Commencement Remarks to the Class of 2026: Explorers

Good morning! It is my true honor to be here with you all today as we celebrate Hewitt’s Class of 2026. To our seniors seated here beside me, congratulations on achieving this milestone in your academic careers! And to everyone gathered here — families, friends, alumnae, faculty, and staff — thank you for the love and support you have shown our graduates on their journey to this moment. 

Graduates: When we met during your senior lunch in the library, I asked you three questions: 

1. What were some of the highpoints of your experience at Hewitt?
2. What were some memorable and humorous moments?
3. What kind of Hewitt values will you take with you into college? 

Honestly, I expected that we would speak for about 20 minutes, but we were together for over an hour and a half. You had so much to say, and I was grateful to hear your stories and the heartfelt thoughts you shared so spontaneously.

You talked about the senior sleepover, the lip sync battle, 3-or-4 square, Coney Island, Gaga, the freshman spelling bee, the Arts Symposium, the end of the year video for 8th grade, Ms. Baker’s snack period, the 10th grade sleepover for robotics, and the Foodie Food reviews on TikTok!

In terms of the Hewitt values you would take with you, you talked about close bonds and the kindness and empathy of our community, as well as critical thinking, confidence, and public speaking skills. You shared that at Hewitt, you learned to explore all of your interests and to take that spirit of getting involved and being an Explorer into college. You talked about confidence and “owning how you show up, and owning what you know and what you really don’t.” You spoke of being an example for others, and being a mentor, a leader, and an advocate. You discovered that your experiences are a measure of what you put into them. You also learned to look out for what is in front of you, to be ready, to look down the road and be prepared. You mentioned a “growth mindset,” and the idea that you can always be developing your inner self, for life. 

You told me that you learned the power of curiosity and how to ask a question, how to develop skills that feed into “wondering.” I love how that was phrased! Those of you who have been at Hewitt since kindergarten talked about the consistency of learning, and how you watched an original concept or skill develop over your time at Hewitt, knowing there was intentionality behind how the faculty guided you. 

You learned that even if you did not like a subject, your job was to carve out some facet of interest that would sustain you. Several of you said, “Our teachers care about us in a different way. Other schools do not have that. Teachers want us to succeed and be proud of the work we are doing.” Someone added that you all learned how to have conversations with people, to make eye contact, and have a firm handshake. And finally, someone said, “We all show up for each other and are supportive of our classmates, our passions, and our accomplishments.”

What more could any of the adults in this community have hoped and dreamed of for you? I was honored to stand there in front of you writing down your thoughts as quickly as I could, realizing that you were trusting me with your memories. That is part of what a head of school does. We hold onto your memories until you come back for them.

I want to conclude with one theme that emerged from our conversation - that you feel knowledge is valued so highly at Hewitt. Someone said, “Hewitt reassures our minds.” Wow. That was a beautiful line. The truth is that we have so enjoyed every part of your expression of self, but the life of the mind is enduring. If we, as a faculty and as a school community — and that includes students, faculty, and administrators as well as our maintenance, dining, and security teams — if we reassured your wonderful minds, then we transferred to you the essence of Hewitt - a secret, magical potion that you will take with you for your whole lives. 

Reassuring someone’s mind is behind all of the knowledge and skills and teaching about values and character. Class of 2026, we want you to go on to your next steps in life knowing that you can always fall back on, trust in, and celebrate your own minds - in times of both challenge and reward, sorrow and delight. All of life ultimately is a balance, and the good and the bad, the peaks and troughs are the yin and yang of existence. Let us always reassure you that you have some piece of us all here with you. Keep that inside, treasure it, and know that it is our mutual secret: the Hewitt story is yours now to continue, Explorers, on your own chosen paths.