Upper School President Ian Travis delivered the following speech to his class at Commencement. You can watch the full speech here.
Good afternoon Beaver,
Here we are, class of 2023, at the end of the road. Thankfully, this road is not a cul-de-sac because we have many more parts of life’s road to drive, but our Beaver road is sadly ending. Our stretch of road was full of many potholes akin to a wintery Massachusetts road. This group not only carried around it, but we paved over those potholes. I doubt that our freshmen selves could have predicted what awaited us in the following four years.
In September of 2019, our greatest public health crisis was the EEE emergency manifesting in the woods. By the end of our freshmen year, we were isolated from our new friends and community, unsure of when we would be able to reunite. Our class’ entry into high school was paused by a red-light of sorts, but we ran that red light and did not allow the obstacle to stop our class. That is because this class is a unique and dynamic group of people; we transcended the confinements of our homes. We continued to do the stuff that we loved at school, like making Rube Goldberg machines out of books and coasters we found at home and managing to find ways to talk during Zoom classes. Our social skills stayed sharp thanks to our Zoom Advisories, class meetings, and even virtual student council elections. Time flew and soon enough we were defining our new normal. That is when this class entered second gear, engaging the turbocharger. Once the flurry of uncertainty lifted, we emerged together as a family of sorts; a community bound together by adversity with the determination to move forward and succeed.
We traveled across the country and world to explore and better understand the things around us. From Providence, RI for Model UN to Havana, Cuba, for the Cuban Jazz Ensemble, this class never stopped; we just kept driving. We explored the world in ways that only Beaver students could imagine. Using our motivation to learn and Beaver’s cutting-edge technology, we explored the world in unique ways that mirrored the latest advancements in technology and society. We shared important information about local elections with peers who lived in the same communities, connected Ukrainian Web designers with American companies who were looking for web designers, worked at frontline bio-research firms looking for cures to the world’s many medical problems, coded artificial intelligence systems to kickstart our AI age, and even installed professional-grade stage lights in Bradley Hall. That is to just name a bit, as if I said everything this excellent class had done in their time at Beaver, we would be here for hours or weeks (and I am not kidding).
From a student leader’s perspective, this class hit the road fast for their senior year with our start-of-year last-minute senior sunrise at Larz Anderson. Speaking of that, did you know you have to book a reservation IHOP? Well, we realized that you cannot turn up with 60 people unannounced at IHOP. We also had a fabulous senior skip day on a crisp but beautiful day in April in Rockport, MA. As innovative and sustainable Beaver students, we even took the train from North Station. Needless to say, the others on the commuter rail did not enjoy a silent train journey.
Other notable achievements of this class include the support they gave Student Council for Project Beaver 2.0, a sizable student-led reform to introduce Hogwarts-style houses to Beaver, and the large turnout in the “dam” student sections at both Harvest Fest and Dam Jam. We even tried to camp at Beaver, but despite Rebecca Goodman’s best efforts at convincing the school, the chaperone requirements were unrealistic. The camping experiment sums up this class’ spirit; students planned to sleep in tents perched on concrete because they wanted to be with their Beaver classmates one last time. This is the spirit that embodies this class. Despite the potholes on “Beaver Road,” this class reignited the Beaver spirit after its deep hibernation. This class has set the bar very high for following classes.
I am honored to be the President of Beaver with the class of 2023; I am honored to be a part of this fantastic group of people. Mark my words, by the time our class reaches retirement age in 2070 (if it isn’t changed), I guarantee we will have had at least one elected official to federal office (by the way, everyone please vote for me for President in 2048), many more at the state level, numerous Fortune 500 CEOs, dozens of founders of world-changing start-up firms solving global problems that we cannot even fathom now, and many more novelists, inventors, actors, and societal influencers. This group is the equivalent of a supercar show, with everyone having their unique abilities that allow them all to be supercars.
All of you, I am pleading, please stay in touch with your classmates and make an effort to visit them as you continue on your own roads. It is these connections that you will remember, and frankly even brag about, 50 years from now. This class will change the world the Beaver way.
Before I step away, we need to take a selfie of the whole class for the memories. It’s worth 23 house points to smile!
I would also like us to remember and acknowledge the memory of a member of our community who we lost this year, Mr. Joseph Christy. Mr. Christy passed away earlier in this school year, leaving a gaping hole for this community. He was a dedicated teacher, and more importantly, a beloved mentor to students, families, and colleagues. He made a strong impact on many students within the class of 2023 as a figure of support, friendship, and joy. He leaves behind a legacy at the school that will never be forgotten. To honor him, I hope all of us will carry the spirit and intentions of Mr. Christy through all that we do.
Thank you!