Metamorphosis

Graduation Speech by Bex Derr, Class of 2021

I’ve always been fascinated by bugs and insects and all creatures creepy crawly, so you could imagine how excited I was to get the opportunity to raise my very own monarch butterfly caterpillar in Fifth Grade. The room was teeming with enthusiasm as we observed our new children, smaller than our thumbnails. As proud caterpillar parents, we fed them fresh milkweed leaves and measured their growth over time in our notebooks. Some were even lucky enough to watch theirs transform into a magnificent butterfly and release it into the wild, delicate orange wings aflutter in the breeze like a bright and valiant flag. The title “monarch” suits them well, their royal colors make them hard to miss. Just like a caterpillar has, throughout all of my time at TCS since I first came here at three years old, I’ve experienced massive growth. TCS has played a huge part in making me into the person I am today. Every year’s new challenges and opportunities shape me into a new form of myself, totally different than last year. In my head, I almost picture myself as a completely different person in each grade, and oh boy would chaos ensue if they ever met. For example, before Seventh Grade bike trip, I hardly knew how to ride a bike. I hadn’t touched one since about First Grade, and in a few months I had to travel 100 miles on one. It seemed like something I never would have dreamed of, much less enjoyed, but it was one of my favorite College School experiences, and without it I’m sure I would be a much different person. Bike trip taught me to persevere when things get tough but also to slow down and appreciate the beauty around me.

From being a tiny big bender to the eighth grader I am now, I’ve changed in a million different ways. I mean, my hair isn’t even the same color. I’ve become smarter, stronger, and of course, cooler, although that one seems pretty obvious. But overall, I have become even more of myself.

The process of an insect maturing from an egg all the way to an adult is called metamorphosis. But unlike the majestic monarch butterfly, we are never truly finished maturing. There are aspects of me that are completely different than they were when I started Middle School, and sometimes I miss the old me. But I’m not the same person anymore, and that’s ok. As people, our metamorphosis is never really over. As life is constantly presenting new experiences and feelings, we adapt and grow to fit our environment, just like in nature. One of the reasons humans have survived so long on planet earth is because of their incredible ability to adapt to different conditions. Migrating from private middle school to public high school will be no easy task. But as long as I keep changing and growing and evolving and adapting, I’ll be an even more beautiful butterfly than I am now. n

This May, The College School hosted its graduation ceremony outside as we celebrated the Class of 2021. We wish this group of 21 students the very best on their next adventures.

Christian Brothers College High School

Ethan Dixon

Jack Pendleton

Clayton High School

Eva Lemon

Lindie Nielsen

Jackson Preparatory & Early College

Taylor Lim

Nerinx Hall

Julia Bernal

Nicole Bernal

Emma Dixon

Maya McConnell

Ella Munz

Caroline Smith

St. Louis University High School

Noah Brandt

Cooper Capdeboscq

Kiran Hunt

Aidan McCoy

Connor McCoy

Ronan Smith

James Unwin

Webster Groves High School

Bex Derr

Andrew Caddel

Kate Pawlicki

Congratulations to our dedicated and talented faculty on these milestones. We are so grateful for their service to TCS.