Chris Lehmann’s Graduation speech 2005

To the graduates of the Class of 2005, certainly the day of your high school graduation is a time for celebration and joy. And certainly, we have heard from the speakers that graduation from Beacon is something special and memorable. But in the midst of the celebrations and fond recollections, today represents the chance to use the past four years to reflect on how we should move forward with our lives. For today, as we tell the stories of our last four years, we should ask how will those stories inform our values, our decisions, our new stories as we move forward?

So perhaps we can use this time for one last interdisciplinary project, as we look back at our history together over the last four years and think about what that will tell us about the stories we will tell in the future.
Think of what it has taken to get you here. And, a few moments before we all clap for you, I’m going to ask that the senior class take a moment to honor their parents, their teachers and their families who have supported you along the way. So please, seniors, before we all clap for you, take a moment to clap for those who helped you reach this milestone in your life.
And now, think back on the first paper you wrote as a freshman, and then think of the best paper you wrote this year (maybe it wasn’t the last one…), think of the growth as an intellectual you have shown. Think about how much more you know about the craft of writing – of being a student. And now, ask yourself – what will you learn in the next four years? In the four years after that? What is next for you in your intellectual journey and where will it lead?
Now think about one of the times that something in a classroom sparked your interest, and you found yourself – perhaps even by accident – engaged, interested, maybe even – dare I say – contributing. Maybe it was a science lab that gave you a glimpse into the way the physical world worked. Maybe it was the “eureka moment” when a mathematical concept first made sense. Maybe it was a debate about a moment in time in a history class. Or maybe it was even a poem or a book. Take that moment, and project it forward. What will you do to make sure that your life is filled with the moments of engagement? In your college life, in your careers, in your interactions, how will you construct a life where you dare yourself to be engaged in your world.
Most of you sitting here today made Beacon about much more than your classes. You played sports, you were in plays, you were activists. And all of those activities required you to work with others so that your individual actions contributed to a much larger whole. Whether it was on the dirt fields at 6:30 in the morning, on the many courts and fields we play on across this city, in the drama studio, in Mr. Letiecq’s room, down at the End of the Tunnel, or in the dance studio, you had to learn to trust the others you were working with so that you could create something bigger than yourself. For some of you, those experiences will be the defining moments that you will take away from your high school career. So I ask you what will be the story of trust you will tell in the future? What have you learned from those hours of practice and sacrifice that you can take with you after you leave our walls?
All of us in the room have had struggles in the past four years. And as much as we learn from our moments of success, we learn from those difficult times as well. When you look back to the moments over the past four years that were hardest, what have you learned? Those moments, even the hardest ones, have led to this one. And this moment, and so many of the moments we have shared over the past four years, should remind you that you can succeed – that you can thrive. How will your successes and failures inform how you move forward? Will you tell stories of perseverance? Will you tell the stories of overcoming obstacles? Will you allow your struggles to inform your success?

And over the past four years, we have all needed help. And hopefully, everyone sitting here today can remember the moment when someone showed you kindness. Maybe it was a staff member, maybe it was a friend, but we’ve all had the conversations at Beacon where someone reached out to you and showed you kindness and care. Many of you – probably all of you – have been that person to someone at Beacon during your time here. How will you show kindness in your community in the future? How will the times someone extended him or herself to help you inform the decisions you make when you have the opportunity to help others? How will you take the care that has been shown to you and reflect it back onto the world?
In the end, we are all lucky. We have been able to spend time in a place where these values, hard work, passion, engagement, growth, trust, perseverance, kindness and care mean something. But that doesn’t happen by accident. You all – we all – have been lucky enough to share a vision of what a school, a community can be. And in the end, those values and that vision are as important as any fact or figure you have learned in your classes. But for those ideals to truly mean something, the responsibility now falls to you to replicate it in your lives after Beacon. You must take the values that have most allowed you to thrive at Beacon and extend them to your day-to-day lives. So many of you have expressed a concern that you won’t “find a place like Beacon” after you leave. And this is my challenge to you -- create one. Live your life that way, and others will follow. Ask Ms. Lacey, ask any member of the faculty, they’ll tell you, it may not be the easiest path to take, but, in the end, it’s well worth it.
We all stand with you today – so proud of what you have accomplished, of the stories you have told so far. And we can’t wait to see the stories you will tell as you move on. And as Ms. Matthews comes up to call your names for you to receive your diplomas, I want to thank you – on behalf of all of the faculty and staff for all that you have done and all you have been for the past four years. It has been our pleasure to have been your teachers. Thank you, and congratulations to the Class of 2005.