End-of-Year Events

While the month of May is normally filled with end-of-year traditions, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic forced many of these events to be canceled or held virtually.

End-of-Year Events

On the “last day of school,” each class met online for their Final Assembly, where teachers and students reflected on the historic 2019–2020 school

year. The Athletic Banquet was also moved online, with a special webpage to honor student-athletes in a year that saw fall and winter sports disrupted by a tornado and the spring season canceled entirely.

Although the Class of 2020 did miss out on traditions like Baccalaureate and Marksmen Ball, the experiences they did have embodied what the Senior Class stood for: resiliency, persistence, courage, and honor. On what would have been their last day in blue shirts, the administration came up with a way for the Class to leave their mark one final time. The seniors drove through campus and were greeted by faculty members with smiles and cheers. One at a time, each boy stopped outside Nearburg Hall and delivered his blue shirt to adorn the Perot Quadrangle sign.

Two weeks later, on what would have been the day of Commencement, senior advisories met one-by-one to receive their diplomas on campus. Some boys even donned their white dinner jackets, along with face masks. Although these small gatherings were not supposed to take the place of Commencement, it was a placeholder before the real ceremony could happen. Commencement

Two months after the school year’s conclusion, the Class of 2020 returned to campus on the evening of July 31 to celebrate their Commencement. While much had to change to accommodate social distancing and health guidelines, the most important traditions remained unchanged. The Class of 2020 processed in their white dinner jackets – and custom face masks – and took the stage in the Cecil & Ida Green Commencement Theater.

Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini awarded the major school prizes. The Headmaster’s Cup was awarded to Colin Campbell ’20, who “embodies the qualities and characteristics we seek to instill in every student – integrity, judgment, leadership, and empathy.” The J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Cup was awarded to Will Mallick ’20, a Marksmen whom Mr. Dini described as “the

heartbeat of his class, demonstrating each day how important it is to exhibit care, compassion, and empathy for others.”

In awarding the School Flag, the faculty decided to honor the entire Class of 2020, in recognition of the outstanding leadership and resiliency they demonstrated during an historic senior year.

“As a Class, you’ve grown together, worked through difficulty, and celebrated success,” Mr. Dini told the graduates. “You’ve given your all to sustain the values and ideals that have made St. Mark’s special for generations.”

The Class of 2020 selected former St. Mark’s

Chaplain Fr. Mike Dangelo as their Commencement Speaker. While Fr. Dangelo was unable to travel from his home parish in Massachusetts, his address was played virtually during the ceremony. “Gentlemen, you are being offered a gift that few generations of young men have ever been offered: the gift of perspective,” Fr. Dangelo said. “You get to watch and learn from the decisions, good and bad, of the generations just ahead of you. Watch closely, listen carefully, and stand bravely.”

For the Class of 2020, the path to Commencement was unlike any previously taken. Ultimately, these 89 Marksmen persisted through a senior year of historic challenges by sticking to the fundamental concepts they learned at St. Mark’s: Courage and Honor.

class president address Colin Campbell ’20

The Greek alphabet is the first thing I can remember learning at St. Mark’s. The last thing I learned here is that I graduate today, surrounded by 88 of the most courageous and honorable men I’ll probably ever meet.

As 32 members became 34, 34 became 38, and 48 eventually became 89. My classmates are unique in ways that have continually challenged and expanded my understanding of what people my age can be and do. Despite our differences, we have common threads binding us together. We’re the smallest class to graduate from 10600 Preston Road since the class of 2008. This means that whether we liked it or not, we were going to be close.

1980 Winter Olympics. The Team USA ice hockey team is in the locker room moments before squaring off against the seemingly unstoppable Soviet Union. USA Coach Herb Brooks walks in, looks around and utters the following, “Great moments are born from great opportunity and that’s what you have here tonight, boys.”

Every corner of this campus reverberates opportunity and what defines the class of 2020 is making greatness out of them: 89 graduates, 26 National Merit finalists, 18 Cum Laude members, one Presidential Scholar in the arts, 11 college athletes, 12 all-SPC athletes, four SPC championships won in just two seasons this year alone on the teams we led. Six Editors in Chief, 13 all-state musicians, $60,900 raised from just the live part of the senior auction, 12,000 more dollars raised from one incredible McDonald’s week, 11 ETHOS task force heads, 13 student council members, 11 of the most dedicated high school actors and production crew members you’ll ever see, 11 Presidential Community Service award winners and 33 members of Language Honor Societies. Yet, as our headmaster likes to remind us, it’s not about what you do, but rather how you do it, so it’s a good thing we excel even more so in that regard.

In April, the senior moms asked us to submit our favorite St. Mark’s memory and almost every response had a common link. They were these things that we did as a class together. We turned our random, haphazard collection of individuals into more than just classmates. I see brothers.

Actions speak louder than words and in moments of crisis, we acted ours. After the tornado ripped through the school, my classmates clambered onto campus to make sure the path to manhood statue was still standing. Enthusiasm for cleanup efforts and fundraisers spilled from my phone in the form of literally hundreds of group e-messages. Our school and our city had been damaged and we felt an eminent responsibility to take care of them and their people.

The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others forced members of our community to reexamine ways in which we can improve in our never-ending mission to be the best school we can. When various alums constructed a document articulating some suggestions towards this goal, it was no surprise that the class of 2020 mounted considerable support because that’s just what we do.

We will remember our time here and that we will be

able to talk about it for hours, and hours, because we experienced and dealt with everything together.

valedictorian address Nicholas Tsao ’20

As we gather together to celebrate this momentous occasion, I would first like to extend a most sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to making this event possible. There have been so many individuals throughout the years who each have been absolutely critical to the creation of this moment.

I remember the first time I set foot on the quad as a bright-eyed eighth-grader. When I walked across the grass and the brick-paved paths, I immediately felt there was something a little different about this place. At the time, I was new, and I knew nothing about what St. Mark’s would be like. I had yet to understand the culture of brotherhood, have interactions with caring faculty and staff, or learn the idea of the Marksmen.

We take a look back and realize that something has changed along the way. Something feels a little different, even if we can’t put words on exactly what that thing is. As we work through all the little pieces, we sometimes forget about our gradual growth as individuals and together as a collective class. But like any great journey, these gradual changes are defined by all the little steps we took along the way. At the start, we were just walking along, following the help, advice, and guidance of our parents, mentors, friends, and the older Marksmen who walked before us. And for that, I would like to give a sincere thanks to all the parents, the faculty, staff, friends, siblings, and all the countless individuals who gave their time and energy to support us, to ensure that we could be here tonight. Over time, as Marksmen, we learned to come together to support the community, to take up our responsibility as reciprocal leaders through each and every action. This past year provided a particular challenge on our road forward from a catastrophic tornado in the fall, to the ongoing pandemic now. We have been given a unique set of extraordinary obstacles to overcome. When faced with a challenge, the class of 2020 rises up accordingly.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Only in darkness can you see the stars.” I think it’s a beautiful quote, but it’s more accurate to say the stars were always here. We just have to look a little harder to see them. Our class has always shown resilience, but like stars that shine brightest in the dark, the class of 2020 stood tall when the times were at their worst, becoming a cohesive force of leadership, honor, and service amidst disaster. We have grown over the years from 89 individuals into one entity, a beacon of hope and integrity that shines across the night. We have become one group of men acting with character and purpose. And I am incredibly proud to call this, the class of 2020, my home.

Together here at St. Mark’s, we forged bonds, we created memories, we cultivated character with each little bit of experience. We will continue forever, the journeys we started here at 10600 Preston Road, and we will remember all those little moments that made this place special. Tonight, we 89 brothers will walk down 89 different paths. Each a unique journey filled to the brim with countless inspiring, life-changing experiences.

These are abridged versions of the Commencement addresses. Watch the full speeches and the Class of 2020’s full Commencement ceremony at www.smtexas.org/commencement.