, the Reverend Canon Ernest D. Sillers. Father Sillers accomplished a great deal in his life, but I know there was always a very special place in his heart for the Tartans of St. Margaret’s. He gave us his support to the very end as he graced us with his presence last year at this time at the age of 99.

“His was a life remarkably well led and stands as a shining example for all of us. I know he would be deeply proud of you and all that you have accomplished. Let us pause for a brief moment of silence in honor of Father Sillers.

“Tomorrow is truly a new beginning for all of you – a little scary and daunting for some, invigorating and inspiring for others. No one can accurately predict what will happen in the coming chapters of your lives, but we do know one thing for sure: After tomorrow, your lives will be different and, I deeply hope, better. Your parents, your teachers and your friends have brought you to this exciting time when you stand on the edge of a great adventure. You are ready.”

David G. Boyle Associate Headmaster and Upper School Principal

After a moving rendition of “Stand by Me” performed by Seniors Melody N. Hernandez and John T. Swanson, Associate Headmaster and Upper School Principal David G. Boyle introduced the Class of 2010 Salutatorian Rebecca K. Miller: “Our Salutatorian is a young woman of immense intellect, determination and decency. Rebecca Miller has earned the honor of being our Salutatorian this year because her academic record is nearly perfect. Rebecca has been one of the top students in every course that she has taken here.

She is solid, strong, dedicated and devoted.

“Her enthusiasm and her curiosity delight her teachers.

She is hungry for knowledge, soaking up class readings, seeking extra work on her own and consistently setting the example for what an ideal student can be. However, nothing that Rebecca does in our academic community is for a grade.

“Rebecca is an exquisite actress. She approaches her art with deep intellectual inquiry, drawing the audience in with her passion and commitment to her characters. She has starred in every fall play during her time in Upper School because she was born to be on stage.

“Rebecca is held in high esteem by our faculty and other students. There is no one on campus, no one, who is more reliable than Rebecca.

Seniors Melody N. Hernandez and John T. Swanson

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“She has a tremendous spirit and embraces life with a natural smile and optimism. She hungers for social justice.

She has a generous and compassionate heart. She hectored us for years into buying more Girl Scout Cookies than were really healthy for us and turned around and donated the proceeds to her favorite charity. Rebecca brings joy and a jovial energy into each situation.

“Rebecca will be attending Yale University in the fall, and we at St. Margaret’s are going to have to fill a gaping hole of talent and leadership in every facet of St. Margaret’s life in which she was involved.

“Please welcome, Rebecca Miller, our Salutatorian.”

Salutatorian Rebecca K. Miller approached the podium and addressed those congregated in the Church: “Last year, Mr. [Peter] Clark asked each of us to write down three words that best described ourselves and our years in Upper School. While the rest of my advisory chose adjectives like “friendly,” “happy” and “funny,” I knew immediately which three words best summed up my high school experience. These words individually mean little, but, when combined, they produce, in my heavily biased opinion, the most wondrous and delicious phrase: “Girl Scout Cookies.”

“For the last three years, I have spent one-third of each school year counting your pre-orders, appealing to all of you in convocation to pick up your boxes and tracking down the money you owed me for your Thin Mints. I associate Girl Scout Cookies with much of my life here at St. Margaret's because I have spent so much time selling them to every single student and member of the faculty and administration. In addition, they are the perfect metaphor for our journey as a class through Upper School.

“We started Upper School as Shortbreads, those exceptionally bland, pale cookies. That’s first semester, freshman year. Everyone’s schedule was identical, and we had no privileges or responsibilities. We were still trying to find our interests and our friends, and were uncertain about our place in the Upper School. All we knew was that as first-semester freshmen, we were the absolute

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Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut and The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno stand alongside Salutatorian Rebecca K. Miller

bottom of the food chain. It didn’t help that most of us were short. Some of us just ended up staying that way.

“By our second semester, we progressed from the boring Shortbread to the slightly more thrilling Tagalong. We developed a vague understanding of what our interests were, and we all had our idols, be it the quarterback or the lead in the musical. And although none of us really knew at that point what being a second-semester senior was, we all wanted to be one. We knew everyone in the entire Upper School and we tried to be like them. We really were Tagalongs, just trying to keep up and fit in.

“Sophomore year, on the other hand, offered new opportunities: electives and honors classes, better roles in school productions, more game time, and finally some respect, this time from a new crop of freshmen. This sudden explosion of variety was as novel and exciting as an exotic caramel and coconut Samoa.

“By the second semester, we found our niches. Be it through extra-curricular activities or academics, we were all solidly situated in the Upper School with the stickiness that binds the two oatmeal cookies in a Peanut Butter Sandwich.

“Only one cookie represents the frenzy of our junior year.

As I'm sure all the graduating seniors and all of the parents will agree, junior year is hell. Between SAT prep, finishing

that Document Based Question due in C Block during convocation, rehearsals, sports practices, research papers, more SAT prep and planning college trips, a junior’s life is a frenetic cycle of worries and distractions represented by the dizzying name of the Daisy Go Rounds.

“And once the heinous junior year was over, we were finally seniors, set to graduate after just two more semesters at St. Margaret’s. As everyone told us over and over, we were now the leaders of this school community.

As first-semester seniors, we were the Lemonades, a perfect symbol because of the fundraiser by that name that the leadership groups organized.

“Then we became second-semester seniors, the most envied of all St. Margaret’s students. For example, everyone in the Upper School wants to text without the fear of Mr. [Steven] Sherman confiscating their cell phones, but only we could do that. After completing our college applications and achieving a score of 90,000 on Doodle Jump during our third free block of the day, we achieved ultimate coolness, just like the most popular cookie in America: The frozen Thin Mint.

“But ten expulsions and four years of Connor’s birthdays later, we are now beyond even the Thin Mint. Since the first day of our Independent Senior Projects, we have begun the process of separation. Although tomorrow is Commencement, which implies a beginning, it is also a farewell, as so many of the people in this room will never see each other again. After up to 15 years at St. Margaret’s, we are ready to leave, but before we can, we must say to the individuals who have guided us to this point, ‘Thank you.’ Or, like the name of my favorite Girl Scout Cookie, “Thanks-A-Lot.” So, on behalf of the Class of 2010, to the administration, to the faculty, to the staff, to our families, to our friends and to our classmates, for all you have done for us, for all your dedication, hard work and love, we say, ‘Thanks-A-Lot.’” As the Salutatorian Address was completed, The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, Chairman Bishop Diocesan of The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles took the podium and addressed those gathered: “I had an interesting day. It started out at the Jewish Community Center in Silverlake, California in Los

Angeles. There, we were celebrating the fact that the Episcopal Church and the Jewish community got together to make things happen. We got together to save a preschool—to put a place together so that kids could come and start their life of socialization. When I was listening to you talk, I thought about the fact that socialization is probably one of the most important things, and sometimes, I think, I’ve been stuck as a Tagalong.

Tagging along and trying to be something in the world is really a hard thing. I hope that none of you ever do that because the radiant people I saw walking in this room are points of light—points of light that will illumine not only your path but the path of the people with whom you come in contact. By relationships, by sharing your heart with one another, by being honest and true and faithful to who you are as a person, you will change this world. You’ll make it a better place. A place where there is not so much hatred. You’ll make it a place where there is more love, understanding and compassion for one another.

“I don’t know about any of you, but I know about me, and in my life I’ve been called to a place to make sure that I tolerate other human beings. Toleration is a terrible gift to give anyone, and I learned that at a time when people were telling me to not be upset, to not push for what I believed in, that toleration was a disease. A dis-ease.

I needed to move from the point of toleration to acceptance of other human beings as exactly who they are and where they came from. In my life, I started out in East Los Angeles and grew to an adulthood where I played football. I thank God that my kids have college educations because of the dedication of the Denver Broncos and the money that my wife, Mary, and I saved, and the willingness we had to invest in their lives. At this point in my life, there is not much more I could have or want. So I began to realize that the most important thing in my life was being that point of light to other people. Being that point of light that made other people’s lives transformed; made their lives abundant.

“I have to tell you, I like earning money. I’ve owned a construction company – a big one – and we’ve made some money from that. I’ve run a restaurant corporation that’s been existent for 85 years and we’ve done that. I’ve been a priest now for almost 33 years, and I haven’t made hardly any money at that. My kids were able, or our kids, excuse me dear, I didn’t have as much to do with it as you

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did. And she’s only five-foot-one. Our kids [who attended Campbell Hall] had the same kind of education you have at St. Margaret’s. In fact, on occasion, it’s pretty hard on the football field when Campbell Hall and St. Margaret’s are together. We became points of light in their lives. And one of the things we told them is something I want to share with you right now: Find out who you are. Know to whom you belong. And reach for the stars.

“There is nothing you cannot accomplish – any one of you. I know when I was graduating from high school, I thought I knew it all. I thought, ‘Boy, college is going to be a skate.’ It was, until I got in trouble a few times. My parents had eyes in the back of their heads or they had a dean calling them. What I did learn is to stand on my own two feet; to have a level playing field in front of me where I could transform the world around me by my behavior.

Think about it for a minute. What are the things that you’ve done in your life that helped to transform this world, to make it a better place for every human being in this world to live? I don’t care what faith you are, whether you are Buddhist or of Islam, whether you’re Muslim, or whether you are Christian or Jewish; the tenets are the same. You are to make this world a better place so that other humans can live abundant and powerful lives.

“I’ve been blessed to do a lot of things in my life by accident. Has that ever happened to you? All of a sudden you get caught up in something and sometimes it’s what you know you should do and other times it’s knowing that you shouldn’t do it? Well, in my life, I’ve ended up in places from Selma to Montgomery marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. I’ve built a friendship with Desmond Tutu that Mary and I share together. He loves her much more than he likes me. I’ve been blessed to be a pastor to three presidents of the United States, and I won’t tell you who they are. But nothing has been ever more important in my life than standing in front of you now and asking you to be all that you can be. Let the radiance of your heart, the fullness of your spirit and the strength of your being be known in the world around you.

“Don’t ever be a Tagalong. Don’t ever try to just fit in.

But be that point of light that extends out farther than you ever imagined you would go. Invent a new processor.

Invent a car that will go more than 100 miles on one charge. Invent a computer that is faster and more useable

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than the iPad. Invent the iPhone for the next generation.

You can do all these things and you can care about people at the same time. In my own life, the thing that I want most for our kids is that they have joy. In reading the Lessons for today, you’ve talked about life, you’ve talked about strength and you’ve talked about joy. Find what gives you joy and let your life be transformed by that.

“Now it’s simple for me to stand up here and give you all these platitudes and tell you that you’re going to do great things and everything’s going to be wonderful. I didn’t have to take advanced placement exams this time around.

I didn’t have to take my SATs over again so we could make sure the numbers were high enough. I didn’t have to sit by the mailbox every day and wait for the letters of acceptance to come. And, I didn’t have to look happy when the letters of acceptance that I wanted most weren’t there – at least not this year. After it is all said and done, what matters is what you do with your life from this day forward; how you treat one another, who you are in a relationship with and if you are honest, faithful, wonderful and kind. If you do these things and you learn the things that you need to learn in order to do your professional work, then the world is going to be a wonderful place where you are truly a point of light.

“I want to leave you with an image. How many of you know what an infinity sign is? If you don’t, then raise your hand; your parents didn’t get their money’s worth. I want you to take and put in the right side of that infinity, Grace. G-R-A-C-E, and it’s not being able to walk in the heels that some of you gals have on. It’s Grace, knowing the power of God, the force of your spiritual being that dwells within you. In the other side of that infinity sign, I want you to put Effort. By the grace of the love of your parents, by the grace of what you believe in, by the grace of this school, nothing can be accomplished if you don’t put in the effort. Where that infinity sign comes to that center point, that’s where the abundance of your life will come. That’s where you’ll learn what your power is and that’s where you’ll be able to touch the hearts of other human beings so that their eyes come alive and they become more human. I challenge you: Find that point and make sure that you are fully human, an ethical, caring and vital human being, a part of a community where you can strengthen and uplift one another with abundance.”

C

Andlelighting ceremony

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n his address at the beginning of the Candlelighting ceremony, Associate Headmaster and Upper School Principal David G. Boyle summarized the ceremony’s meaning and explained how it should be remembered by the graduating class as symbolic of the light of leadership, creating a bond between students and community members, whether they are friends, family or teachers: “Today is the Candleighting ceremony. We’ll witness the passing of the flame of leadership from the Class of 2010 to the Class of 2011. The light that will soon glow from these candles is a link to the past and the tradition of leadership that has marked each St. Margaret’s class. On the one hand, we honor the seniors in this important passage that foretells Commencement in a few short weeks. On the other, we assure all present that the juniors will carry forward the spirit that fills the community now, with no loss of continuity.

“In a few moments, the seniors and juniors will light their candles and bring light to the darkness. Here today, in the glow from these candles, is the light of leadership.

And here today is the light that serves in memory for all time as a constant reminder and beacon of the love of friends, the love of family, the love of teachers and the love of your school.

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“I will sorely miss this class’ spirit, warmth, love but most importantly their leadership, which they are now ready to pass on to our newest group of seniors.”

After lighting his candle, Associated Student Body President Taylor E. Bayles addressed those assembled: “This candle, despite its small size and simple construction, serves as a significant symbol of the role that the seniors of the Class of 2010 have inhabited since September. In a matter of minutes we will light the candles of the next group of seniors, the Class of 2011.

“In a strictly literal sense, this won’t mean very much. Fire will be passed from wick to wick, we will rearrange our Chapel seating and we will all move on with our daily lives. Seniors will contemplate their last days at St. Margaret’s, Advanced Placement Latin students will dread tomorrow’s exam, and some of the underclassmen will probably remember today’s lunch better than this ceremony.

“Symbolically, however, the seniors will be endowing the frequently-referenced “flame of leadership” to the Class of 2011. Whether or not you feel this phrase has been over used or played out, it remains a powerful symbol of the leadership that every class of exiting seniors has earned.

Through our time at St. Margaret’s, the Class of 2010, like all other classes, has encountered trouble, overcome challenges and gathered a mass of experience.

“In essence, our careers here at St. Margaret’s have served as a crucible, one that has taken us from the raw, naïve materials we were when we walked into our first A Block class freshman year—not knowing exactly what the Tartan Center was or why everyone was so enthralled with Mr. [Dallas] Clemmons—into the people that we pride ourselves in being today; people who have proven ourselves qualified and experienced enough to be guardians of the flame for the last eight months. It is with a certain deserved reverence that we relinquish it to the Class of 2011. Just as we proved ourselves worthy of garnering the glances of freshmen seeking some form of role model for their high school experience, you have all proved yourself worthy of the benefits and expectations that accompany the advancement in title you will receive at the beginning of the next school year.

“As for the current seniors, when we extinguish our candles

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today it will not mean an end to our role as leaders and metaphorical light-bearers, but a signal that we all must leave and seek new light elsewhere. Regardless of where we find our next candle—our next crucible—we will be able to rest easy in the knowledge that we did our best to model what it means to carry what is symbolized by this small, simple flame.”

As the Class of 2010 passed the flame of leadership to the Class of 2011, Blakely E. Collier, Associated Student Body President for the Class of 2011, took the podium: “Juniors, we have now taken on the leadership of the school from the seniors.

“The seniors have guided us from when we were freshmen to when we became upperclassmen with them this year.

They have been with us each step and given us many lessons we should use when we become leaders. Above all the things they have taught us, we should take their spirit of pursuing what we believe in.

“With this new role of becoming leaders, many different challenges lie ahead that we must take on. First and foremost we have the responsibility and expectation of setting the example for the rest of the Upper School. We need to step up and show everyone the type of class we know we are and we know we have been for all these years. Yes, this can be a daunting task of having to be the mold of what a grade should be and, even though at times we’ve had our struggles and have had to overcome obstacles, as a grade we’ve come through it. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.’ All of our trials over the years have helped us become the grade we are today, but through the different obstacles, I have never doubted in our ability to lead and be responsible.

“We have always stepped up to the challenge set in front of us and exceeded expectations, in our own way. Next year as seniors, we will lead the Upper School with the experience and knowledge that we have acquired over our years at St. Margaret’s. We have an unbelievable amount of talent and spirit in the Class of 2011 that I know next year will set a new precedent of what is expected of a senior class. So, let’s begin and make the most of an unforgettable year.”

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enior banquet

Mr. Steven J. Sherman Senior Class Dean

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mid the festive atmosphere of the outdoor Senior Banquet, Senior Class Dean Steven J. Sherman presented the Class Recognition: “Seniors… though we all know you’ve come to the end of your Upper School experience, it is equally true that education is a lifelong pursuit and yours has only just begun. It’s that time of year when we take time to celebrate your many accomplishments, your diligent work in the classroom, stage and field, and your advancement into college. It’s also the time of year when you hear many people give you advice on living life like ‘Chase after your dreams’ or ‘Luck shines upon those that prepare…’ I’m not sure that I have such wise advice. Instead, I simply want to remind you of our focus this year. We celebrated our 30th anniversary as a school by celebrating community and how each of us can serve others. From our school-wide Lemon-Aid fundraiser to Stacy Sanderson’s recent Chapel homily about her experience at IHOPE, your year has been interwoven with many such serving opportunities. My only advice is to continue that commitment and service to others.

“While thinking about what to say to you tonight, I attempted to be very 21st century. I surfed the Web in search of just the right quote or colloquialism that would fit the moment. What I found were many wonderful and wise words from several influential people in history. Though in my mind, I kept returning to the wisdom of one of our own. These profound nine words resonated off the walls of our Chapel at our recent Candlelighting ceremony. When I first heard them, I was struck by their

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practicality and foresight. Sometimes the wisest advice comes from someone close to you. It was our very own Associated Student Body President, Taylor Bayles who said, ‘Seniors, blow out your candles… NO! Don’t do it!!!’

That shrewd directive was wise advice. Candles are wonderfully symbolic of many things. The candle symbolizes light in the darkness of life especially individual life. It provides illumination. It brings to mind ideas of leadership, warmth and light. I too, urge you to keep your candles lit, to share them with others, to provide warmth and light for others to benefit.

“Seniors, though you are so close to leaving us, remember that you will always have a home here. Whether you belonged to Carlton, Oxford, Belmont or York… whether you were a lifer here at St. Margaret’s or only recently joined us… know that you will always be a part of our community and that there will always be a candle lit here for you.

“St. Margaret’s is a school where one does not simply attend but rather a school where a person belongs. That type of belonging doesn’t happen by mistake or accident.

It’s in the overall design of our program. St. Margaret’s takes over your family and your life. That sense of belonging is built by participating in the life of the school outside the classroom. That’s why you’ve heard us say we don’t want to get bigger, only better. Seniors, I’d like your cooperation in a quick exercise that will drive home my point. I’m going to be asking you to stand if you’ve participated in various activities. But once you find yourself standing, please remain standing. It won’t take long; nothing like the all-school photo. So here we go.

“Seniors, please stand if you have ever addressed our student body on a serious topic in convocation.

“Please stand if you have ever addressed the student body on a serious topic in Chapel.

“Please stand if you have ever served on the Honor Committee.

“Please stand if you have ever served on the Associated Student Body or have been a class officer.

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“Please stand if you have ever had artwork displayed on campus.

“Please stand if you have ever served as a peer counselor.

“Please stand if you have ever served with Special Camp for Special Kids.

“Please stand if you have ever served on the worship or Chapel Committee.

“Please stand if you have ever performed the National Anthem at a sporting event.

“Please stand if you have ever participated in Safe Rides.

“Please stand if you have ever participated in choir.

“Please stand if you have ever had a speaking role such as reading scripture in an Eucharist.

“Please stand if you have ever been a member of an athletic team here at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

“Please stand if you have ever started a club here.

“Please stand if you have ever served on the yearbook or newspaper staff.

“Please stand if you have ever performed in a play.”

my best on the exam and turned in my papers when I finished. Failing that course and accepting responsibility led me to change my major to something I really love and enjoy…history. So what seemed a bad thing initially— failing a course—actually turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. Moreover, I had not compromised my integrity for a grade and it helped me realize that engineering was not for me and that a grade is only a grade. Although at the time it was one of the hardest decisions I had ever made, today I look back at that decision as probably the second best one I have ever made. The best decision by the way was marrying Cate Yoder some 30 years ago this week.

“Core values are our compass in life and tonight I would like to discuss another value which St. Margaret’s prepares you well for; that is involvement in your community.

Mr. Robert “Rocky” Parker Upper School History Teacher and Golf Coach

Preceding the pictorial tribute to the Class of 2010, Upper School History Teacher and Golf Coach Robert “Rocky” Parker addressed the community gathered at the Senior Banquet: “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Hurlbut, Mr. Boyle, distinguished guests, fellow faculty, parents, friends and especially the Class of 2010. I would like to begin my remarks tonight by acknowledging all the seniors and thanking you as a class for inviting me to speak this evening. There are many gifted and talented individuals here at St. Margaret’s and because of this I consider it a distinct privilege and honor to be asked to speak tonight.

“Here at St. Margaret’s we take great pride in our core values which emphasize the importance of integrity and responsibility. Integrity and responsibility are two characteristics that will be sorely tested in college as no one takes class attendance and often times exams are given unsupervised. In fact, during my freshman year, I was taking a final in Calculus 103 and needed a B to pass the course. The professor passed out the exam and walked out of the class with the instructions to drop the completed test in the math department’s office. Many of my fellow students quickly opened their books and began to look up the answers. For some reason I chose not to and I did

“The school espouses that personal growth and awareness are best fostered through the pursuit of a broad range of academic, artistic, athletic and co-curricular activities.

Because of its size and ethos, St. Margaret’s, in order to accomplish these attributes, essentially demands that you become involved in the school community. Just look around the room and ask how many of you are involved in sports. How many are involved in the arts whether it be visual, musical, performing or the support crew? How many of you are involved in formal leadership roles like peer counseling? The Associated Student Body? The Honor Committee or Admissions Ambassadors? How many of you have been recognized for your leadership in the classroom by being named to the Honor Roll or Headmaster’s Honors? The fact is that nearly everyone in this room has regularly contributed to the school community. You have made this a better place by your personal involvement in the life of St. Margaret’s.

“So as you go off to school, the question is, how will you get involved in your university? Despite the social merits of being involved in a sorority or fraternity, this is not what I am talking about. Rather I am asking how will you continue your involvement in your school community in college? You have excelled here because you were in an environment that encouraged your participation and involvement in community, service and learning. Will you continue to pursue and follow this philosophy into college? Will it be through athletics like Tain Lee, Class of

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2008, who recently won the Division III NCAA Individual Championship in Men’s Golf and whose dream is one day to play in the Masters? Will it be like Rowley Rice, Class of 2009, who is not only active in theater but busy in campus politics while pursuing a dual major in history and political science at Georgetown University?

Or will it be like Danielle Graham, Class of 2006, who is finishing her senior year at the University of Pennsylvania and preparing to take the MCATs for admission into medical school.

“The fact is all these students were just like you—products of an excellent school which demanded academic excellence and involvement in the community. They all have dreams and are doing their best to realize them. What are your dreams and what do you see in your future?

“Hunter Graham and I were talking on Friday, following the awards ceremony, when he said, ‘It’s neat to see people get recognized Mr. Parker, but high school is over and I’m looking forward to the future.’ His remarks made me think of our guest speaker just a week ago from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Doctor Michael Gernhardt. I wondered where Dr. Gernhardt thought his future was when he was in high school? Was he a kid when he heard President Kennedy announce his support of the Apollo program before a joint session of Congress in May 1961? How did he get involved in the Space Program and what were his dreams?

“I was living in Bangkok, Thailand in 1969 when President Kennedy’s dream became a reality. It was nearly three in the morning when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. We were watching it on television with the volume muted so we could hear the English on the FM radio. I can still remember Walter Cronkite announcing the Apollo lunar craft had landed and through the static, heard

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the words of astronaut Neil Armstrong, ‘One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind’ being broadcasted.

My mom had kept us up late that night to hear and see this historic event. She told me to go open the bottle of champagne and pop the cork off our fifth-story balcony in celebration. Our apartment complex was comprised of 24 units and six stories. All inhabitants were American families whose fathers were in Vietnam. When I came back from the balcony with the open champagne bottle, I told my mom that all the other apartment lights were totally out and that everyone was asleep. She told me to go fetch the fog horn she had for burglars and to go back out onto the balcony and blow the horn until everyone else’s lights came on. When all other 23 apartment lights came on, she said, ‘Good. Have a sip of champagne and let’s all go to bed; it’s late. Isn’t it great to be an American?

We are on the moon.’

“Of course the point of the story was that we were involved in this historic moment and not asleep like the rest of the apartment building residents. And though we were not in space, we were part of President Kennedy’s dream. It is like being a teacher and mentor at St. Margaret’s who gets to hear about all the success, dreams and enthusiasms of their student’s college experiences.

“So what I would like to charge you with tonight is to take those dreams and make them a reality. If you don’t like something, get involved and work for change, be passionate about your values, work hard and get involved in your community. Don’t compromise your core values and make the world a better place. Remember sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.

“I would like to end my remarks tonight by paraphrasing the lines from one of the great classic television shows, “Star Trek.”

Education: The final frontier These are the voyages of the Starship, Tartan 2010 Its five-year mission To explore strange new worlds To seek out new life and new civilizations To boldly go where no man or woman has gone before “Thank you, Class of 2010. I wish you fair winds and a following sea. God bless and Semper fidelis.”

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ollege choices

Christopher J. Adams Leonardo Garcia University of California at Santa Barbara University of California at Davis

Kory J. Kiraly University of California at Los Angeles

Antigone C. Robinson Loyola University Maryland

Natasha Afshar University of California at Irvine

Garrett J. Giacopelli California State University, San Marcos

Kelly L. Knutson University of Wisconsin at Madison

Rachel R. Rohrer Northern Arizona University

Ivory A. L. Agan The Ohio State University

Jennifer Gonzalez University of California at Santa Cruz

David K. Kushner Saddleback College

Sanam Saghafi Saddleback College

Fernando Almejo University of La Verne

Hunter B. Graham The Ohio State University

Andrew S. Lind Boston University

Kiyana Salkeld University of California at Berkeley

Jeffrey M. Askin University of Colorado at Boulder

Jacob S. Graham University of Utah

Chieh-Chih Liu University of Southern California

Stacy L. Sanderson Texas Christian University

Diana M. Barriga Connecticut College

Amy L. Gutierrez Barnard College

Cameron H. Lukos Pitzer College

Henry E. C. Saunders Irvine Valley College

Sahar C. Bayat Saddleback College

Alexander S. Hanna University of Washington

Tyler J. Marano Loyola Marymount University

Evan J. Skenderian Saint Mary’s College of California

Taylor E. Bayles Kenyon College

Christina L. Hart University of Pennsylvania

Ryan E. T. Marean Fordham University

Beatriz S. Stambuk-Torres Pitzer College

Ashley D. Bean Georgetown University

Matthew P. Henderson Biola University

Christina M. Massrey Tufts University

Harrison R. Stern Villanova University

Alexandra R. Blett University of Oklahoma

Melody N. Hernandez New York University

Kyle P. McArthur Whittier College

John T. Swanson Carnegie Mellon University

Sean P. Burke St. Edwards University

Melanie J. Hess University of California at Berkeley

Keaton M. McCalla Northeastern University

Celine N. Toubia The George Washington University

John T. Carpenter, Jr. Brigham Young University

Wade C. Holmes University of San Francisco

Connor A. McClure Montana State University at Bozeman

James M. Travis Wake Forest University

Brian Y. Chang Carnegie Mellon University

Savannah C. Holte Brown University

Asako C. Mikumo New York University

Robert W. Travis Washington and Lee University

Hikmat A. K. Chehabi Claremont McKenna College

Alexander C. Hope University of Oregon

Hayley H. Miller University of Southern California

Jeffrey Tung Northeastern University

Justin W. Cheng University of California at Berkeley

Jordan A. Hopper Juniata College

Rebecca K. Miller Yale University

Alfredo M. Valencia Pitzer College

Spencer M. Corwin Whitman College

Elizabeth C. A. Hosinski Westmont College

Nohemi Moctezuma Northeastern University

Farida Valji University of California at Berkeley

Erin R. Desmond Seattle University

Hanna E. Hurr University of Southern California

Alexis-Jean Moore Saint Mary's College of California

Catherine E. Verano Hillsdale College

Sourabh A. Dhillon New York University

Kyle M. Jones University of California at Riverside

Kayla Y. Moritzky Swarthmore College

Simran K. Virk Wellesley College

Haley A. Dotson Hofstra University

Kasey S. Jong Boston College

John I. Murayama University of Washington

John L. Wagner University of California at Santa Barbara

Jonathan R. Dreyer University of California at Berkeley

Marisa A. Jue University of San Francisco

Andrew Pak Davidson College

Katherine A. Walters Villanova University

William H. Findiesen Wesleyan University

Jeffrey A. Jung Lehigh University

CloĂŤ N. Peralez University of Denver

Kevin S. Wang University of Washington

Alexander H. Fragapane Georgetown University

Spencer W. Keane Emerson College

Carina N. Prynn University of Southern California

Christopher M. Wilkins The George Washington University

Brent J. Freese California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Robert J. Keith Southern Methodist University

Daniel J. W. Quinn Pepperdine University

Trevor B. Yorke University of Colorado at Boulder

Patricia S. Kharazmi University of California at Irvine

Christine A. Reid University of San Diego

Paige M. Gammell College of Southern Nevada

Commencement 2010

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S t.

Margaret’s

Episcopal

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School

lass of

2010

Christopher J. Adams Natasha Afshar Ivory A. L. Agan Fernando Almejo Jeffrey M. Askin Diana M. Barriga Sahar C. Bayat Taylor E. Bayles Ashley D. Bean Alexandra R. Blett Sean P. Burke John T. Carpenter, Jr. Brian Y. Chang Hikmat A.K. Chehabi Justin W. Cheng Spencer M. Corwin Erin R. Desmond Sourabh A. Dhillon Haley A. Dotson Jonathan R. Dreyer William H. Findiesen Alexander H. Fragapane Brent J. Freese Paige M. Gammell Leonardo Garcia Garrett J. Giacopelli Jennifer GonzĂĄlez Hunter B. Graham

Jacob S. Graham Amy L. Gutierrez Alexander S. Hanna

Christina L. Hart Matthew P. Henderson Melody N. Hernandez Melanie J. Hess Wade C. Holmes Savannah C. Holte Alexander C. Hope Jordan A. Hopper Elizabeth C. A. Hosinski Hanna E. Hurr Kyle M. Jones Kasey S. Jong Marisa A. Jue Jeffrey A. Jung Spencer W. Keane Robert J. Keith Patricia S. Kharazmi Kory J. Kiraly Kelly L. Knutson David K. Kushner Andrew S. Lind Chieh-Chih Liu Cameron H. Lukos Tyler J. Marano Ryan E. T. Marean Christina M. Massrey Kyle P. McArthur Keaton M. McCalla Connor A. McClure Asako C. Mikumo Hayley H. Miller Rebecca K. Miller Nohemi Moctezuma

Alexis-Jean Moore

Kayla Y. Moritzky

John I.

Murayama Andrew Pak CloĂŤ N. Peralez Carina N. Prynn Daniel J. W. Quinn Christine A. Reid Antigone C. Robinson Rachel R. Rohrer Sanam Saghafi Kiyana Salkeld Stacy L. Sanderson Henry E. C. Saunders Evan J. Skenderian Beatriz S. Stambuk-Torres Harrison R. Stern John T. Swanson Celine N. Toubia James M. Travis Robert W. Travis Jeffrey Tung Alfredo M. Valencia Farida Valji Catherine E. Verano Simran K. Virk John L. Wagner Katherine A.Walters Kevin S.Wang Christopher M.Wilkins Trevor B.Yorke

S t. M a r g a r e t ’ s E p i s c o p a l S c h o o l

31641 La Novia

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675