The St. Margaret’s community gathered on Chalmers Field on June 8 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2019. The festive ceremony featured speeches by Head of School Will Moseley, class valedictorian Natalie Yee, ASB president Sarah Thurin, and a presentation of the class gift by Indigo Agan and Hannah Olsen. The 118 graduating seniors were awarded their diplomas.

Here are transcripts of the speeches that were delivered that evening:

 

Welcome to our trustees, professional community, special guests, family, friends and most importantly to The Class of 2019.

Our special guests tonight include:

The Honorable Brian Maryott, Mayor of San Juan Capistrano. Please stand to be recognized.

And we also have five of our Faculty Emeriti who have retired from St. Margaret's having served over two decades as members of the school faculty: Ingrid Andrews, Anne Kemp, Jody Prichard, Margy Risner and Penny Tacquard. Please stand to be recognized.

As we celebrate the school's 40th anniversary, I want to pay special tribute to two very important members of our faculty who are retiring this year as Faculty Emeriti.

Gerry Manning has served St. Margaret's for 25 years as a teacher and coach and founded the men's Lacrosse program for the Tartans.

Gerry, please stand to be recognized.

Susan Remsberg was on the founding faculty that opened St. Margaret's Episcopal School in 1979. She is retiring after 40 years of service and is the longest standing employee of our school.

Susan, please stand to be recognized.

On behalf of our Board of Trustees and the entire Tartan family, we honor Gerry and Susan for their tremendous dedication, leadership and incredible years of service to St. Margaret's.

In addition, I also want to call special attention to over 60 families who are attending their last official St. Margaret's event with the graduation of their last child. Please stand to be recognized.

And, for the last time this year, to the Class of 2019:

I SEE YOU AND I AM GLAD TO BE WITH YOU!

Thank you all for joining us here today for this very special occasion. It is one of the great joys and blessings in my life to share in this moment with these incredible young people, and I ask that you partner with us to bear witness and celebrate with this graduating class.

This is a very special time for you, the members of the senior class, and for your families, your friends, and your teachers. We have all watched you grow and mature into the young people we see before us today. We share a deep appreciation for the individuals that you are. None of us arrives at a place of accomplishment alone, and you have had the love and commitment of many people as you have journeyed toward the place you are today.

We as a school have gone on an incredible journey with you. We have valued and grown from your love and leadership. You have led our student body with your incredible scholarly pursuit, both in and outside of the classroom. In the arts, you have performed many memorable concerts, Chapel songs, plays, and the masterful and epic productions this year of Animal Farm and Into the Woods.

You've led our Tartan spirit in pep rallies, in the stands as The Kitchen and on the field to 6 CIF Championships - a new school record! You have exemplified the character and honor we espouse as leaders in Chapel, as peer counselors, in inspirational convocations and thoughtful Honors Assembly speeches; and you've demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service and community.

You have built the bonds of deep friendship with each other, supporting one another through challenges, and cheering in ovation for your accomplishments. Your connection to St. Margaret's and to your classmates has become an integral part of who you are today and has helped shape our school as the special place it is.

You will never again be surrounded by the density of love and talent that you have here today. This love is the thread that weaves the fabric of this community together and creates a bond that cannot be broken.

Our mission at St. Margaret's is to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service.

Today, I want to think with vou about a quality that I believe is essential for living a life of learning, leading and serving. This quality is EMPATHY.

Empathy is the action of understanding, of being aware of, and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another.

The word empathy is derived from the Greek empatheia, which literally means passion — the identification with and the emotional understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives.

The Greek poet Homer said, "Yet taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for another's good, and melt at another's woe."

The concept of empathy is perhaps the ultimate key to determining the kind of person you will be as you move through college and into your adult lives.

The ability to understand and appreciate one another is, to me, a vital part of what we are all about as a school, as parents, and as a community. With the ability to empathize with others comes the realization that "It's not all about me." This realization is what makes it possible for a real community to grow and thrive. It's the ability to think about what we all have in common rather than focusing on what makes us different — that ability helps build communities that offer real support and meaning to their members.

In looking at the life of Jesus, we can learn much about empathy through His love.

In Matthew Chapter 22, verse 39 Jesus says: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." and, in John Chapter 15, verse 12, Jesus says "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Father Earl, in one of his recent sermons, points out that love is not an option, but a command. God commands us to love and in this verse from John, He is even more specific by saying that we are to love one another, as He has loved us.

Empathy and love go hand in hand.

As parents, teachers and as a St. Margaret's community, we try to instill in each child the ability to appreciate the different talents and personalities of the people around them. As our 21st century world shrinks through technology and an explosion of information, our need to empathize with others grows exponentially.

As Thomas Friedman asserts, The world IS flat — we are all connected and getting more so.

Empathy is essential for collaboration. The human ability to solve problems, to cure diseases, to make lives better is tremendously enhanced when many different ideas, many creative minds and many different perspectives are brought together.

Best selling author Dr. Brene Brown states, "Empathy fuels connection. "

In her book, Daring Greatly, she goes on to say "We are hard-wired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives."

And, at your Senior Banquet on Friday evening, your classmate Robbie Graham said this: "Happiness is rooted in others, the link and connection we feel to other people."

Last month, I received a note from a Lieutenant Colonel serving in Afghanistan. He was writing to thank our students for the care packages and letters of support we sent to his troops this year. In this note he tells our students:

"Devote yourselves to a meaningful life that makes a positive impact for the common good. Seek new understanding, explore and think critically and creatively about the issues that affect our world. Each of us has the potential to be like a single pebble breaking the surface of still water. If we work together, then we become a stone whose ripples resound far and wide."

I hope that your years at St. Margaret's, whether you have been a student here since preschool or whether you joined the class more recently, have given you many tools for building your future. No school can give you all that you need to know in today’s world. Your best tools are a passion for learning and a willingness to open yourselves to opportunities and people who can guide your lifelong learning beyond the very good foundation that you have built so far.

But I also hope that you take with you the foundation of character and heart that will make a difference in the kind of person you are. Your ability to think of others, to listen, to understand, to act upon that understanding and to EMPATHIZE will enable you to be that single pebble breaking the surface of still water and together become a stone whose ripples resound far and wide.

Please know, however far and wide your path may lead, you have a home here at St. Margaret's. Our Tartan family will always be eager to welcome you, to hear about your adventures, your challenges and triumphs and yes, to empathize with you. We hope that, in a major way, your St. Margaret's experience has helped you to build a foundation of empathy and love that will be obvious to everyone you encounter in your future.

I believe that YOUR EMPATHY has the power to change the world.

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to share this journey with you and I am proud of each one of you. The St. Margaret's professional community joins me in congratulating each of you on your commencement.

Go forth in EMPATHY AND LOVE.

May God bless you and may God bless St. Margaret's Episcopal Church and School!

 

Hello, everyone! My name is Sarah Thurin, and it is my honor to welcome you to the commencement for the class of 2019. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to share my heart with you today as we open this ceremony. But, I feel even more blessed to be able to stand here and say that I am part of the Class of 2019, one of the most influential, passionate, and loving grades to have passed through St. Margaret’s.

For eight years of my life, I attended summer camp. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest, most positive influences in my life. The camp lasts two weeks, and on the first Sunday, the whole camp family would get together for a church service. Immediately afterwards, there would be baskets of flowers waiting for each camper. Every person had the opportunity to take a flower, give it to somebody that they cared deeply for or admired, and compliment their character. Every year, the camp staff would emphasize the fact that Flower Sunday wasn’t about collecting as many flowers as you could get or receiving more than your friends. A few weeks ago, I was reading through some journals that I wrote during camp. I came across one journal in particular from one of my first years at camp when I was about nine years old, and the journal read, “Flower Sunday is the best! I got SO many flowers! Like, the most in my cabin!” Not only is this journal extraordinarily obnoxious, but it also shows that I did not truly understand the value of our words and the value of our love.

I am grateful for this class because they’ve shown me what it means to love each other unconditionally, and they’ve taught me why it is more important to have zero flowers at the end of the day than a full bouquet. This class has changed me and loved me beyond measure. But, the most beautiful thing that this class has taught me is that unconditional love means loving others no matter what; it means loving them through their highs, lows, and every bit in between.

Each year, Flower Sunday became increasingly more important to me, as I finally began to understand its worth. I not only was changed by the words and truth spoken into me on these special days, but I began to understand the value of my own words as well. Flower Sunday was and always will be a gift in my life. However, even after camp, I would go right back to this school and be surrounded by a community full of love and support. In my grade, Flower Sunday felt like every single day.

Nobody has loved each other, loved their passions, and loved our beautiful community the way that the class of 2019 has. So, I want to do something a little different today in order to honor and celebrate the mission of love that the class of 2019 fulfilled for so many people on this campus. Today is a special day not just because we are graduating. It is a special day because we are surrounded by the people that love us the most in this world: parents, siblings, family, teachers, and friends. It is a rare occasion when we have an opportunity to be together with not only people who love us so dearly, but with people who have been committed to our personal growth for our entire lives. I know that sometimes in our busy lives, it can be hard to find the time to express admiration or share the value that others have contributed to our lives.

So, while we are all here together, I want to give us the opportunity to affirm one another before we move on to the next chapter in our lives. Today, I want to help create a graduation memory: Flower Saturday. There will be brown, wicker baskets placed on the reception tables filled with flowers. After the ceremony is over and before you start taking pictures, I want to encourage each of you to go over to the baskets and pick up a flower or even a few and share your appreciation for someone who has made an impact on your life, no matter how big or how small. When you take a flower out of the basket and choose your person, try to focus on affirming them on a deeper level. Although I know we will be rushed to take pictures and celebrate, it will only take a few moments to give somebody a flower and tell them how much they mean to you. The time that you take to do this could have an everlasting impact on your relationship. These flowers and the words shared between me and loved ones in the past has changed my life, and I can only hope that it will change yours as well. Everybody is welcome to do this: students, guests, our professional community, family, and friends. As graduates, we wouldn't have made it here today without so many of you sitting behind us and in the audience. So, graduates, take a flower and a moment to express your gratitude to that person or people who got you to this point. If you brought flowers with you today to give to a member of this class, I would encourage you to do the same thing and affirm the graduate you are giving them to. I promise that the words exchanged today will be cherished for years to come.

Remember that contrary to my nine year old self’s belief, it is not about how many flowers you receive. Instead, I challenge all of us to focus on the depth of our recognition and how our words can change lives. For me, this is something that still challenges me. However, my classmates have inspired me to continue to try time and time again. Remember that affirming each other doesn’t have to stop here, and you don’t even need a flower at all to do this.

Our graduation is more than just a celebration of our school work and accomplishments. Additionally, it is a celebration of the culture of the grade and the values that we have collectively spread to others. Out of all the amazing things that this class has accomplished, whether it be academic awards, athletics, or arts, I believe that our greatest accomplishment has been love. So, let’s have a round of applause not just for the diplomas and recognitions that we will receive today, but for the way that the class of 2019 has loved and been loved by this community for the past four or more years. As we officially leave this campus for the last time as students, after we toss our caps into the air, we will use these flowers to affirm friendships and relationships to last forever.

Now, I would like to introduce our incredible ASB senior class representatives, Indigo Agan and Hannah Olsen. They epitomize loving each of us, and working hard throughout the year to bring us closer together. They will receive my first two flowers on this Flower Saturday. Please welcome Hannah and Indigo, and thank you to the class of 2019 for your ever-present love.

 

Good evening. Welcome parents, family, friends, faculty, and, of course, the graduating class of2019. It's an incredible honor to stand in front of you, and I feel so lucky to represent such an amazing and accomplished group of students.

Wow. The day is finally here. We are graduating. I want to congratulate every one of you for successfully making it through high school, as we celebrate the passage through one chapter of our lives and embark on another exciting chapter. I think I can speak for all of us when I say the journey through our time here at St. Margaret's has been one of the happiest and most enriching experiences of our lives.

I can vividly recall the freshman jitters, the sophomore awkwardness, the junior stress, and finally the senior-itis. We survived the all-nighters furiously writing 20 pages of journals the night before they were due, endured the intimidating finals and AP tests, and dutifully wore blazers and pencil skirts and ties every Thursday.

We have earned impressive accomplishments. We hung 8 new CIF and State championship banners in the Pasternack Field House. Our beloved student section, the Kitchen, was even named OC student section of the week by the OC Register, an amazing feat considering the relatively small size of our student body. There were 13 Cappies nominations earned by our aspiring actors and journalists and we had 4 nominees for OC Register's OC artist of the year. In addition to the successes, we have all overcome struggles, grown immensely throughout our four years of high school, and have matured into young adults together.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our wonderful community. On behalf of the entire class, I'd like to thank all the friends, family, and faculty joining us on this special day as well as everyone else who has positively impacted our lives. To all the parents, thank you for your love and guidance from the very beginning and for always being there when we needed you. Thank you to all the

St. Margaret's faculty and staff for helping us through every step of our academic and extracurricular journeys. And to all my friends, my personal thanks for keeping a smile on my face and my spirits high through it all. And lastly, thank you to the entire Class of 2019. I am so lucky to have known all of you for so many years and there is no one else I would rather graduate with.

Recently, I saw Avengers Endgame as I'm sure many of you did as well, and it got me thinking about the similarities between our class and the Avengers. The Avengers made the most of their superpowers by using them to serve others. They were committed to serving society and to saving the world. They were willing to sacrifice their lives to fulfill their mission. Well, we might not go that far, but in our own smaller way, we've done the same.

We volunteered at FAM every month and donated hundreds of cans. We tutored students through the amazing Breakthrough program. We put together dozens of Christmas gifts for families through Operation Christmas Child. And we spent weeks during our summers to serve as camp counselors at Special Camp for Special Kids.

I don't think there is a single thing I would want to change about my high school experience. When I look back, I will cherish every moment with my friends and classmates. The St. Margaret's Class of 2019 is truly amazing and we leave behind a legacy that deserves to last forever.

In closing, as we move on with our lives in the many directions it may take, I encourage you to continue serving others in whatever capacity you are able to. As declared in the St. Margaret's mission statement, it is important to live lives of service. Wherever life may take you, continue to find the time to serve your community. Even a small act of kindness can have a huge impact. I also challenge all of you to continue to make the most of your strengths and talents to make a positive impact on the world. Don't be afraid of the unknown as you embark on your next adventures. All of us are superheroes in our own unique way, and each of us has tremendous potential to change the world. I cannot wait to see what we will accomplish in the years ahead. Again, congratulations to the St. Margaret's Class of 2019.