Hewitt News

Good morning to our families, friends, faculty, and the incredible Class of 2025.

They say that Commencement is a beginning, and they are right. But it is not just the beginning of what comes next. It is the beginning of becoming. Becoming the person you have prepared to be. Becoming the version of yourself that can lead, serve, create, and inspire. Today is not just about a ceremony — it is about stepping into the becoming.

There is a moment — right before the music starts — when everything goes still. Your heart races. Your breath catches. And for a second, you wonder, what if I mess up? As a dancer, I have felt that moment more times than I can count. And over the past four years, I have realized that we have all been dancing through moments just like that. Moments filled with uncertainty, pressure, and possibility; moments that asked us to show up, trust ourselves, and move anyway.

High school has never been a perfectly choreographed routine. It has been full of unexpected beats, missed steps, improvisations, and moments where the music stopped altogether. But the magic was not in getting it perfect. The magic was in how we kept going. We kept dancing. And in doing so, we became.

We became female leaders, friends, creators, and risk-takers. We became advocates for each other’s voices, champions of a diverse fleet of interests, and believers in ourselves - even when we didn’t have all the answers. We became the kind of people who show up, fall down, and still find the rhythm again. We became game changers!

As someone who has dreamed big my whole life — whether in a dance studio, a school meeting, or imagining the life I will one day build — I promise you that you can dream anything you want to become. A dream written down becomes a goal. A goal broken into steps becomes a plan. And a plan backed by action? That is the future. 

And you — my classmates — became extraordinary. Some of you became quiet listeners when others needed to be heard, offering compassion that changed someone’s entire day. Some of you became lights in dark seasons, carrying joy, humor, and hope even when you were facing battles no one else could see. Others became leaders — not always with a title, but by showing up consistently, encouraging others, and choosing kindness when it was not the easy choice.You became artists, athletes, coders, writers, and thinkers. You became advocates for justice, mentors to younger students, and protectors of each other’s dreams. You took risks, you failed and tried again, and you created safe spaces for people to be their full, authentic selves. You built communities, movements, and moments that mattered - even when no one was watching, even when it didn’t come with applause. You have become powerhouses beyond compare: resilient, radiant, and ready. 

What I love about dance is that it is not about control. It is about trusting the movement, and that is the lesson I want us to carry. You do not have to know every step to move forward. You just have to begin. Step by step, breath by breath, we are all becoming - through the uncertainty, through the missteps, through the joy. So as we step off this stage and into the next act of our lives, know this: the lights will not always be bright, the music will not always be steady, and it will never stop. But we have learned how to dance through it all. This is a Commencement - not an end, but a beginning. A beginning of becoming.

Congratulations, Class of 2025!