Commencement Remarks to the Class of 2026: Oh, The Places We’ll Go

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!”

Hello, seniors, families, faculty, and staff. Welcome to the Class of 2026 graduation ceremony! Our graduation theme this year is “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” and we have spent this entire year tracking the great places this class is going. 

For those of you who do not use Instagram, we run the Hewitt senior commitment page, where we have posted our classmates' college commitments this year. I am very proud to say that it is the most followed commitment page in Hewitt history. Running this commitment page has made us realize that commitment isn’t solely about where you're going to college. We have committed to each other, our classes, and our school. 

Drew came to Hewitt in fourth grade: “My first memory is of myself, hysterically crying on my couch with LuLu, because I had no interest in going to a new school. And now, nine years later, I cry on Ms. Carponter’s couch about leaving. Hewitt has given me the best friends I could ask for, and a confidence and foundation that I know will serve me well in the next chapter of my life. There really is no place like Hewitt, and I am forever grateful I had the opportunity to be a Hewitt girl.” 

One of Lily’s favorite memories was when she and Ginny decided to clean Mr. Clare’s fish tank: “What started simple became gross and very wet, but somehow we spent more time laughing than cleaning. It was a small moment, but it captures what Hewitt has meant to me: learning that even when things feel messy or uncertain, the people beside you make the journey meaningful. Seuss warns that there can be bang-ups and hang-ups; we didn’t expect that to apply to Mr. Clare’s fish tank, but here we are. No matter where I go next, Hewitt will always hold a special place in my heart.” 

The places we’re going were made possible by teachers who committed to us. 

Thank you, Dr. D., for being the best advisor and guiding us through the last three years. Thank you, Mr. Riddick, for teaching us to be leaders through our frequent, and occasionally incredibly firm, conversations. Thank you, Mr. Heller, for showing us how to think analytically. And thank you, Ms. Carponter, for being our moral compass and encouraging us with kindness and honesty. You have changed us for good.  

Thank you, Dr. Brennan, for believing in us and helping with all things math. Mr. Clare, thank you for pushing us to advocate for sustainability using our love for dance. Ms. van Kesteren, thank you for your unwavering support and for being our biggest cheerleader. And Dr. Sabol, thank you for providing a thought-provoking classroom that pushed us to participate meaningfully. 

To our fellow seniors, we echo Seuss's words with full confidence: "Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.” Looking at you today, we know you’re going somewhere exceptional to pursue what you love. Our college commitment page will stop running after tonight, but the commitments you’ve made to your friendships, your families, and the people you’ve become at Hewitt will not. 

Dr. Seuss ends his book by saying, “Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way.” We have watched this class climb many mountains this year, and we have no doubt you will all keep climbing. There will be new cities, challenges, people, and versions of yourselves you haven’t met yet. But Hewitt has taught us that we do not face those mountains alone. 

This is the last time we’ll all be together as the Hewitt Class of 2026. While that is bittersweet, it’s also something to celebrate. To the families who never stopped believing in us, you made us who we are today. And to the Class of 2026, we are so proud of you! 

Congratulations, seniors! Oh, the places you’ll go.