The Harvey School class of 2025 graduates

Seniors toss their caps in celebration. LOGAN KREISBERG PHOTO

Read The Recorder Satute to the Harvey School Class of 2025

By LOGAN KREISBERG 

On June 5, 75 members of the Harvey School class of 2025 put on their caps and gowns, ready to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. Family, friends, faculty, staff, trustees and administrators gathered in the Fenstermacher Athletic Center on the Harvey campus to celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments and mark this significant milestone in their educational journeys.

The commencement ceremony marked the culmination of a series of springtime events celebrated by the graduating class, including the Senior Sunset, Senior Breakfast and Senior Dinner. On June 3, Head of the Harvey English Department, Virginia Holmes, had the honor of addressing the class at the Senior Dinner. 

“I believe that every novel we read, every theatrical production we stage, every newspaper we edit, and even every athletic game we play is really about one thing: growing up with integrity,” she said. “It’s the lesson I hope you all carry with you long after Harvey.” In her remarks, Holmes drew on literary works from the Harvey curriculum such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Lord of the Flies” and “The Crucible” to illustrate her message. 

Two days later, the senior celebrations concluded with the commencement ceremony. Following a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the Upper School Chorus, Head of School William Knauer gave welcoming remarks. 

“Today is a time to celebrate your accomplishments, to reflect on all that you have achieved, and to savor the moment,” he stated. “But it is also a time to look forward and imagine what comes next.” 

Knauer also offered a piece of advice to the soon-to-be graduates. “I encourage you to put away the need for certainty and embrace the unknown with curiosity and wonder. Explore, take risks, and allow yourselves to be surprised at what lies ahead,” said Knauer. He then welcomed members of the Upper School Chamber Chorus to the stage for a performance of “I’ll Always Remember You” featuring senior vocalists Gabrielle Schneider and Meaghan Sullivan. 

Commencement speaker David Grann, bestselling author and parent of a Harvey class of 2022 graduate, encouraged the class of 2025 to stay open to life’s unexpected turns and embrace the unknown. “Harvey has given you the knowledge and skills to succeed,” he said, “but it has also given you something far more essential: the ability to take risks.” Acknowledging that plans don’t always unfold as expected, Grann added, “But that’s what makes it an adventure — a journey of discovery.

The class of 2025 valedictorian, Daniela Rynott, utilized her speech to challenge her fellow graduates to approach the future with both purpose and courage. “We must take advantage of our free will and never allow ourselves to remain neutral,” she urged. In her closing remarks, she encouraged her peers to embrace the unknown with an open mind. She relayed, “As we leave these halls and step into the uncertainty of what’s next, may we do so not with fear, but with curiosity. Let us be relentless with pursuit, bold in our convictions, and always open to learning.”

Seniors were recognized for achievements in academics, the arts and athletics, with award recipients selected by faculty. The ceremony’s highest distinction, the Founders Honor Cup, was presented to Benjamin Cutler. Established in memory of Harvey founders Herbert and Mabel Carter and their son, Herbert Swift Carter Jr., the award recognizes a student who exemplifies the school’s core values. Head of Upper School Philip Lazzaro noted, “The cup is inscribed each year with the name of a student who is voted by the faculty to have contributed the most to the spirit and aims of the school.”

Then came the moment the graduates had been waiting for, as each member of the class of 2025 crossed the stage to receive their diploma. Once every name had been called, the class rose to their feet, moved their tassels from right to left to signify their official graduate status, and tossed their caps into the air in celebration. 

The graduates made their way outside to the Harvey quad, where they greeted guests and teachers. Over refreshments — and cigars for a few — they took photos, shared goodbyes, and reflected on their time at Harvey. At last, the class of 2025 headed to their cars and pulled onto Jay Street, leaving campus for the first time as Harvey alumni. 

Logan Kreisberg is a rising senior at the Harvey School.