2 minute read
COMMENCEMENT
Hilltop
NEWS FROM CAMPUS
COMMENCEMENT A Huge Life Milestone
For the first time since 2019, Kimball Union was able to return to a Commencement Ceremony that had all the pomp and circumstance of a pre-COVID event. On May 22, 120 graduates in the Class of 2022 donned robes and mortar boards and processed onto the Quad before friends, family, faculty, and alumni to mark their time and contributions on The Hilltop.
“We gather here today with the humility to know that this day, this moment in time, is meaningful as a moment to honor and acknowledge that—from the height of euphoria to the depth of the struggles you’ve embraced—you are achieving a huge life milestone,” Head of School Tyler Lewis told graduates on an unseasonably warm morning.
COVID-19 curtailed an entire spring for the Class of 2020, which celebrated its graduation over Zoom. Last year’s ceremony, while held in person, took place on Pope Field to allow for room for distancing.
Co-valedictorians David Cutler ’22, who spoke at Commencement, and Helena Heckman ’22, who addressed graduates at Baccalaureate, each touched upon the importance of not only accepting but also embracing change.
“We must seek to embrace the uncertainty ahead of us and live not to fear it,” said Cutler, who plans to attend Tufts University in the fall. “We, of course, are not only our own futures but also the collective future of all humanity. There is no group on this planet that I know that will see this done better.”
Heckman, who will attend the University of Southern California next year, said, “We are not so much a part of Kimball Union as it is a part of us. There will be many classes after us just as there have been many before. As we move forward with our lives, I hope you find a place like KUA: a place where you belong, a place where you can grow, and a place where you become alive.”
Honorary degrees were bestowed on this year’s three retiring faculty members—Physics Teacher Brian McMahon, Dance Teacher Kay McCabe, and Director of Theater David Weidman. With a combined 83 years of service, they were recognized for all their remarkable contributions to KUA.
Weidman, who served as this year’s Commencement speaker, offered graduates 32 lessons from his 32 years working in high school—from trying something new, to respecting everyone and celebrating difference, to owning mistakes.
“I can relate to all those feelings,” he said, acknowledging the mixed emotions of the Class of 2022, “because after 32 years on The Hilltop, helping eight full generations of KUA students walk across this stage, I am also graduating from Kimball Union this year.” K
“We gather here today to honor and acknowledge that you are achieving a huge life milestone.” —HEAD OF SCHOOL TYLER LEWIS
120
Graduates in the Class of 2022
3
Honorary degrees bestowed
2
Valedictorians
94
Degrees in Meriden on graduation day
19
Graduates completing Arts, Global, and STEM Scholar Programs
—DAVID CUTLER ’22, CO-VALEDICTORIAN
