On the morning of Sunday, May 25, the Class of 2025 made their final formal procession as WRA students — a stately walk behind the soaring strains of bagpipes, accompanied by the Board of Trustees and the faculty members who had, in a sense, walked alongside them these past years. The scene was ceremonial yet deeply personal: as students made it to the audience, they faced rows of applause. Faculty at the top of the line turned to cheer, advisors and family members beaming with pride, and students smiled back (some even through tears) as they reached the pinnacle of every student’s journey.
It echoed, with poignant symmetry, their earliest steps on campus — that first walk through the Gauntlet, when cheers were louder than their nerves and strangers quickly became peers. The bookends of an education: one a welcome, the other a farewell. In between, something profound took place.
It never, ever gets old.
To describe the Class of 2025 in a single word would be impossible. They are a constellation of qualities: wise, earnest, reflective, hilarious, principled, ambitious. They boast accolades both national and deeply personal, and they share a unity of spirit that’s hard to replicate. This is a class defined by its intellect, its advocacy, its laughter and, above all, its capacity to care. Click here to read more about the Class of 2025.
Among the many traditions honored at Commencement is the announcement of the school’s most prestigious awards. This year’s recipients include:
- Bicknell Prize: Sehar Mahesh
- John W. Hallowell Award: Riya Hegde
- Harlan Wood Award: Ethan B. Jing
- Robinson Prize: Phalak Dhingra
- Friendship Trophy: Sullivan J. Buch
- Turnbull Endeavor Award: Isabella R. Haslinger Johnson
- Marie Fiedler Award: Maya S. Nahar
- Angus Frew Award: Christopher J. Turk
- Cum Laude Society New Inductees: Evanna I. L. Adou, Claire E. Brown, Zhaohan Hanna Chen, Phalak Dhingra, Marie P. Gentile, Glory E. E. Kabia, Addison K. LeVan, Maya S. Nahar, Ryan A. D. Sheffield, Aparajita Shimpi, Xin Yu Daniel You and Ziyun Kate Zhou.
Another tradition — relatively newer, but still beloved — is the selection of a Commencement Student Speaker, nominated by peers. This year, that honor went to Islay Moore ’25, who stood before her class and offered a speech that was as intellectually elegant as it was emotionally grounded. Drawing from the archetype of the “hero’s journey,” Islay traced the transformation of her class through years of uncertainty, discovery, growth and joy. She spoke of mentors and trials, of too-big green blazers and the awkwardness of early friendships turned forever bonds. And she honored the people who walked alongside her — family, faculty, classmates — and reminded everyone present that their story, while changed, is far from over.
“Our hero moments do not take place in high school,” said Islay. “The metaphorical journey was completed, but we have not made it — not yet. This was only the beginning.”
Next came the keynote address from Joseph Diaz, co-founder of AFAR Media, whose career has been shaped by curiosity, exploration and a deep appreciation for what it means to truly belong in the world. In his speech, he spoke about the transformational power of travel — not just to discover new places, but to connect more deeply with others and ourselves. Drawing on stories from his career, including a powerful anecdote about a blind writer navigating Cairo post-revolution, he emphasized the importance of trusting the goodness in others and embracing the unexpected.
“Your world will open up in unimaginable ways,” he said, “when you choose to believe that most people are here to help you, not hurt you.”
His message centered on the metaphor of the elbow — something to offer, something to ask for. Whether grabbing an elbow for guidance or offering one to someone in need, Diaz encouraged graduates to live lives grounded in empathy, openness and human connection.
“Yes, sometimes we’ll need to use our sharp and pointy elbows to defend ourselves or others who can’t,” he acknowledged. “But most of the time, put faith in the inherent goodness of people — and live your life asking for and offering an elbow.”
With warmth and humility, Diaz sent the Class of 2025 off with a challenge and a promise: to get out there, to give more than they take and to live a life as rich in meaning as it is in memory.
As diplomas were awarded by Co-Presidents of the WRA Board of Trustees Marty Franks ’68 and Nat Leonard ’82, the mood was buoyed by poignance and joy — made especially so by the many legacy families in attendance. It’s a cherished WRA tradition for alumni relatives to take to the stage and personally hand diplomas to their graduates. These moments, the embraces, proud tears and heartfelt whispers, stand as quiet testimony to the power of generational connection and to the enduring nature of the Pioneer spirit.
In her closing remarks, Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24 returned to the moment the Class of 2025 began their final year together — gathered in the glow of the Bicentennial Tree, celebrating 200 years of Lux et Veritas. She invoked new findings from Harvard’s Global Flourishing Study to affirm a simple, timeless truth: human beings thrive in community.
“Let’s think about that for a moment,” she said with a thoughtful pause. “ At a time when technology, polarized factions, and uncertainty in economic and political affairs can make one feel more isolated than ever, the importance of coming together in community, in the celebration of collective effervescence, has never been more important.”
And it is connection and community, she urged, that this class must now seek to create.
“Create communities of empathy, kindness, meaning and action,” said Buck. “Foster joy. I have no doubt you will make the world a better place for others and in so doing, for yourselves. Hooray For Life.”
The ceremony ended in the time-honored fashion: with graduates circling the Reserve flagpole to sing the alma mater. The final line, “Around thy walls, Dear Old Reserve,” was met with roaring applause, cheers and tight embraces, the kind of unrestrained joy that only comes from a journey well traveled.
Though this goodbye was inevitable, so too is the promise of return. We will miss the Class of 2025 — already do — but take comfort in knowing that they will come home to Reserve again. Until then, Pioneers. We wait with excitement to hear of your next adventures, your victories, your growth. You can’t imagine how proud we are of you already.
