Good morning faculty, staff, parents, and graduates. It is. truly an honor to be standing here today as a proud alum.

Transcription

1 Good morning faculty, staff, parents, and graduates. It is truly an honor to be standing here today as a proud alum. Almost 10 years ago now, I departed what was then only known as the Grace and St. Peter s School, or GASP, community. I then went on to attend both middle and upper school at St. Paul s School for Girls, and this past Saturday, graduated, and am now headed on to college at the University of Virginia. Recently, I have spent a lot of time reflecting. As my days as a high school student began to dwindle, many memories came flooding forward. On one of my last days of school, one of my teachers presented me with a gift that had the quotation, Life is Beautiful inscribed on it. I sometimes get so caught up in my work that I forget to appreciate the beautiful presences, which not only engulf, but also reside in me. While I do mean to emphasize that each and every one of you are beautiful and

2 unique creatures, there is another equally important part to this quotation. Life is beautiful because of the memories we have. While I have spent the better half of my life at the St. Paul s Schools, and am forever grateful to them, my most fond, and beautiful memories that I have all come from this wonderful place. I can recall the mid-day walks to the Enoch Pratt Free Library like it were yesterday. I remember insisting to sign my first library card and listening to magical stories in the room decorated with thousands of little lights to represent the night sky. Although the winter time was harsh, that never stopped us from marching down to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to hear music that some people do not even get the chance to hear in their life times. I also still remember every word, of every song, that we sang in the Christmas pageant. After singing them for so long, they are forever engrained in my memory. When the spring rolled around, the excitement for the

3 Spring fair and Flower Mart was palpable and the sweet smells of freshly bloomed buds wafted through the wind, which also turned our pinwheels as we ran on the cobblestone streets by the Washington Monument. As I reflect on these memories, I also remember times when I tried to share the exact feelings that these stories charged me with. However, I found it incredibly difficult to share this experience with someone who has never seen, or even heard of this school. People are awestruck by the sheer fact that our school is located in Baltimore City, and when I share that we took daily walks to the library, YMCA, and Washington Monument, they tell me that they didn't even know there was a Washington Monument in Baltimore. It is then that I realized that I am beyond blessed to have been able to call Grace and St. Peters my home. Trust me when I say that there is no place quite like this one: the diversity and eclectic nature of this school are unparalleled. Not everyone

4 can say that they have been to the BSO 7 times before they were 10 years old; not everyone can say that they took trips to the Walters Art Museum every time there was a new exhibit; and not everyone can say that they went to school in the heart of Baltimore, and it was one of the best experiences of their lives. The people and friends that I met here when I was only 4 years old are still some of my closest confidants and friends. Graduates, if we, during a time where no children had cell phones and were barely allowed to use the computer, could manage to keep in contact and see each other, then I am positive that in this day and age you all can be sure to keep in touch. You will honestly be surprised in how Baltimore, quickly turns into Smaltimore and the people you know now will come back into your lives later on. As you all grow up and proceed through middle, and into high school, you will realize that Baltimore is a confusing place.

5 How can the place where I grew up; where I learned to read, where I learned to speak, where I learned how to live, be a place so filled with anger and violence? But please remember, it is still Beautiful. And I think that the Wilkes School at Grace and St. Peters is the best representation of the beauty that permeates through the rough exterior that people perceive Baltimore to have. Here we are taught to find the beauty in even the worst of situations. I remember using what we called street glass, or broken glass found in the street, most likely the result from a theft, in art class to make our sculptures stick out and shine like no other. So it was only natural that when my own mother s car was broken into and the window smashed, that my first question was whether or not I could bring in the bits of shattered glass for art class. Please do not lose this ability- the ability to see the beauty in everything. You may not notice this now, but once you leave this community, the simplicity with which you once thought

6 everything maintained will slowly begin to fade. But fight it. This school has instilled in each and every one of you all of the abilities you will need to fight the complexity that the world wants you to see. But, keep it simple, and keep it Beautiful. Good luck to all of you in your future endeavors and please remember the people that helped you get there. Thank you.