As the time approaches for Seniors to leave the community and embark on new journeys, the Senior Induction dinner marked the beginning of a series of events honoring Seniors.
The dinner, held on May 10, welcomed Seniors into the Alumni Association.
The event began at 6:15 p.m. with a ceremony in the chapel. Members of the Board of Governors shook hands with each Senior, congratulated them on their upcoming graduation, and handed out “Hotchkiss Alumni” pins.
Mr. Tom Seidenstein ’91, president of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, spoke to the Seniors about what it means to join the Alumni Association.
The Board of Governors encouraged students to network with alumni who share their interests and support the school in its future fundraising initiatives.
Community members emphasized the usefulness of the alumni network. Ms. Kamaren Suwijn, associate director of the Hotchkiss Fund, said, “[As] an alum at Hotchkiss, you are part of this lifetime community. For every phase of your life, the school is there to support you. When students graduate, the Alumni Association helps alumni [by] connecting them with people who have job openings or expertise in the field that they are interested in. You are part of this exclusive club that you can rely on going forward.”
As the Seniors walked to the dining hall for dinner, each student received a copy of The Gift of His Example: George Van Santvoord of Hotchkiss by Faye Vincent and John Barrett.
During the dinner, Mr. Seidenstein called a U.S. Naval Officer in attendance to present a scholarship award to Shine Peng ’19.
After that, Souleman Toure ’19 and Katya Giffenig ’19, Senior class presidents, recalled memories that the Senior class had made together throughout the last four years.
Mr. Marc Dittmer, Senior class dean, spoke about “not losing sight.” Dittmer used two examples from his life when he lost sight of what was in front of him to advise the Seniors to cherish their remaining time here.
After Mr. Dittmer’s talk, Caitlin Reilly ’19 and Daniel Pai ’19, all-school presidents, introduced a time capsule for the Senior class, which will be opened at the Class of 2019’s five-year reunion. Students had the opportunity to place meaningful objects and memorabilia in the capsule.
After Calliope and Bluenote’s graduating members performed, the Senior class sung “Fair Hotchkiss” together to close the event.
Students will say a final goodbye to the Seniors during the graduation ceremony on May 30.