Final Thoughts

6/6/2019

We’ve experienced the pomp and pageantry of three graduations.

The mad dash to the finish is well into its final week.

So before we sign off, here’s a thought or two or three as Collegiate’s 104^th term hurtles to its conclusion.

Charlie Blair, who’s retiring after 41 years, most of which he’s spent as head of the Middle School and varsity boys soccer coach, served as keynote speaker at Baccalaureate.

His message, delivered from the pulpit at Second Baptist Church, was great and spot on, as it always is.

Brief, too. Maybe 15 minutes of well-chosen, plain-spoken stories and compelling thoughts that captivated those in attendance.

The gist of his talk was the lessons he said he’s learned during his distinguished tenure:

Take pride in what you do.
Let integrity be at the forefront of your words and actions.
Love what you do and with whom you do it.
Be grateful.
And all the while pay attention to people.

Yep, lessons learned. Lessons taught as well. Four decades of Collegiate students, teachers, and parents could have had no better teacher.

The next morning, as the sun beamed brightly into the faces of the 132 graduates, valedictorians Virginia Kauders and Jensen Richardson delivered their own well chosen, compelling words to their classmates and the large assemblage seated before them on the Flippen Hall lawn.

A few passages from each:

Today represents a culmination of the last 18 years, a celebration of everything we have accomplished and a gateway to our future. Some of us have our entire lives planned out, while others have absolutely no idea. We are entering a period of change and uncertainty, but Collegiate has prepared us for anything and everything. Our teachers, classes, extracurriculars, and peers haven’t defined us, but have given us the tools to figure everything out.

While we can’t go everywhere or be everything, we can go anywhere we want and do anything we set our minds to. As long as we are willing to take risks, the opportunities truly are endless.

Virginia Kauders

The human race is just that: a race. We’re all running it, and just like a marathon, even if we don’t finish first, we’ve still accomplished something amazing, powerful, and courageous.

Each of us has responsibilities that we are expected to accomplish. The expectations from those we respect and whose counsel we seek create a tension between doing what we love and our obligations. To thrive despite this tension, we need to find a harmony within this struggle…I believe that success lies in this balance: we should strive to find that perfect niche that balances what we’re good at, what people need, and what brings us fulfillment.

Jensen Richardson

Both Virginia and Jensen made it look so easy. It wasn’t, of course, but just as they achieved in the classroom and on the track, likewise they “dug down deep” and delivered their best when the spotlight – literally and figuratively – was on them.

They learned two weeks beforehand that they had earned the distinction of Valedictorian. Then, they undertook the task of preparing an address that was insightful, meaningful, powerful, no easy assignment when you have much to say.

Both spoke with poise and confidence and just the right blend of humor and seriousness. Their words, earnestly delivered, came as the result of much introspection and consideration, some fits and starts, revising, refining, and practice, practice, practice.

"What I most admired about Virginia's and Jensen's speeches was how much of their personalities they managed to convey,” said Sarah Baker, the Upper School assistant head who worked with them on their presentations. “Think of how many valedictory addresses we've all heard. Think of how few said very much, at all, about the speakers. These two managed to talk about their school, their classmates, their futures...and their values."

-- Weldon Bradshaw

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