THE IMPORTANCE OF “LIGHTHOUSE PEOPLE”

During his Chapel Talk at the opening of school Vespers service, Head of School Charley Stillwell challenged students to purposefully consider their capacity to selflessly do good for others within the community at large. An excerpt is shared below.

As we start the year together, I hope you will take the time to step back and consider what type of person you hope to be this year and the impact you hope to make on our community.

A quality that I hope you will all strive to exhibit this year came to mind for me this summer as I was reading an interesting book by Steve Pemberton entitled The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have An Extraordinary Impact On The World. This book was filled with stories about people who had supported others at just the right time and in just the right way. Its central theme was that we all have the capacity and the opportunity to serve as “lighthouse people” in the lives of others. I think you can picture the image of a lighthouse — typically a tall structure with a turning light positioned on high ground and often near obstacles in the water that ship captains use to guide their safe passage back to port. Pemberton said that “lighthouse people” are those people who share a special light and warmth as a source of support and feeling of security for others just when they need it most. He reminds us that lighthouses offer their presence in a selfless and humble way. Their light meets people where they are. Lighthouses cause us to “focus on possibilities over circumstances, turn doubt into destinations, and turn trials into trajectories.” Lighthouses seek nothing in return; their support emanates from within; it’s just who they are, and their light shines not to improve their own situation. For me, being a lighthouse person connects directly with a key quality in our Portrait of a Graduate that you can see on the wall of our McCain-Ravenel Center, the importance of leading and serving with humility and kindness.

This summer I had a powerful reminder of the impact that a “lighthouse” person can have. Many of you may have heard that we learned very sad news this summer about the death of a special young man in our Class of 2019, Charlie Stephenson. We hosted Charlie’s memorial service here in Callaway Chapel at the end of July, and it was a powerful and very emotional reminder of what a special person Charlie was. Had you met Charlie yourself, initially you may not have thought of him as being a person who would make such an impact. He was pretty understated and quiet at times and kept a low profile. He was not the person in his class who was elected to key positions, or the key starter on varsity teams, or the lead in arts performances. In fact his mother explained that he had loved The Game with Woodberry from a young age and that one of his absolute best moments here was when he had a chance to enter The Game for the last few plays his senior year as the team sealed an exciting victory over Woodberry.

What amazed me at his memorial service was that an endless array of Charlie’s classmates here and his classmates at Texas Christian University told lighthouse stories about him. What everyone so appreciated about Charlie was how he always put everyone else first. Charlie had a magnetic smile and a kind heart. When he entered a room, he had a special knack to see those individuals who were a little hesitant or who may have been feeling left out. Charlie always found just the right way to connect with them, to make them feel known and appreciated, and to help them feel part of the group. It was never about Charlie, and he never was doing it to feel better about himself or to gain recognition. He quietly made Episcopal and TCU much better places for all around him, and his classmates loved him for it. Soon we will be establishing a special sitting area on campus in recognition of Charlie where I hope many of you will find a way to have a helpful conversation with another student here who could use a pat on the back or a boost in confidence.

So next June when our seniors are walking across the stage to end their Episcopal careers, I hope that all of us, students and adults alike, can look each other in the eye and think back on this year with pride in our many moments as lighthouse people. If we use Charlie’s lighthouse-person qualities as our guide, we can build the strongest and most vibrant community here that Episcopal has ever had. Thanks, and have a great year ahead. I am excited to watch you all in action. Go High School!

View Mr. Stillwell’s full Chapel Talk: https://events.locallive.tv/events/89161