Sitting side by side in a sea of maroon robes, 148 seniors of the Class of 2024 walked to receive their diplomas on June 6 in Rockefeller Chapel.
Through the afternoon ceremony, seniors expressed their appreciation for their classmates and teachers in speeches and musical performances. All-school president Zoe Nathawani welcomed families and guests to the ceremony, and class president Samuel Pastor and Rathin Shah each addressed their classmates.
Between speeches, music flowed throughout the hall as Maurice Neuman performed “The Swan” by Saint-Saëns on cello. U-High band I-94 featuring Skyler Albert, Alma Francez, Jacob Gazes and Adam Syverson performed “Why Do I, which was written by Adam.
In her welcome address, Director of Schools Tori Jueds conveyed her appreciation toward the perseverance the Class of 2024 had shown through four years in high school.
“Whether you have been a lifer at Lab or joined us two years ago, you have inspired us. Your class began high school in the midst of theretofore unimaginable uncertainty and disruption, and you persevere,” Ms. Jeuds said.
Graduation committee members Samuel Pastor, Ana Grieve, Tara Sawhney, Myles Cobb and Cassia Collins honored six retiring community members: Catie Bell, Liucija and Allen Ambrosini, Jane Canright, Terry Shanks and Carol Arrington.
Sam expressed his gratitude toward his 10 years in the Lab community, reflecting on his class’ missed middle school graduation and how grateful he was to be graduating with his amazing classmates now.
“Over the past decade I have spent at this school, I have witnessed the growth and development of an incredible batch of students,” Sam said. “We’ve made some amazing memories together.”
Rathin honored his connection with his peers and explained how that connection was something special, something that family or friendship could not replace.
“Our friendships develop through these brief interactions. I can’t glamorize getting the same iced coffee at the same time every day, but us peers constantly work through this monotony,” Rathin said. “The routines of school consist of so many micro-interactions that make our relationships. I don’t mean to proselytize for Lab’s teaching philosophies, but experiential learning is core to our relationships as peers.”
Commencement speaker Karim Sulayman reflected upon his time at Lab, sharing advice that helped him face adulthood. He talked about his time growing up and how he was not the perfect kid, who did not aspire to go to an Ivy League school, but instead aspired to go to music school.
“The single most important piece of advice that I have for you, not that you asked, is this: Find your voice and sing your songs, even when people are covering their ears … coming from a school like Lab you have likely been steeped in the pressure to follow some yellow brick road to an imaginary notion of success: getting into the right school, getting the right job,” Mr. Sulayman said, “and I am here to tell you that there is no one right way to do anything.”
Mr. Sulayman also addressed the fact that there are multiple paths of making it in life.
“I realized that people were more apt to listen to me when I had something unique and authentic to say, and since then I have been continuing to spearhead my own projects while also doing interesting industry-driven jobs and making art that I am proud of, and I get to see the world and meet amazing people and I really feel like I’m living my dream,” Mr. Sulayman said. “So again, there is no one right way.”
