SETTING THE STANDARD

“For countless Huskies, you’ve set the standard, knowingly or not, with your dedication and kindness. You are our hopes in action.”

–Head of School Patrick McHonett

Flint Hill’s Commencement ceremony took place on June 9 with a celebration of 129 graduates. Salutatorian Maddie Chang, who will attend Williams College, noted the resilience of her classmates: “We have stumbled and fallen, and I know more than a few of you have even physically broken some bones along the way, but we have gotten up, signed casts, and are here.”

As he prepares to go to Cornell University, Valedictorian Jimmy Li reflected with gratitude for the Flint Hill community: “All of us have been nurtured by the educators of this school who respect cultural differences, listen to our fears, and support us as friends and mentors.

Flint Hill is a place where every one of us can realize our true potential through hard work. And, at Flint Hill, even someone as introverted as me can find friends who see the best in us.” He also made a point of celebrating the “quiet strength” of individuals who may seldom speak and may be too modest to run for student leadership or sing on stage but are diligent, kind, have integrity, and work hard — qualities that Jimmy said are “what our society needs from us as we go out into the world.”

Commencement Speaker Dev Sethi ’02 gave the students four pieces of advice to consider: one, find growth through discomfort; two, acknowledge that the journey is hard, but take time to celebrate; three, value your own perspective; four, preserve this [FH] community. “Setbacks are necessary for our growth,” he said, “and it’s important to acknowledge them and even celebrate the growth that comes out of them. Each of us sees the world differently. You see the world differently than me, than your parents, than even each other, and that is a strength. Bring your perspective to wherever you go after this and share it, because you’ve experienced things no one else has, and you see things no one else does.”