Meehan Asks LA Grads to “be on the Right Side of History…”

by John Bishop

The speaker didn’t mince words.

“Your generation will need to confront the climate crisis, our culture’s addiction to guns and the resulting gun violence, threats to our democracy and human rights, the ongoing cancer of racism, the rise of antisemitism, and the growing economic inequality,” said University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan P’26 to the 115 graduates gathered on the Quad for Commencement on June 2, 2023. “You'll face many situations where you have to decide whose side to take, about whom to stand up for, about when to use your voice, and how to use your power and your privilege.”

Building his argument, Meehan spoke about another member of the Lawrence Academy community who used his voice, power, and privilege for good: Amos A. Lawrence, a merchant, philanthropist, and abolitionist. Then, noting the many difficult decisions and stands his colleague in Congress, Sen. John McCain, needed to make over his career, Meehan recalled that the Arizona Republican said he worked to “be on the right side of history.”

To wit, Meehan echoed many lessons LA students garnered over the past year. In this school cycle, the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continued to be a touchstone for Lawrence Academy. Citing a 1968 MLK speech in Washington, D.C., entitled “A Proper Sense of Priorities,” Meehan quoted Dr. King, saying:

There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.

Finally, noting longstanding traditions at Lawrence Academy and ways of thinking pioneered by abolitionist A. A. Lawrence, and recalling MLK and his friend John McCain, Meehan implored LA’s outgoing students, “When you are confronted with difficult moments — when what you choose to do will be remembered… — I ask that you adhere to the values you developed and honed here at Lawrence Academy and the tradition of Amos Lawrence, Martin Luther King, and Senator McCain.

“I ask that you choose to be on the right side of history,” he concluded.

As always, student speakers’ comments were heartfelt and often moving. Senior Cabinet President CJ Schuster asked his classmates to “take a moment. Look to your left, look to your right. Soak in this moment.” He added, “I promise you this will be worth it; you’re going to remember it forever.”

The two senior graduation speakers, Olivia Ristaino and Tommy Whitlock, spoke eloquently of their experiences at Lawrence. Olivia spoke of “my newfound confidence,” which “spread to the other facets of my life. I started painting what I wanted to paint, not what I thought other people wanted to see. I started dressing in the clothes I had always admired but never thought I could pull off. I experimented with colorful makeup because that was what interested me. I started attending school events and sports games because I wanted to become a part of the community, not just a bystander. I started standing up for myself and what I believe in, both in and out of the classroom. And I branched outside of myself, especially this year. I finally grew tired of the constant voice in my head that was telling me I wasn’t enough, and so, I opened up to more people, the people I had been too scared to talk to ... and let me tell you, I don’t regret a second of it.”

Tommy summed up his LA years this way: “I now realize how far I have come. This could not have been done without my peers and teachers at LA. What this school has ultimately pushed all of us to do throughout our time here is to go beyond our comfort zone. Social-distance-sophomore-year Tommy would have never guessed he would be where Treasurer-Tommy is today, and I know I’d make him proud .... What I am trying to say is that it is Lawrence Academy’s fault I turned out this way. Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones is never easy, but it is essentially how I plan on living the rest of my life. And I hope it’s how all of you will live your lives, too, because it’s what LA has taught us to do.”

Just before it was time to toss the mortarboards into the air, Head of School Dan Scheibe sent the Class of ’23 on their way: “Beloved Class of 2023, keep loving, keep playing, keep learning, keep singing. Thank you for who you are, and now let’s go get to it.”

Senior Awards

The Adrian Chen ’92 Award (linguistic and cultural fluency): Daichi Seki and Phoebe Wachira

The Benjamin Davis Williams Prize (leadership and innovation): Alexandra Kelly

Kaitlyn Nhi Nguyen Service Society: Ham Swartwood and Annie Pendleton

The David Thomas Kinsley Prize for Public Speaking: Paloma Harker

The Faculty Award (conduct and character): Owen Benedict

The Ferguson Prize for Leadership: CJ Schuster

The Howard Glaser ’55 Award (school spirit): Tommy Whitlock

The Mary Elizabeth Chickering Prize (academic accomplishments and wholesome attitude): Liv Ristaino

The Melvin Mann Award (leadership and respect): Ham Swartwood

The Norman and Catherine Grant Award (sportsmanship): Bryce Thomas

The Pillsbury Prize for Character and Conduct: Abigale Moran and Keagan Ryan

The Pillsbury Prize for General Improvement: Thais Ruiz

The Raymond A. Ilg Jr. Award (achievement in athletics): Taylor Wiercinski

The Richmond Baker Prize (athletic leadership): Anya Nichipor and CJ Jahnle

The Thomas Park ’29 Memorial Award (loyalty and dedication): Ella Rago

The Treisman Prize for Superior Scholastic Achievement: Sergei Leonov

The Whitehurst Prize (exceptional growth): Mac Ribner

Underclass Awards

Note: awarded during Cum Laude Day

The Carl A.P. Lawrence Award (competence and loyalty): Madeline Gibson ’24

The Dartmouth College Book Award (intellectual and extracurricular leadership): Joshua White ’24

The David Soren Yeutter Memorial Award (appreciation of natural beauty and LA): Z LeStage ’24 and Kinh Kieu ’24

The Harry and Ann Davidson Prize (effort to achieve): Mako Muvirimi ’24

The Harvard Book Prize (scholarship and character): Anthony Coston ’24

The James E. Baker Prize (development in attitude and scholarship): Owen Leahy ’24

The Margaret Price White Award (motivation and work ethic): Dawit Hawgood ’25

The Thomas B. Warner ’75 Memorial Prize (determination to achieve): Se-Hanna Mars ’24, Aly Beloff ’24, and Madeline Margraf ’24

The Proctor Award (integrity, initiative, and responsibility): Michael Gregoire ’24