Graduation 2024
Graduation 2024
On Friday, June 14, The Park School proudly celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2024. The day was sunny and bright, as were the smiles of our graduates, their families, and Park’s faculty and staff, coming together in appreciation of the journeys that have brought us this far.
As, Head of School Scott Young noted, “In many ways, I can imagine that today feels like the end of a journey, and it is.
Today, you end your journey as a student at Park. Whether you arrived here in PreKindergarten or you joined in the Upper Division … today is an ending; however, and maybe more importantly, today is a beginning.”
Congratulations, Class of 2024!
* The Crocker Award is given from time to time by the Parents’ Association to an adult within The Park School community for uniquely selfless, abundant, and dedicated years of service to the benefit of The Park School community. This award is given in honor of Joan Crocker, who, in her twenty-five parent years at Park, exemplified the kind of devotion and steadfast zeal this award recognizes in its recipients.
ELIZA HOOVER, RIGHT, THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT OF THE CROCKER AWARD, WITH PA PRESIDENT TIFFANY HOGAN*
Student Speeches
Each year, students who wish to serve as graduation speakers submit writing samples for consideration by a faculty committee, which selects two speakers without knowing the identity of the writers. The speakers chosen for the Class of 2024 are Margot Murphy-Hara and Lizzie Woods .
Margot Murphy-Hara ’24
Of course, intellectual interest is encouraged by excellent teaching. From guiding us through a tricky piece of literature to coaching us through an improv scene to building a bike-powered sander for us to use in Woodshop, our teachers are truly remarkable.
Whether we are going to boarding school or art school, down the street or to a whole other state, we are ready for the future. This is not by accident. It is as a result of the challenges we have faced, the teachings we have received, and tight bonds we have forged with each other. I hope that we will carry these with us forever. I can’t wait to see what everyone does next!
CLICK HERE to watch Margot’s speech in full.
Lizzie Woods ’24
Now that I am here in eighth grade, I envy the PreKers. Because they get to do it all with each other. Which is why I hope everyone at Park School knows how lucky they are that they get to have the experience of growing up here. Of being small and yet so big, big and yet so small. And my experience has come full circle because going into high school next year, I feel so small, yet so big at the same time all over again.
I encourage you to recognize how far you have come from when you came to Park — and how proud that version of you would be of where you are now. Because all of the experiences that younger versions of you have had, led to this moment. Those stepping blocks have led you to who you are right now as a person and who we are as a class.
CLICK HERE to watch Lizzie’s speech in full.
Alumni Graduation Address
Each year, The Park School invites a graduate with seven years of post-Park experience to give the graduation address. Until last year, that speaker represented their graduating 9th grade class—last year and this year, our speaker represents his 8th Grade class. It is my distinct privilege to welcome Bill Eugene back to The Park School.
Bill entered Park in 6th grade and graduated as a member of Park’s 8th grade class of 2017. He then spent his high school years at Milton Academy.
Now a senior at Boston College, where he studies Chemistry, Bill is exploring cross-coupling chemistry. Bill’s love for chemistry stems back to his time at Park and his experience at Milton Academy and has been a cornerstone of his time at Boston College.
Bill’s plans for the future include applying to PhD programs in the fall in hopes of pursuing a career in pharmaceuticals.
Bill credits his time at Park and his teachers at Park with inspiring him to always ask questions and enjoy the process of learning, not solely focusing on the grade. At Park, he was surrounded by educators who embraced curiosity, fostered exploration, and acted with kindness.
Bill shared that Park was the greatest educational experience of his life because, at Park, he was introduced to science, less as theories in a book, and more as a hands-on discipline from the lab experiments used to reinforce his learning.
A joyful learner, mindful leader, skillful communicator, creative problem solver, and practiced advocate through and through, Bill Eugene is an inspiration and exemplifies our Park Portrait.
It is my distinct pleasure to introduce Bill as this year’s alumni graduation speaker.
–Scott Young
Bill Eugene ’17
Having disappointing experiences is just as important as the successes in life because it is where the true learning lays. When we grant ourselves the privilege to fail, we are able to reflect on what went wrong and how we can improve.
And Grade 8, this is what I really want to say to you. Go out and fail a little. Step outside of your comfort zone. Try a new activity, take a more advanced class in high school, or make a new friend. You all have shown me, your teachers, your coaches, and your parents how much you care for each other.
So have trust and take the leap of faith. Step into the uncomfortable because you’ll never want to go back once you do. CLICK HERE to watch Bill’s speech in full.
Head of School Remarks
Scott Young Head of School
As eighth graders, you have been outstanding leaders. You have leaned into opportunities to connect with younger students, whether making friendship bracelets and pulling garlic mustard weeds with your third grade buddies or leading sports teams and drama rehearsals with members of the Upper Division.
Class of 2024, you show up at Park every day not only ready to contribute, but also thankful for the opportunity to do so. You are quick to raise your hand and you are eager to help whether it is to give a tour, answer a question in morning meeting, host Lower Division Bingo Night, or volunteer at Open House. You said “yes” whenever we asked for your leadership.
With your sincerity and spirit, you were a class that was ready to go, and you were exemplary representatives of The Park School wherever you went. Starting with a trip to the MFA and Timeout Market, you marveled at the exhibits, asked insightful questions, tried new foods, and soaked in the world beyond 171 Goddard Avenue.
Building community takes skill, hard work, empathy, and commitment, and you, as a grade, were incredible leaders from the very first days of the year until today, your graduation day.
CLICK HERE to watch the full video of the 2024 Graduation Exercises.
Last Lesson
Ken Rogers
Upper Division Head
You showed us not perfect Park Portraits, but ones that became more of the ideal with every draft. I am, we are, incredibly proud of you for how you have navigated your Park journey.
The stories of you are many and among the accolades of wins and accomplishment, you also learned lessons in your mistakes…and changed as a result…as you began learning to take responsibility for your own behavior, practicing repair and forgiveness as you moved forward in community, at times modeling for the rest of us how to stumble, struggle, find your voice, and get back on track.
My hope for you…Class of 2024… Is that you really get the thing about myth… about story, and that you understand the responsibility of accuracy and the power in the retelling. There will be stories of your time here that are destined to bear repeating–because as classes go–you are both favored and favorite.
On behalf of those of us who led you, taught you, served you…on behalf of those of us who were delighted, impressed, entertained, and, yes, even challenged by you… I want to thank each one of you for your weaving through your migratory years at Park, a story of a class memorable, the story of a class that was a joy to teach, and the story of a class who made the hardest parts of teaching and leading worthwhile.
Next Schools
MAYA AFERGAN NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
JAMES BENENSON PROCTOR ACADEMY
RAPHAEL BOCKMAN THE COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL
EDWARD BOYDEN BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
JACKSON BROWNSTEIN NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
MERRIN CASTLES CONCORD ACADEMY
SERENNA CHOKSHI NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
SHIRLEY CHUDE-SOKEI BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
XAVIER CLEMENTE NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
ADELINE COLEMAN ST. MARK’S SCHOOL
GISELLE DASILVA CANTON HIGH SCHOOL
ANGUS DENT THE GROTON SCHOOL
WYATT DINWOODEY NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
ELEANOR DUMPHY-MANFREDI CONCORD ACADEMY
LYRA DVORIN MILTON ACADEMY
DENIS EAGLE BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
BRANDON EDDINGS BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
SLOANE FRIEZE CONCORD ACADEMY
DAVID GLUSHKOV THE COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL
MAURA GLYNN DEERFIELD ACADEMY
BENJAMIN GOLDBERG BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
OISIN GUTHRIE CATHOLIC MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
GABRIELA GUZMAN NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
JONATHAN HARLEV BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
OLLIE JACOBS NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
AUSTIN JEYES BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
OSCAR JOHANNSEN BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL
SYLVIA KIM NEEDHAM HIGH SCHOOL
JOSEPHINA KOULOMZIN MILTON ACADEMY
LUCA KOVACS BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
ASHER LAMBERT BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY
LUKAS LIEBISCH THE RIVERS SCHOOL
SOPHIE LU PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER
NICHOLAS MASDEA BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
MIKOTO MATSUZAKA DANA HALL SCHOOL
CHLOE MCFERRAN BERKSHIRE ACADEMY
PETER MCGRATH-SHELDRICK BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL
AIDAN MCWILLIAMS BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
NATHAN MINN BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
OLIVIA MINN DEERFIELD ACADEMY
OLIVIA MIRANDA THE RIVERS SCHOOL
MARGOT MURPHY-HARA MILTON ACADEMY
NIAMH O’DONOGHUE MILTON ACADEMY
MAX PASCIUCCO MILTON ACADEMY
ARIANNA PERRYMAN-GREENE FENWAY CHARTER SCHOOL
ELLEN ROBBINS MILTON ACADEMY
DASHEL ROSENBERG BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
PALOMA ROTHMAN BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL
LILA SHERMAN TABOR ACADEMY
SOPHIE SKOKOWSKI MIDDLESEX SCHOOL
ANTON STARK BOSTON UNIVERSITY ACADEMY
ALICE VAN GIJSEL VERMEERSCH BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
SARAH-ALYSSE WILLIAMS PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER
ELIZA WOODS THAYER ACADEMY
ANDERS YU MILTON ACADEMY
DANIEL ZORAN CONCORD ACADEMY
JASPER ZUCKER SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
