Class of 2022

The GDS community gathered in June to celebrate the graduation of 130 seniors at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, resuming an in-person tradition there that was abruptly interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In keeping with custom, each graduate handed Head of School Russell Shaw a trinket–in this case, a marble–when crossing the stage to shake his hand and accept their diplomas. “At least now I have some of my marbles back,” Russell later quipped. The ceremony featured music, song, and a huge pat on the back from the graduation speakers, who commended students and faculty for their grace and agility in coping with the devastating effects of a deadly pandemic that upended their high school experience.

“A once-in-a-generation pandemic that has consumed half of your high school experience could not knock you off course,” said Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the parent speaker and GDS Trustee. “You have finished your coursework, and you are here today graduating nonetheless. We know that if you can do that, you can do anything.”

RUSSELL SHAW

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Graduates, you will fail. You will try something hard, and it won’t work out. When you encounter those setbacks your job is to say: ‘This is what is happening to me at this moment. This is not who I am.’ … One thing I hope you’re each taking with you from GDS is resilience and the ability to take the long view.”

I encourage you to listen to your inner voice. Think about what inspires you–the subjects, the topics, the things that make you say: ‘This is great. I want to do more of this.’ …Let those inner voices and values guide you as you shape your own story.”

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

PARENT SPEAKER

PHOTO CREDITS JASON PUTSCHÉ

Sahari Bougier Abney Avani Ahuja Miriam Akhmetshin Ahlyah McKissack Albritton Reid Caroline Alexander Halle Michelle Ampey-Howard Noura Elena Angulo Caroline Priya Antonipillai Sophie Danielle Axelrod Charles D. Baar Emi Katherine Bailey Ken Gordon Bailey Evan Reid Banerjee Leah Rose Belber Julien Berman Pallavi Rani Bhargava Julius Boxer-Cooper Phoebe Garcia Braun Joya Trudie Breinholt Dylan Alexander Bronner Kendall Maryce Bullock Maxwell Louis Burns Madeleine June Carroll Malachi Brandon Cheeks Isabelle Choi-Orr Ethan Andrew Cohen Claire Yasmine Cooper Leo Jeffress Cooper Sadie Katharine Cutler Isaac Robert Cymerman Antonio Cyrus, Jr. Brock Kingston Davis Maggie Millicent Day Pierce Edward DeCain Iman Alia Dorman Kai Dünwald Shai Noah Dweck Nolawit Elias Jon C. Ergun Colleen Anne Ewald Eli Anthony Faber Nadia Alcynthia Fairfax Madeleine Eliza Feldman Benjamin Cole Finkelstein Leah Morningstar Fitzpayne Luke Hahn Flyer Benjamin Louis Eldridge Freedman Noah River Freedman Julian Harper Galkin Eleanor Caroline Gaugh Lyra Gemmill-Nexon Emma Murphy Gillespie Carmen Adele Mumford Gitchell Sophia Gore Jeremy Trister Grace Haidyn Colby Green Sofia Jade Greenfield Max Nathaniel Grosman Kira Avery Grossfield Arthur Philip Herman Miles Yang Huh Ethan Patrick Irwin Leila Abeni Jackson Benjamin Allen Joseph Abigail Molly Kanter Anoush Noah Keinath-Esmail Jamie Lauren Kleinbord Aidan M.H. Kohn-Murphy Eve Spencer Kolker Jacob Ali Werner Korde Noah Satin Kubler Maya Rose Landweber Adam Simon Leff Meyer Allen Leff Lauren Ryan Lemer James Matthew Li Lewis Jane Adelaide Lowenstein Rahil Shyam Malhotra Jacob Campbell Markarian Hayden Charles Martz John Christopher Massey Nicolas Jarett McClure Max Aaron Becker Mendelsohn Arjun Narayan Emma Nelson Edward Peter Nordberg III Nora Daniels O’Connor Aaliyah Ojeda-Brown Harold Edward Oppenheim Felicia Megan Paul Natalie Alexander Pearce Nicholas Harding Penniman

We are showing up to break norms and redefine tradition to make real change. And if this is abnormal, then we must continue to redefine normal until the status quo is fair and just.”

MILES HUH

STUDENT SPEAKER

At GDS, having a place to discuss the big problems–everything from how to care for our mental health to the state of our democracy, climate change, and racial inequity–provided me a place to explore what I stand for and what provides me with purpose.”

WHERE THEY’RE HEADED

Barnard College Bates College Bennington College Boston University Bowdoin College Bowie State University Brandeis University Brown University Bryn Mawr College Carnegie Mellon University Clark Atlanta University Colby College Colgate University Colorado College Cornell University Dartmouth College Davidson College Duke University Fordham University Georgetown University Hamilton College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Indiana University, Bloomington John Cabot University Macalester College Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University Middlebury College Morehouse College New York University North Carolina A & T

State University Northeastern University Oberlin College Pomona College Princeton University Rice University

MADDIE FELDMAN

STUDENT SPEAKER

Thomas Redmond Perry Jacob Nathaniel Petty Matteo Gordon Pivato Madeleine Yelen Popofsky Simrin Elizabeth Reed Isabella Flora René Seth Kiva Riker Elias Spector Rodriguez Miles Kofi-Bryant Rollins-Waterman Elizabeth Margaret Rosenman Nathan Siff Rubin N. Alexander Rubinson Benjamin Steven Sager Celina Julia Salb Bearden Sanderson Isabelle Mara Schiff Signe Charlotte Christensen Schowitz Henry Wolf Schwabacher Alex Sevak Aden H. Sheingold Noah Otis Young Shelton Jonah Shesol Joyce Lillian Simmons Elana Spector Julie Sherman Steele Ma’ayan Stutman-Shaw Bruno John Sullivan Stella Louise Tongour Henry Milton Tucker Alexander Benjamin Verbesey Hanako Marie Walker Yael Hannah Wellisch Harrison Frederick Yellen West Annabel Skelton Williams Zorah Coryn Williams Charles Oakley Winters Isabella Reese Young Sophie Leigh Zinn

Savannah College of Art and Design Scripps College Skidmore College Smith College Spelman College St. John’s College Stanford University Syracuse University The College of William and Mary The Ohio State University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University University of California, Davis University of California,

Los Angeles University of Cambridge University of Chicago University of Colorado Boulder University of Maryland

Baltimore County University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of St Andrews University of Toronto University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin, Madison Villanova University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University Williams College Yale University

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

speaking during her fifth and final year at GDS

It’s scary to leave a place that has provided so much comfort and felt like a second home to strike out for the unknown. But it’s time. We are leaving, and when we get where we’re going, … we will look back, and it will all make sense, as if the path that had seemed so obscure had been clearly laid out for us all along.”

JULIA FISHER ’09

FACULTY SPEAKER

You’re the class you are because of each of the individual members of your class, each of you a different possibility. So while you go spend your life advocating for voting rights, while your classmate studies 17th century Italian art, and your other classmate designs video games, …I hope you will recall that they, like you, have been crafted by these years that you’ve spent together and that they are bearing out another version of what it means to be a member of the GDS class of 2022.”

PHOTO CREDITS JASON PUTSCHÉ

4TH GRADE GRADUATION

FREED PHOTOGRAPHY

The Class of 2026 graduated in June with a ceremony that highlighted the strength of character they demonstrated as they transitioned from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and then completed their final year of Middle School.

Middle School Principal Debby Previna praised the students for giving generously of themselves, empathizing with their classmates, and developing into an outstanding first draft of who they will be as adults. “I look forward to hearing how this beautiful draft of yourself will continue to evolve,” she said.

The support the class received from family, faculty, and peers came through in remarks from the class speakers, who each offered anecdotes about the unity and community that propelled them through the past few years. The speakers relayed the many ways in which they leaned on each other, particularly during the pandemic-related lockdown, and how doing so built trust.

The class speakers included: Sosi Audain, Iman McNeil, Nakevia Brunson, Jonah Phillips, Fiona McDermott, Sarah Sakr, and Henry Fragale. The ceremony also featured a piano solo by 8th grader John Morsberger and a performance of “Tshotsholoza” by our award-winning 8th-grade Chorus.

FREED PHOTOGRAPHY

FREED PHOTOGRAPHY

MS Principal Debby Previna

The Class of 2030 received words of wisdom, a slideshow of memories, and joyful applause as students celebrated their promotion from 4th grade into Middle School with family and faculty.

Head of School Russell Shaw told the students that they possess an inner light bright enough to fill a space to capacity, like a candle in a cave. “Your light matters,” Russell said. “Thanks for sharing your light with us.”

Lower School Principal Cami Okubo expressed gratitude for the students and everyone involved in their journey. She urged them to reflect on all the people who supported them along the way, and Assistant Principal Denise Jones highlighted some of the Lower School’s signature programs, offering a snapshot of all they had learned at GDS.

The assembly marked the first in-person promotion ceremony for 4th graders after two years of virtual celebration. (Previously, 5th graders were part of the Lower School and the celebration marked their advancement to Middle School.)