When I call your name, please stand while I read your words aloud:

From Julia Abercrombie: The significance of the name “Abercrombie” has followed me throughout my time here at Sturgis. For the majority of my time here at Sturgis … I’ve been the first name called in attendance sheets, report card conferences, presentations, etc. There’s a sense of comfort in being the first person to do something as with presentations, I would always be happy to get it over with. I was initially scared for graduation rehearsals, as I knew my name would be the first called, meaning if I tripped or messed up in some way, I would be the first to do so. However, I along with all of my other classmates made it up here just fine so I’m thanking the universe for that. 

From Penelope Randall: One of my classmates once told me I was going to peak in high school. Well, he told me indirectly. I’m not sure that he knew I was one of the yearbook editors when he wrote “most likely to peak in high school” on the google form for the yearbook’s “most likely to's,” but regardless, he was wrong, because I peaked in elementary school. And it makes for a killer opener for my graduation speech. 

From Fiona Huang: And then, of course, there was online schooling. I’m going to be honest — I remember very, very little of what we did in sophomore year. Somehow, physics was my easiest class. I lost all my proficiency in Spanish. On the flip side, I rather liked Latin. Art and music were fun, as they always are. Chemistry was stressful, history was (probably) okay though I don’t remember most of what we did, and English wasn’t bad either. I won’t touch on math. I’m sorry to Mrs. Sandland but to this day I still don’t have the unit circle memorized. Also, having the Wednesdays off was lovely. Personally, I think we should bring that back.

From Laura Naurath: I was in theater class, right before lunch, when I got a text message from a student that I was working on a project with, and that student was Toni. I remember being initially upset about  having to share my lunch time with someone I was not close with. She probably doesn’t even remember that. At the beginning it was awkward we just talked about the project, but as time went on we got to know each other more and I felt I could be myself with her, tell her my dumb jokes, and tell her everything, from that day on we got closer and closer and I saw that I could express myself more.

After I became friends with Toni, that’s when things started to improve more. That’s when I wanted to participate more, that’s when I wanted to leave a legacy at Sturgis because I felt more comfortable sharing my experience. It’s hard to explain why, but I had someone to support me and understand the way that I am. 

After that, things improved, and I wanted to make more friends and more friends, and to be more active in school. 

Now, I stand here before you today, being more active by participating more in class and leaving a legacy here at Sturgis which is being a part of the first group of English learners to graduate from Sturgis East and a proud Brazilian.

From Sarah (Reese) Guptill: Where am I? I’m in front of you. I am here. I’m in front of my friends, who put up with me for four years! Can you believe that? I’m in front of my teachers, who guided me to reach further than I ever dared to and achieve things I didn’t even think were possible. I performed my own song at an open mic this year. I never would have done that without the confidence dug out of me by my teachers. 

I’m in front of my family. My mom, my dad, who keep believing in me when I can't. My brother, who comforts me when I mess up and celebrates with me over really, really dumb things. My sister, who made me who I am today. I wouldn’t even recognize myself if it weren’t for her. 

I’m in front of people I love. I’m in a place of love, of comfort and thrill and so many different kinds of love that it’s a little overwhelming. 

From Alexa Lundell: What makes Sturgis so authentic is the people that make up this community. I think back to my freshman year, new to the school along with the rest of my classmates, feeling like I did not belong, but to my knowledge, that gradually changed. I am so proud today to look around at my classmates, this year's class of 2023 and comprehend truly how far each and every one of us have come. Boy, was I so excited to leave my hometown’s public school because of my dad being the vice principal who would love to remind me in the crowded halls of Bourne Middle School, “I’m Lexi’s dad”!Even something like this I often overlooked and now that I will never experience this again, I wish my dad could forever be my vice principal.

From Bethany Whitten: Be proud of who you are, where you come from, and especially what you’ve accomplished. Although we all have so much more life to live, and so much more to learn and experience, it is important to remember the past as we embark on the future.

I know that I will definitely remember one rainy day a few months ago when I was sitting in Mrs. Pohlman’s physics class, and Dr. O’Kane was standing on the table in front of me stuffing t-shirts into the ceiling to stop water from leaking onto my notebook. These moments that are very uniquely Sturgis will be engraved in all of our brains forever.

From David Sikut: As we exit from Sturgis, we bring a priceless memory with us. We have senior year memories of sudden half days due to plumbing problems and junior year memories of half days due to sudden power outages. We learned to expect the unexpected and to embrace uncertainty. 

From Alan Tsoy: In this journey of four years, we've experienced it all. The highs and lows, the cries and laughs, the triumphs and setbacks. We've celebrated victories on the basketball court, Sorry, we’ve celebrated one victory on the basketball court, cheered on our classmates in millions of different clubs, and witnessed the remarkable growth of every one of us. Sturgis East has been our stage, and we've played our roles with enthusiasm and passion.

From Abigail Youssef: I was leary of the unconventional high school culture that Sturgis had to offer. My dread was amplified by the comments I received about Sturgis, like how “only weird, artsy kids go there” and “it’s gonna be a lot of work.” Although these claims may be true, I soon learned how beneficial this school's culture was to my growth, both in my academic and personal life. The passion and care from the teachers combined with Sturgis students’ willingness to come in with their best foot forward is what makes this school community thrive. Not often do you come across such a highly motivated and supportive school. The people here are simply KIND! We are always here to offer each other a helping hand, a word of advice, or even a little smile or wave hello.

From Isabelle Rudy: As a tour guide for Sturgis, I know it is taboo to compare East to West, or Sturgis to any other highschool as we didn't have a high school experience there. That being said, it seems unlikely to me that another place this wonderful exists. I have been allowed to flourish in this environment. I have been able to do everything I have wanted to do, and supported in those efforts. Sturgis is a canvas for a student to write their story upon, giving everyone the opportunity to reach their full potential. Where else would I have been able to start three clubs, including a fashion club, where I simply judged celebrity red carpet outfits? Where else would a teacher send me an email, asking me if I was ok and sending me a link to her favorite meditation, while I had been crying? At what other school would my teacher buy me Thai food for completing the yearbook? Sturgis is different because of the people in it. The teachers care and want you to succeed. They want to get to know you and they want to help you. The students, even, want to help each other. While we may not have a football team, we come out in swarms to support the soccer team, the music society, and the theater production. We support each other's bake sales and sing along to each other's performances at the open mic. We are a community of supporters.

And, finally, from Brynn Cleary: Although we will change, travel, learn, and continue to grow as people in every sense of the word, we will always have one another to fall back on, and will always have a community we share. We will always have, as corny as it sounds, friendships that will last a lifetime and then some, and we will always have the knowledge that we come from a chaotic, friendly, unorthodox environment that was exactly what each and every one of us needed, wanted, and loved every minute of. From here on out, Sturgis may no longer be where we are, but it will always be family, and it will always be home. 

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To my initial claim: today is a momentous day, I now add the rationale: because today is a culmination of the past four years where we have all chosen to live, think, and gather with great intentionality, care, and reflection. Students, faculty and family have made our collective Sturgis experience momentous, and today is a day to celebrate that accomplishment.

Just as all our seniors are graduating, so, too, are some of our faculty about to embrace their own new opportunities. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the following people for their commitment to our mission and our students: Ashley Morales, Nick Patel, and Sarah Stair: please stand.

Sturgis East class of 2023, congratulations, and thank you for choosing to see the best in each other and for making the most of yourselves. I hope that you always carry Sturgis in your hearts.

Anyway, when Dr. O’Kane first informed me that the class of 2023 had selected me to speak, I’ll be honest….I drew a total blank.  

So, at first I thought “well, I’ll just get ChatGPT to write it for me.  That way, if the speech is bad, I can always just blame the algorithm that wrote it”.

But I thought “that’s not right.”  I can’t let a robot write my speech, I can’t quit and I can’t just walk away.  I’d never forgive myself. Because as the old saying goes:  “High school is a lot like toilet paper.  You only miss it when it’s gone”

Now, if I’ve learned anything in my years on this planet, it’s that you never know exactly when inspiration will hit you.  In my case, it happened while wandering barefoot along a stretch of sand in Panama recently.  

My other inspiration was the fact that Dr. O’Kane once wore flip-flops to graduation.

I remember thinking at the time “now there’s a guy who gets it….no wonder he has a Ph.D.”  

Now, I’m not sure if Mr. Marble agrees with me…..But, I digress.

It was in that barefoot moment on the beach, that I was reminded of a poem I hadn’t read in years written by the famous Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda.  

The poem is titled “To the Foot from It’s Child”… and it reads

The child’s foot doesn’t know it is a foot yet

And it wants to be a butterfly, or an apple

But then the rocks and pieces of glass

The streets, the stairways

And the roads of hard earth

Keep teaching the foot that it cannot fly

That it can’t be a round fruit on a branch

And so the child’s foot was defeated

It had fallen in battle

A prisoner

Condemned to life in a shoe

If I were young again, I would take of my shoes and walk the Earth.  I would let the mud and dirt, rocks and sand wiggle between my toes and stay there.  I would let the sun warm my feet and let the rains cool them down.  In other words, I would do all the things I seemingly took for granted when I was a child.

However, I think the point Neruda is trying to make, among many, is that, like the child’s foot, if you can’t imagine it being anything other than a foot, then it never will be.  

And the truth is….the same goes for you.

You see, graduates, regardless of the shoes you decided to wear today, as you walk across this stage to receive your diploma, know that you are leaving the last remnants of childhood behind. 

…..yet, thankfully, you are not yet what some might call “adults”

What you are is an individual entering that beautiful space between youth and adulthood where you get to figure out who you are, what you want and who or what you want to become.  

The only tragedy is….this interval won’t last.  Nothing ever does.

So, whatever your plans for the coming years, don’t waste them worrying about job prospects, resume-building, the “best” major, the most financially lucrative career-path and a future that hasn’t arrived yet.

What I want you to do is take off your shoes and Imagine.  Imagine Big…..Bigger than you ever thought you could.

I recently drove from Massachusetts to NYC and, for anybody who has had to cross the Bridge in recent months - or driven pretty much anywhere - this probably won’t come as a surprise…..there was traffic.

And as I sat there in the midst of all the commuters stacked bumper-to-bumper, I wondered to myself “how many of these people settled?  How many squandered the moment in their lives that you are about to enter?  How many never thought to Imagine Big and spent their youth simply prepping for a paycheck and a nice sense of comfort and security?

Now, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with making money.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be secure, provide for your family and have nice things.  

However, the simple fact is, you have your whole life to work.  So, don’t worry about putting on the confining shoes of so-called “adulthood” quite yet.  

You are only in this glorious moment of in-between once.…..a moment to take off your shoes, bare your feet and experience life with the same unbridled joy you must have imagined when you were a child.

So Imagine Big and don’t hold back.  Because as Debbie Millman once said: “If you imagine less, less is what you will undoubtedly deserve.”

Now, whether you continue your formal education sometime in the coming years or not, you are bound to learn lots more stuff – and that is a good thing

But, always know – almost anybody can be taught factoids about math, history, biology; how to change a tire, write computer code or fix a leaky faucet.  But, not another single living being on this Earth can teach you how to feel.  Because, as Maria Popova noted: “the moment you feel, you’re nobody but yourself.”

The world is certain to throw rocks, glass and every kind of obstacle you can think of in your path.  To make you long for the simple comforts that shoes provide.  

So, I implore you to accept this challenge.  Embrace it.  Kick off your shoes and plunge into the battle to learn how to feel and better understand yourself.

Take chances and live in the moment. Be weird. Take a philosophy class, volunteer for an organization you’ve never heard of, travel to a place who’s name you can’t pronounce, learn a language you thought impossible to comprehend, go fall in love, break a heart….and maybe get yours broken too.  

Because if you don’t take chances, you won’t know what you are missing out on one way or the other.

For it is in these moments of your most fragile vulnerability – those barefoot moments where you truly feel - that you will find your own redemptive liberation and learn who you really are.

And with that, Class of 2023, I bid you farewell.  Whatever shoes you may wear in the many days ahead – whether they be figurative or literal - don’t be afraid to take them off…. 

And when you do, take the time to feel the Earth beneath you.  Feel the Earth and Imagine Big…..Imagine whoever or whatever it is you want to be. 

Even if that something is as illogical as a butterfly….or an apple.

Thank you.

We have discussed prom dresses and weighed the pros and cons of two different college majors. We have analyzed the lyrics of Taylor Swift songs. We talked about summer jobs and the parking situation in Woods Hole and driving tests and IB exams and the never ending slog of scholarship applications. Sometimes you asked me for advice, but mostly I just listened and tried to provide a little perspective when I could. 

You are all going off to so many different places to do new and exciting things next year. You are going to have so much fun and while I hope that your struggles are minimal, challenges are a required part of growing up. And since you decided to honor me with this slightly stressful homework assignment, I am going to give you one in return.

I want you to write things down. As you go off to new adventures, you may feel in the moment that you will remember these fun times forever. And you will certainly remember the big events like prom and graduation day. But the day to day events are going to blend together and fade. 

How many times have I said to you while you were standing right in front of me in the library “don’t move until I write this down” because even if the thing you are asking for will take me 20 seconds, I know from bitter experience that I will get distracted immediately and completely forget to do it. However, in the grand tradition of a limitation turning into a super-power, this means that I have a pretty comprehensive record of everything I do every day. It is not pretty or organized and often looks like a bunch of barely legible bullet points in 87 different pen colors. 

But, this means that in spite of my terrible memory, I can look through and remember the time that I ordered a book for a student who really liked it and insisted I put it on my summer reading list, and the time that I promised a student I would make rice crispie treats if he made it to a certain word count on his EE, and the day that I jumped up and down with a student as she got the news that she got into her first choice school. And it isn’t just notes that I write, I keep all the notes that you leave for me when I am not at my desk. Some of my most treasured possessions are the notes that say things like “hey girl, I am going to be in the music room for study today” or “I came to borrow your fun colored pens to write out my schedule” followed by “I returned them - thanks!” 

These little moments recording the daily routines of life and work are the kinds of things that we forget about. Either we don’t pay enough attention to them or we don’t retell and rehearse the every-day interactions so they don’t make it into our long-term memory (a shout out to my psychology students - I have a prize for anyone who can tell me after the ceremony which model of memory I just described). Having this comprehensive record of tiny interactions is how I reflect on these mundane but joyful moments of connection. You are always going to remember today. But will you remember how happy you were when you learned to make an origami crane? Or got a smile card from a friend that was so sweet it made you cry? Or wrote a rap song about the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921?

If you can include some gratitude in your lists that is even better. There are so many research studies showing that writing just a few things that you are grateful for can improve your mental health. (My psychology students are all completely not surprised that I am bringing up a research study right now). Writing down small things you are grateful for has been shown to increase academic motivation, happiness and general well-being. The effects are even stronger when the things we are grateful for are acts of kindness from other people. So if someone compliments your outfit? Write it down. Someone makes you cupcakes just because they wanted to? Write it down.  

I have heard from many of you that the last four years have gone by in a blink, that you can’t believe high school is over. Trust me, the next four years are going to fly just as fast. Take notes. I write messy but colorful lists in my planner. But you can keep a real journal, or you can write in a notes app. You can sketch moments from your day or take pictures or make regular “what I do in a day” videos. You can send a weekly text or email or voice memo to a friend or family member (or a teacher or school librarian) who misses you and would be so happy to get an update about what you did that day. 

You know how the IB isn’t content to just make you do something, they also make you reflect on everything you do? Well, they do it for a good reason. Reflecting helps you understand your process, it helps you find patterns and meaning and it helps you make better decisions. When you have a record of the small things you do all the time, it enables you to reflect on more than just the big life events. Essentially, you have better data on which to reflect. 

Every one of you is off to do amazing and fascinating things. Future you is going to be so interested in your life, so do them a favor and take notes. 

And now, I leave you with the words of Taylor Alison Swift, (who famously journals extensively and reflects on her life in the form of song lyrics).

‘Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned. Everything you lose is a step you take. 

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. 

You've got no reason to be afraid. 

You're on your own, kid. Yeah, you can face this.

I am standing here telling you that you’ve got this. You are ready for whatever is coming next. You are loved and you will be missed and I can’t wait to hear about your next adventures.

The freshmen are confused and maybe even overwhelmed by the new environment, but alas, excited. Teachers like Mr. Aldo and Ms. Monfort welcome wandering students into their new classrooms. A scene retelling our trip to Camp Burgess involves raw, high school awkwardness and new friendships. Immediately, we’re sucked in to the opportunities that Sturgis has to offer, revealed through individual voice overs: “which elective should I take junior year, or should I do a double language? Or double science?” “Should I play trumpet in the jazz band or help design the set for Legally Blonde? Or both?” While the IAs and EEs and ToKs and CASs and “to what extents” seem so far away, there is still definitely something for the students to look forward to. A little director’s note: that part is a little use of dramatic irony. The rush of spirit week reminds us new students why we are so lucky to be at Sturgis. The excitement rises, music builds, relationships grow, we get ready to totally dive into the IB-

Cut to the silence of online classes. Just like that, we’re at home, seeing each other only over Google meet. We’re still passionate about learning, but we’ve never been in virtual school before and of course we’re a little confused and awkward. Yet, the upcoming scenes portray friendships and deep connections still being made, no matter the boundaries of the screen or the distance. Maybe I would overdramatize it a bit with sad, dreary cinematography, but this is where it would warm up a bit with a kinder soundtrack. Sophomore year is a shorter cut, that being intentional by the director, since it went by in such a blur.

And before the audience knows it, the title card fades in: Junior Year. This is when I would strategically cast in some new faces since this is when everyone seemed to shed their freshman skin and walk into school with new armor to face the IB head-on, this time with nothing in the way. I would probably include a little bit of ToK footage… the infamous Would-You-Rather game in Mrs. Prantis’ class… just to get the viewers thinking. My promise to the Sturgis community is that I would leave at least a 10 minute segment to honor the life and legacy of the annex, followed by the amazement of the long-awaiting bowling alley extension. By the springtime the students are absolutely crumbling under the stress of the 2,200 word History IA and the 15 minute English oral exam, which, now that I look back at it, could probably be more of a comedic, or even satirical, section in the movie than a serious one. It was the most gracious workload I can remember.

The senior year title card should cut right in, big and bright and taking up every third of the screen. I would probably take a few creative liberties around this part, showing us finishing our EEs before the multiple extended deadlines we were given, I’d personally just leave myself out of the Math IA section entirely. Of course, the one year there are close to zero snow days to push back the summer, it doesn’t affect us since we’re leaving school before the rest of the school. But you best believe the West campus plumbing system is at least getting a shoutout when the credits roll.

In comes a shot of us looking down at our IB practice papers, looking up and suddenly we’re in 529 taking the real IB exams in the blink of an eye. We return to the set of the Camp Burgess shoot from earlier in the movie, and even the actors are feeling nostalgic. Senior week comes as a reminder to the audience that the movie is coming to an end, but it’s obvious that it hasn’t really sunk in with the students on screen yet. Not until it’s graduation, and they’re all sat with their caps and gowns in front of their friends and families.

This is when it would cut to a flashback of us, everything silent, in slow motion, just curious and excited freshmen entering high school for the first time. We had no idea what was ahead, no idea how the world would change, how the school would change, or how we would change. The contrast of these clips: young, oblivious faces followed by the capable adults these lovable characters have grown into, provides a great distance in the span of a single film which covers the life-changing moments of just a four-year time period. It stands as a reminder to the audience of how far the protagonists have come.

I’ve given some thought to what I would title my movie, but I recognize that if I were to realize such a film I would need to involve all of my peers. So, to my classmates, let me pose the question to you: if you could make a movie about us and our high school experience, what would you title it? What one word or phrase would embody all of the learning and changing and trying and growing that we experienced in this short time we spent together at Sturgis? Who would be your protagonists, your main characters? What would the big takeaway be, what genre of film would you choose? What message would you want to send using the remarkable story that is our entirely unique, one-of-a-kind high school story of a group of young people who overcame challenges like no other and succeeded far beyond anything they even knew they could?

I would probably title mine, “To What Extent,” because it’s just sappy enough, just ironic enough, just IB enough, and implies that there is still more to come. In the very last scene, we conclude four life-changing years and celebrate our never-ending accomplishments with a last ring of the bell, and then a cut to black.

Sturgis is not your typical American high school experience. We have no Friday night lights, no gymnasium, no bustling cafeteria filled with voices and food fights- though I don’t really think that is a real thing. And I think though a small part of me has always felt like I missed out on that, I wouldn’t trade my high school experience for the world. 

As that disgruntled 14 year old, I was unaware about what makes the Sturgis experience so irreplaceable. I was unaware of the strong sense of community I would feel walking its halls over the next four years. And I was most definitely unaware of the immense love and support I would feel from my classmates and teachers each and every single day. 

But now, 4 years later, I can say that these exact things have shaped my highschool experience into one I am proud of and incredibly grateful for. Sturgis doesn’t just teach its students calculus, how to write a 6-paragraph analytical history essay (complete with a counterclaim!), and how to b.s. any answer to literally any question with a cheerful “it depends!” For the past few years, right on the corner of Main and Pearl Street, we have been taught the importance of community. 

What I will remember most stepping away from this place will not be the topics of my IAs or the themes of the books I read in Ms. Morales’ English class. It will be the small moments: spending hours in the library talking to Ms. Mac about every last one of my personal dilemmas, seeking refuge from the everyday stresses of life in the Wellness room, and feeling so incredibly heard by my classmates when complaining about how tired we are or how much work we have to do. There has not been one day of school since August 2019 that I have walked the halls and felt unwelcomed. Around every corner there has always been a smiling face and a hello, someone to ask and care about how your day is going or your plans for the upcoming weekend. 

Over the years, I have found my place in the community that welcomed me as a freshman so long ago. The strange teachers and unfamiliar classmates have grown into my greatest role models and best friends, and every day I am nothing but amazed by the genuine care exuded by those around me. There’s always someone to turn to for help, a smile, or answers about the craziness of the world. Everyone cares about each other's success and wants to help make that possible, even if it's frustrating sometimes. And the teachers that lead us are nothing but dedicated to teaching us not just knowledge, but how to push ourselves and be disciplined and enjoy the simple things in life. 

This care and support has been essential to my success both as a student and as a human being, and for that I thank each and every one of you, especially: Ms. Spunzo, Ms. Manrique, Ms. Mead, Mr. Abel, Ms. Mac, Dr. Okane, Ms. Sandland, Dr. Gilligan, and every other teacher who has touched my life. Your words of support, acts of kindness, and faith in my potential will never be forgotten, and I am endlessly grateful for the ways in which you all have shaped me into the woman I am today. It is due to your guidance and influence that I can pretty confidently say that my peers and I are ready to step out into the world and change it for the better. 

Everyone’s path to becoming a grown up will look a little different. Some of us are continuing our academic journeys, while others are entering the workforce or following other plans. But no matter the path, I urge all of you sitting behind me to pull from your years as a student here, and most importantly, recognize the importance of building a community like the one we have built here. My years at Sturgis, above all else, have taught me how important this is. To be truly happy and the most successful version of yourself you need people in your corner. And to live in a happy and successful world, we need to be there for others. At Sturgis, this support was everywhere, and though its impact may seem small, it is there. The hundreds of completed IAs and exams are testament to the importance of support for success, and the community around us gave us just that. So, as grownups, when those projects turn into real world stuff, let's be there for eachother and the people in our lives. As we leave this graduation today, I urge you to build and protect the communities around you, and never forget the ones from your past. 

Thank you, and congratulations to everyone graduating today. 

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