Ms.Botsford:  

Thank you Mr. Marble. And thank you to all the Faculty, Staff, Administration, Board of Trustees, families and most importantly the class of 2021. I am more than honored to deliver this commencement address for you today, especially with such an amazing speaker like Mr. Morales. Though I have not taught all of you, I have made a connection with many of you- enough to make this a very hard speech to deliver. I am not sure if any of you know this- but I am a crier.  19 years ago, just shy of 19 years old,  I stood exactly 19 miles away from here on the town green in Hyannis for my own graduation from Sturgis- the first graduating class.  I had no idea back then that I would be living back on Cape Cod, let alone teaching at my Alma Mater and speaking to the seniors who were only babies or not even born yet at the time. This senior class has been an influential teaching career highlight.  Sure, they may be a bit loud and obnoxious, but they are fiercely creative, strong thinkers with genuinely kind souls.  They will collectively be missed in the halls of Sturgis by peers and teachers alike who are already mourning their absence- Mr. Morales is one of them, who will now speak to you.

Mr. Morales: 

Thank you, Ms. Botsford. I, too, am honored to speak with you here today. I am also honored to share the stage with Ms. Botsford, a teacher who I admire and appreciate. To everyone in the stands: I am giving you a warning and an apology. We want to spend our final minutes here speaking to the Class of 2021, so we’re going to turn to speak to them directly. We won’t forget about you, but we’re turning to focus on them. Class of 2021! I am grateful to be able to celebrate the talent, wisdom and perseverance of this group today. 

I knew it was a special class very early on at my time at Sturgis. At the beginning of your junior year, my first year at Sturgis, I was gifted with a fog machine being set off in my classroom. But, fog machine aside - it has been a joy working with you, laughing with you and laughing at you these past few years. Today we’re here to celebrate you, and Ms. Botsford, while these general compliments are nice, I think this class deserves a little something special. Are you ready? 

Ms.Botsford: 

• Liv Alberta: You are a powerhouse with an infectious laugh and gut wrenching performance talent that I will never forget.

• Olivia Borden: You have gorgeous style and sweet kindness to others 

• Erica Austen, Grace Caolo and Morgan Maironao: Each of you have beautiful, unique and graceful dancing abilities - which you have applied to performance and helped guide the drive and determination throughout your Sturgis journeys

Mr. Morales: 

• Nicholas Bloomfield: Consistent, reliable and trustworthy

• Kamilly Cunha (Kun-ya): The heart and soul of our classes for the last two years

• Cooper Laurie: Confidence and caring with style

• Cole Farrell: You listen, think, and consider before you speak. I admire your approach.

• Jacob Freedholm: The only student to attempt (and succeed) at conducting his IO while driving

Ms.Botsford: 

• Mackenzie Demello: Your helpfulness and technical expertise have transformed STAGE; your heart has transformed your peers.

• Kiran Denbow and Demetri Grevelis Revelis: You are my hilarious duo of humor (telling jokes I often pretend to understand) with innate depth of acting talent which was both a surprise and remains a breath of fresh air.

Mr. Morales: 

• Aidan Sweeney: One of the best, most skilled listeners I've encountered in the classroom.

• Yash Patel: The hardest working member of my classes this last year

• Rose Melehan: I see your courage in the important ways you speak up

• Caialinn Doyle, O Doyles Rule and Jordan DeMedeiros: While notably flexible, unwavering in his ideals and morals

Ms.Botsford: 

• Rickianne Forbes: Your gorgeous smile and spunkiness always brightens the hallways of Sturgis and my day!

• Emma Link: Your pure, boundless energy and goofiness is something people look forward to and woke me up on Thursday Cohort day.

• Alyssa Linn: Our own Meryl Streep- You have determination & grit, showing beautiful performance growth.

• Cullen Grady: You have a fun loving spirit and off-kilter humor and (of course) the way you can walk on your hands is pretty cool.

• Patrick (Patty T.) Tompkins: You have an amazing dry sense of humor and ability to envision new worlds artistically making for long and treasured conversations.

Mr. Morales: 

• Isabelle Netherwood: Your levity and humor always elevated our classroom

• Shiv Patel: One word: Leader

• Ella Phillips: The only thing more impressive than your brilliance and talent is your kindness

• Colin Sheehan: When you do become a famous sports announcer, remember us.

• Jackson Roth: I admire your independence and originality. Go Sports.

• Kamden Rowe: A heart of gold and the life of the party

Ms.Botsford: 

• Sarafina Waldron: You have a truly sweet and caring nature -thank you for your affection and concern for others.

• Colby Wiper: You are a gentle giant, who shows genuine kindness (as well as hardcore standing abilities and sense of direction)

• Kea Trudeau: Your creativity and fierce bravery knows no bounds.  Keep being YOU.

Mr. Morales: 

• Emma White: One time leader of our advisory; positive energy and compassion all the time

• Val Johnson: Now that you have graduated, I'd like to hire you to organize and color-code my life

• Elizabeth Elio: Strength, courage and perseverance

• Tim Hoye: Tim "T-Bone" Hoye, I was so grateful to have another Ravens fan in the classroom

•  Liam Howell, Jack O' Malley & Johnny Nunes: There is a lot I could say about you three, but an observation from the diamond: seeing the fire with which you play on the field yet being willing to stop in the middle of an inning to say hello to one of your teachers speaks to the great young men you are and will continue to be.

Ms.Botsford: 

• James Moran: You have a thoughtful intelligence and fabulously dry comedic timing.

• Ava Ferreira: Your sensitivity, emotional depth and how you wear your heart on your sleeve are superpowers.

• Missy Bridgwater: You are a woman of many talents. You embody profound creativity and fearlessness which will take you far.

Mr. Morales: 

• Matthew Greeley: Secretly one of the best public speakers of the grade

• Sarah Greeley: Secretly one of the most creative and talented writers of the grade

• Isabele Fernandes: Who does not take a day off, ever. Thank you for keeping our class afloat.

• Gavin Bronner: I'm proud of the leader you've become

• Nate Prickitt: Nothing seems to phase Nate and as promised, I will not address you as Lil' Jetski at graduation

Ms.Botsford: 

• Laura Gay: I am drawn to your happiness, lighthearted kindness and hard work ethic

• Baylie Hartford: You have a deeply curious and introspective nature.

• Jiajun Kaczorowski: You are a funky, fabulous risk taker who surprised herself these last two years.  

• Nick Beaulieau: You are a man of your word, an authentic soul with a winning smile 

Mr. Morales: 

• Nicholas Reilly: Your intellect is sharp and you're not afraid to challenge

• Erika White: A skilled and talented artist. And, now is the time to admit: I'm slightly scared of you

• Sean McQueen: A model of kindness and understanding

• Andrew McCusker: Loyal and never settles for anything other than his best

• Leah Cody: Whose warm and humble nature is to help those around her

Ms.Botsford: 

• Sydney Ahern: You are an amazingly creative human- Funny, silly and always thinking outside the box.

• Tehreem Batool: A quiet force who became an IB Risk Taker, growing and pushing through challenges.

• Sierra Bellaire: A sweet student with spunk, always putting a fun spin to her work.

Mr. Morales: 

• Isabel Alberta: Your talent is only matched by your humility.

• William “Willy Stylz” Griffin: A creative and enigmatic mind with impeccable taste in music

• Caitlin Mulcahy: It is easy to recognize how others gravitate towards your energy and positivity

• Eden Barletta: Never afraid to speak out for what she believes in

• Jillian Sylvia: Who would debate me on most any point in the classroom and more often than not, I'd lose

• Amanda Toledo: The confidence and talent to heely her way through life

Ms.Botsford: 

• Kylie Davis: A truly resilient star who has persevered this last year.

• Emily Elio: You are a super smart, independent thinker who is not afraid to speak her truth.

• Rachel Guthrie: A visually artistic student with leadership qualities- always ready to give more than asked for. 

• Sarah Howes: You show commitment to all you set your mind to, breeding compassion in your heart. You are revered at Sturgis.

• Abigail Jones: Your benevolence to society and genuine curiosity for life and others is an unbelievable thing to witness.  

Mr. Morales: 

• Liam Willis: A tactician on the tenor sax and with syntax

• Brandon Stubbs: So talented and smart; I'm still holding out the hope that you become an English teacher

• Emma Perry: Genuine, honest and kind

• Michael Ryan: Quiet resilience and steady determination

• Dylan Enos: I appreciate your sense of humor and your CAS reflections were due 5 days ago

Ms.Botsford: 

• Adam (Andres) Mckay and Sawyer Ohman: Each of you are funny, loud and crazy, your outgoing personalities bring people together. And, thanks for teaching me Mafia Sawyer

• Cam Poppillo: You are a mature and quiet soul who is a respectful, hard worker. Mass Maritime is lucky to have you.

• Braden Quitmeyer: A thoughtful gentleman, saying what you mean and respected by your peers.  I’m still sad I only had you for two years.

Mr. Morales: 

• Maggie Dankert: Thoughtful, funny, diligent. You make Taylor Swift proud.

• Payton "PayPay" Carroll: The pace with which you learn a new skill and improve shows you'll be able to do whatever you want

• Benjamin Cubetus : Down-to-earth and a subtle, but rich sense of humor

• Trevor Kueh: Nothing is stopping this you from accomplishing what you intends to and you do it with a smile

• Lily Manning & Coral Tobey: People listen to you two. Without your approval I would not have been allowed to continue to teach here, so I thank you

• Hunter Harding: Kind and wise. The world needs more Hunter Hardings

Ms.Botsford: 

• Clarisse Rantaya: Earnest and hardworking - a good friend who teaches young kids with grace and patience.       

• Chelsea Sherburne: You are a triple threat of artistry- moving us with your visual art, song and performance and making it look easy.

• Jake Sherman: A go-getter, respected and loved by teachers and peers alike. Thanks for Friday lunches:)

• Jackie Taylor: Your laughter alone and positive energy rings through the halls of Sturgis

• Michael Veres: A respectable young man- a true professional, conscientious student who is also pretty HILARIOUS. That final 10th grade scene will not be forgotten

Mr. Morales: 

• Isabelle Adams: A skilled writer, a great thinker and an even better person

• Anna Chapman: You saved our class this year more times than you know with your energy and input

• Tommy Perry: Your courtyard renovation is the lasting legacy of one of Sturgis's most effective leaders

• Amari Robinson: The future pilot who is scared of heights, the undisputed rock, paper, scissors champion, and pretty much everyone's favorite person

Ms.Botsford: 

• Paige Wayner: You are one of the sweetest young women I know - a total goofball with a beautiful talent for music

• Ana Wolfe: You are a powerful woman, a force to be reckoned with in this world

(and...Last but not least) 

• Zach Yarnall: You are a man of many talents - finding joy in all areas from sports to the arts. You are not afraid to be emotional and share your authentic self with others.

Mr. Morales: 

We double and triple checked to make sure everyone got their much deserved shine, but if there are any complaints or concerns, you can send your emails to Mr. Marble directly. Graduates, I don’t need to stand up here and attempt to offer one last lesson because as many of you know, I ran out of things to say months ago. But, what I can offer is one point of synthesis. I listened to many of your commencement speeches over the past weeks and I found one common theme developing: many of you feel that Sturgis has given you an exceptional education. You have learned and grown in ways you may not have elsewhere. This leads me to ask you one final question: what are you supposed to do with this exceptional education? Ironically, your education was never only about you, but about those who you will help in life after Sturgis. If this place has taught you to think and to question and to lead, then use that to help others. What good would the privilege and power this education has created for you be if you did not use it to benefit others? There is nothing wrong with working for what you want, but the well-being of others should be something you want, too. 

Try to remember this Class of 2021: it is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice. And, if you do it the right way, being nice is the reason you’re important. Ms. Botsford - last word. 

Ms.Botsford: 

It is hard to piggyback on that beautiful sentiment, Mr. Morales but I will try.  I ask you, class of 2021 to remember these three words: Authenticity, Risk and Failure -even as I edge towards 40 years old,  I am continually in the process of finding and becoming my own true authentic self- a journey of making your own path not defined by others or their opinions of you.  I believe it is one of the most important things we can do- discovering what makes each of us unique. And by working on finding that self, you will need to take some big risks and ultimately you should and will fail.  I discover almost daily in my own journey, that I must fail in my risk taking and I must do it gloriously.  And I don’t just mean like the time when I jumped off the black boxes and sprained my wrist in the Theatre room- though that was a risk.  I mean by speaking your truth, even if you say it wrong or offend someone, by embracing new people, even if they hurt you, and trying new endeavors even if you don’t succeed.  Learning to be OK with “failure” and understanding its importance to growth and self discovery will take you far and ultimately will reveal the YOU you have been waiting for.  And with that, I End and WE END.