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ON THE GROUND - A Message from Interim Head of School Jeff Hooper
A Message from Interim Head of School Jeff Hooper
This year marked my 21st Thacher Commencement, and while I have looked forward to this event each year—seeing students and their families filled with joy, a touch of sadness, and I’m sure a bit of relief—for the first time in these two decades, I met the day not only as an educator and administrator, but also as a parent. As many of you know, Kara and I celebrated the Thacher graduation of our son Hayden, a member of the resilient Class of 2023.
In March of 2020, the students in this class were about to experience their first Thacher spring when the chaos and uncertainty of the covid pandemic sent them home for seven months. Although there is much to be thankful for—including their collective health and ultimate return to campus when many other students remained home—they missed their first Big Gymkhana weekend, their first Spring Sing, their first spring sports seasons, and above all, the rituals and rites of passage that bring closure, context, and meaning to a school year.
While nothing can replace those missed moments from their first spring at Thacher, I have relished seeing the joy and celebration the Class of 2023 was able to experience during their last, many of which you will find in the pages of this issue of Thacher Magazine. Indeed, they have co-constructed a conclusion to their Thacher experience as satisfying and fulfilling as that first spring was disorienting and disappointing. It is both the big events and the small moments that combine to create the unique and lasting experience of living and learning in this community together. From pulling your friend up onto your horse during the rescue race, as Clio and Mariah are pictured doing on the front cover, to taking in a breathtaking vista with your friends on an EDT, as captured on the back cover, these signature moments derive their power from the fact that they are shared and interdependent—that the true end products are the bonds and relationships that will last a lifetime.
I am grateful to be a part of this experience for our students, and speak for all my colleagues when I say it has been an honor to watch the Class of 2023 grow into the honorable, fair, kind, and true young people they are today. Their families, friends, and fellow alumni should be proud and excited to watch them bestow their many gifts upon their future communities.
I look forward to welcoming our students back in the fall and beginning anew with the Class of 2027 as we prepare to launch our rising seniors, the Class of 2024. Until then, Kara and I send our best wishes for a happy and healthy summer full of your own variety of joy and celebration. We hope to see you on campus again soon.
