The community celebrated the Senior Class graduation on Friday, June 3, with remarks from the Head of School, Mr. Craig Bradley, All-School President Sydney Goldstein ’22, and guest commencement speaker Mr. Adam Sharp ’96.
The ceremony marked the return of an open in-person graduation for the first time in two years. Other celebrations and events, such as the Senior Music Recital, the Baccalaureate, the Senior Awards, and the Cum Laude Ceremony were held the day before.
The ceremony began with commencement, a long-standing school tradition. All underclass students and faculty members formed a processional for the Senior class to walk through, eventually reaching the Harris House Lawn.
As the ceremony proceeded, a few Seniors presented solo performances. As the Seniors walked through their peers, the orchestra performed various pieces, including the famed graduation march, “Pomp and Circumstance,” by Edward Elgar. They took their seats as Mr. Bradley and Goldstein delivered their final remarks to the class.
This year’s commencement speaker, Mr. Adam Sharp ’96, is a current member of the Board of Governors and the President and CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Previously, he has served as the Head of News, Government, and Elections at Twitter, and also as a Deputy Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate. Sharp was selected to speak by the Senior Class Council because of his significant accomplishments and affability.
Cooper Roh ’22, a Senior class president, said, “Mr. Sharp is someone in whom we can see many similarities. He is someone who can sit down with a bunch of seniors and still have a great time. We can sympathize with Mr. Sharp’s struggles and enjoyable memories at Hotchkiss. He can conduct himself to a formal standard while also maintaining the sense of fun and camaraderie with people he has never met but still shares a connection with.”
Eliza Dana ’22 said, “I am excited to hear that Mr. Sharp will return to campus and speak at our 2022 graduation. It is inspiring to see someone involved in the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences speak at our graduation, and I am excited to hear him talk.”
Following the speech, Mr. Andrew D’Ambrosio, dean of the Class of 2022, called each student up to walk across the stage and receive their diploma. The ceremony culminated with the entire community joining together to sing “Fair Hotchkiss” with the Class of 2022 for a final time.
This was the first year in many that the graduation ceremony was held in person without social distancing and safety protocols caused by the pandemic. Mrs. Lisa Brown, director of events and special projects, played a major role in the planning process. She said, “The great thing about all the people involved is that although we are a big organization, we are like family. If something has changed, you know that the members of different departments have your back. Everyone is really supportive of one another because we recognize how important this day is for the students and families. We want to make sure that this day can be a great memory for the Senior class.”
