Members of the Class of 2022 took their final steps as Harker seniors at last night’s graduation ceremony, held at the Mountain Winery. Accompanied by The Harker Chamber Orchestra, this year’s graduating seniors made their way to their seats as the ceremony began. The 2022 Graduation Chorus, directed by Jennifer Sandusky, then performed music teacher Susan Nace’s arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Upper school head Butch Keller introduced 2022 valedictorian Rohan Thakur, who spoke on the resilience displayed by his fellow graduates in the face of the massive changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This resilience, he said, will be important to face the rapidly changing world he and his classmates will be entering after high school. “It is imperative that we use the resilience we have acquired to defend what we know is right in our hearts,” he said. “It is imperative that we take the ethics we have learned during our time at Harker and apply them in the real world.”
Thakur stressed that in addition to meeting oncoming challenges, resilience will be necessary to pursue goals important to them: “It takes courage to not only find what we love, but pursue it wholeheartedly even when other paths seem simpler.”
Last night’s graduation keynote address was delivered by Andy Fang ’10, co-founder and CTO of DoorDash, the popular food delivery platform that he co-founded in 2013 while attending Stanford University. Fang offered the students some insights from his own experience building a company. One lesson was to learn how to identify growth potential, something he learned early on at Stanford. “Our first year at DoorDash, we hired someone from a military background with no prior tech industry experience,” he said. “Today, he runs a multi-billion dollar business at DoorDash.” He also spoke on the importance of being self-aware and self-motivated. “If you can set your mind on something with self-awareness and drive, there’s not much that can get in your way,” he said.
Fang’s final lesson was “believing in yourself,” again using his own experience as an example. Early in DoorDash’s life, there was not much enthusiasm about the company from investors and peers. “In those early months, we knew that there were people who loved our products, customers who appreciated the restaurant selection and convenience, merchants who appreciated increased sales and dashers who appreciated flexible income,” he said. This knowledge helped company leadership through these and more obstacles, and by 2019 DoorDash had become “the largest delivery player in America. Don’t let your confidence be diminished by the opinions of others.”
Following the Graduation Chorus’ performance of “The Harker School Song,” Head of School Brian Yager delivered this year’s farewell speech. He began with the account of the 27-man expedition of the Endurance, a ship that was trapped in an ice pack in 1915 and eventually sank. All of her crew survived and were eventually rescued after a daring series of attempts. Reading this story, Yager said, brought to mind the various ways the Harker community endured over the last two years. This in turn led him to contemplate the effects human achievements have over longer periods of time, quoting Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias,” an allegory written “with the goal of capturing the impermanence of empires,” he said, a theme in a poem he quoted by Harker rising sophomore Iris Cai.
“These poems paint a doleful picture, I realize, and suggest that those things which we create, those things which we do cannot reasonably endure, and that to believe otherwise is folly,” he said. “Yet behind the somber sentiment, there is a seed of hope implied, which is that while neither we nor our deeds can with the inevitable shifting sand of time, they can change the way those sands will shift.”
Following his address, each of the graduates walked to the stage to receive their diplomas, with the names being announced by the 2022 class dean, upper school English teacher Chris Hurshman. Per tradition, the graduates then shifted the tassels on their caps and tossed them in the air. A flock of doves was then released into the air to put the finishing touch on the occasion. Congratulations to the Class of 2022!
The Class of 2022 gathered at Davis Field yesterday for this year’s baccalaureate ceremony, during which it offered a heartfelt farewell to Harker and welcomed the junior class into its new role as next year’s campus leader.
The ceremony kicked off with a performance by a special trio made up of seniors Yejin Song and Lucas Chen on piano and cello, respectively, and junior Cassie May on violin, who performed the first movement of Paul Schoenfeld’s “Café Music.”
Following some welcoming words from Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs, Cantilena marched onto the stage to perform its rendition of Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend.” Junior Gwen Yang then took the stage with fellow upper school Honor Council member Alexa Lowe, grade 12, to accept the responsibility for continuing the school’s honor code on behalf of the junior class.
Upper school head Butch Keller, who will retire at the end of the school year, introduced this year’s baccalaureate faculty speaker, English teacher Christopher Hurshman, whom he called “the world’s most interesting man,” owing to his wide range of interests and international upbringing. Hurshman spoke on the sense of loss that accompanies major life changes such as the ones the Class of 2022 is experiencing. “Over every new beginning there hovers a shadow of melancholy and loss and grief,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s right to be excited about the future that’s opening up ahead of you, but you’re also about to experience a great loss, and perhaps you’ve been anticipating it.”
Using examples from his own life experience, Hurshman pointed out how both they and the world they have become familiar with will change drastically as they move into the wider world beyond high school. He also advised students to recognize and treasure the “ordinary moments” that will shape who they are, despite the feelings of immense pressure young people often feel to have an impact on the world. “It’s possible to come to the realization that the nitty-gritty particulars of your life, the specific circumstances and relationships and responsibilities in it, are precisely where you will build meaning, and you’ll build that meaning by making conscious choices about what’s important to you.”
Keller then reappeared to welcome this year’s student speaker, senior Ayan Nath, who he introduced by playing a sound clip of Nath’s cover of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” at the 2019 Hoscars. “We all knew from that moment on he was someone that was going to make an impact on our lives,” Keller said, saying later in his introduction that as much as he could entertain his classmates, “you picked him as your student speaker tonight because you respect him for being such a wonderful person.”
Nath commended the seniors on reaching this key moment in their lives. “We made it through four years … of getting cut off every morning at the Saratoga [Ave.] intersection by yet another red Tesla. Four years of using Schoology grade display — developed by our own [fellow graduating senior] Arjun Dixit — a couple hundred times a day. Four years of the highs and lows that are high school,” he said, summarizing the difficulties faced by the students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included challenges posed by remote learning and the cancellation of many yearly events.
While graduating high school is often seen as the first step into students’ adult lives, followed by the addition of new responsibilities, “I believe that becoming an adult does not necessarily mean we have to give up on youthful or fun hobbies or activities,” he said. “Even if you love painting, playing Foursquare or have a strong affinity for creating nonprofit organizations, I encourage you to keep doing these things, even though they might not necessarily fall under your realm of responsibilities. Stay true to who you are and remember not to grow up too fast.”
To the juniors, Nath stated that he was proud to call many of them friends. “It is with this mindset that I urge you to be nice to the Class of 2024 and to love them as much as we have loved you,” he said. “Also, congratulations on beating us in Spirit Week.” He also advised them to treat their upcoming senior year “as an opportunity to mend broken relationships or get to know someone new. Go to prom. Go to homecoming. Watch or perform at Quadchella or Hoscars.” Academically, he urged the juniors to treasure the unique opportunity to be a Harker student for one final year. “Your teachers love you, and interacting with teachers and classmates in small environments is something that’s not guaranteed at the university that you end up attending,” he said. Concluding, Nath restated his hope that his classmates won’t lose all of their youthfulness with the onset of adulthood: “I hope that we will continue to bring our youth with us wherever we go and never lose touch with who we are.”
After last year’s heartbreaking cancellation, the annual graduation ceremony returned to the Mountain Winery on Saturday to celebrate the Class of 2021’s accomplishments and formally conclude their high school years. Although strict safety protocols meant that only the seniors and their guests could attend, a livestream was set up so that the rest of the community could view the ceremony from home.
Following a brief welcome address by Butch Keller, upper school division head, co-valedictorians Daniel Wang and Claire Luo offered some parting words to their classmates. Wang expressed how privileged he felt to be a member of a senior class that had persevered through so much. Because of those challenges, he said, “We go forward with an even greater drive to brave new challenges and make precious memories that will last us a lifetime. We have been through a lot together. It is my honor to be your valedictorian.”
Luo voiced her thankfulness to the many people involved in both her journey and that of her classmates, including her parents “for their endless care and sacrifice,” Harker teachers “for going way above and beyond in supporting and inspiring us” and Harker administrators and staff “for making the last four years possible.
“Finally, thank you to my spectacular friends and to all of you, Class of 2021,” she continued, “for the love, laughter and life that made the last four years truly memorable.”
The Senior String Quintet, the first of the ceremony’s musical performers, then offered their rendition of Haydn’s “Adagio, from String Quartet No. 47 in F Minor,” followed by the Senior Graduation Chorus, who sang Dan Forrest’s “Always Something Sings.”
Roberta Wolfson ‘05, a lecturer in writing and rhetoric at Stanford University and this year’s keynote speaker, made boxes the theme of her speech, specifically “metaphorical boxes that we build for ourselves and others on a daily basis. Boxes that tell us what to say, how to act, what goals we should be striving for. Boxes that sometimes can end up boxing us in.” She asked the students to consider what boxes they have been placed into, a question that “motivated me to pursue a career as a scholar and educator of critical race studies and literary studies.” Witnessing the Class of 2021’s accomplishments, she said, made her feel “hopeful, because I know that you have the passion and the power to address these flaws and make the world stronger.”
Head of school Brian Yager, the final speaker for the day, encouraged the Class of 2021 to reflect on the ways humanity has successfully met challenges, one prime example being the increase in life expectancy. “There is no headline that reads 50,000 fewer Americans died from car crashes this year or 100,000 children didn’t die because their food was refrigerated. There’s a great lesson here,” he said. “Our attention and energy are easily captured by tragedy but it is not easily captured by the absence of it.” He concluded by noting the senior class’ resilience and growth in the face of unprecedented obstacles: “Class of 2021, this year has given you and all of us much by which we could have been overwhelmed. Today, though, we can celebrate the much that you have achieved. You have already begun to view your year as seniors as one of trial and challenge, but in a good way. You have been made stronger, wiser and hopefully kinder.”
The ceremony formally ended with the traditional release of a flock of doves, symbolizing the Class of 2021’s next adventure into the wider world.
The Class of 2019’s final hours as Harker students were memorable ones, as Thursday’s graduation ceremony brought together families, friends and faculty to celebrate a major milestone in the seniors’ lives.
Cheers went up from the crowd at the Mountain Winery as the seniors arrived to take their seats during the processional to the familiar swell of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” performed by the Harker Chamber Orchestra.
Following a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the 2019 Graduation Chorus and a welcome message from Upper Division Head Butch Keller, Kaushik Shivakumar ’19 took the podium to deliver the valedictorian speech to his fellow graduates. Shivakumar implored his classmates to use the intellectual curiosity they gained at Harker. “If there’s one thing we should take away from our high school years, it wouldn’t be what we’ve learned,” he said. “Instead, it would be the desire to learn more, which manifests itself as curiosity. In order to thrive within the world we find ourselves, we have to ask questions. Lots of them. And in particular, we must never ever hesitate to ask the question, ‘Why?'”
Shivakumar’s speech received enthusiastic applause and was followed by another performance from the 2019 Graduation Chorus, this time of “I Shall Pass This Way But Once,” written by conductor Susan Nace with lyrics by Etienne De Grellet.
The Hon. John B. Owens ’85 was this year’s keynote speaker. Owens’ said his memories of Harker have had a profound impact on him, as evidenced by the many teachers he remembered and thanked, including longtime math teacher Pat Walsh and the late beloved history teacher John Near. Owens noted that while many schools offer a good education, Harker set itself apart by also teaching him to be a good member of society. “What Harker taught me at the end of the day are things you don’t really learn in books,” he said. “[Harker] taught me how to be a good citizen.”
The 2019 Graduation Chorus then gave its final performance of the evening, singing “The Harker School Song,” before Head of School Brian Yager gave his farewell address.
Yager gave the audience a brief retelling of the journeys of Richard Henry Dana Jr., who in the 1800s explored the sparsely populated area that would later become known as California. Dana’s portrait of California was very different from the populous state known today, and with growth has come many problems waiting to be solved by the next generation. Like California, he said, Harker has also experienced massive changes in the 125 years since it was founded. “Its journey, like the journey of the state in which we live, has been a remarkable one,” he said. “It has also been one built on hope … the hope that our efforts to educate you will enable you to appreciate the world of yesterday, love the world of tomorrow, and that your fantasy will be to stand in a world 50, 60, 70 – maybe even 125 – years from now that is one you can say with pride and joy that you helped make happen.”
The graduates then received their diplomas one at a time as their loved ones cheered from the stands. Once all members of the class were seated, they symbolically moved their caps’ tassels from the right to the left and cheered loudly as they flung their caps into the air. The ceremony officially ended with the traditional releasing of doves, eliciting shouts of awe as the beautiful birds flew overhead.
On the eve of this year’s graduation exercises, juniors, seniors and senior parents gathered at the upper school quad for the annual baccalaureate ceremony, during which members of the Class of 2020 graciously accepted their responsibility as leaders in the coming 2019-20 school year. The audience was treated to performances by Cantilena and the The Harker String Orchestra before upper school math chair Anthony Silk, chosen by the Class of 2019 as this year’s faculty speaker, took the podium.
Silk shared some of the wisdom he learned from his father, whom he remembered as a voracious reader with a steel trap-like memory. From his father, Silk learned to become an enthusiastic learner, as well as the importance of not choosing a career based on income. He also told the seniors that not knowing what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives was no reason for panic, particularly in a rapidly changing world. “The path that brings you the most happiness may not have even been invented yet,” he said. “You may have to be the one to invent it.”
Upper Division Head Butch Keller introduced senior Haris Hosseini, this year’s student farewell speaker, whose humor-laced speech elicited many laughs from his peers. Hosseini recalled being named this year’s speaker three weeks prior. “So as I began writing it on the bus ride back from Laguna yesterday,” he quipped, “I was having a little bit of trouble. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to say.” He then related a story about how faced an immense fear looming over him as his senior year approached: how to secure 1.5 required PE credits in one year. The experience was valuable to him, as it gave him “a lot of time to reflect on my senior year here at Harker and what it meant to me,” which afforded a newfound appreciation for his time at the school.
The 2018 senior class officially became graduates on May 24 at this year’s graduation ceremony. Despite unseasonably cold and windy weather, attendees flocked to the Mountain Winery in Saratoga to see the Class of 2018 take this pivotal step in their young lives.
Accompanied by the Harker Chamber Orchestra’s performance of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the seniors made their way to their seats, cheered on by their families and friends. Andrew Semenza’s evocative valedictorian address – which referenced everything from experimental neurosurgery to structuralist literature to Russian master pianist Sviatoslav Richter – was a paean to imperfection, in which he opined, “When we think of irregularity as dirty, we endanger everything.”
Keynote speaker Tanya Schmidt ’08, the first upper school graduate to give a keynote speech at graduation, advised the graduates not to be afraid of unexpected changes. “Have the courage to be curious, and make space to listen to yourself,” she said.
Giving his first graduation address as head of school, Brian Yager imparted upon the graduates his hope that they would work to better the world “not because of the compensation for doing so, but in spite of it” as well as “continually experience and contribute to the power of love.” After receiving their diplomas (to wild cheers from friends and family), the students moved their tassels leftward and flung their caps into the air. Congratulations!
May 17 was a busy day for the 190 members of the Class of 2017, who attended the Alumni Induction Lunch at Nichols Hall, where they officially became Harker alumni and presented this year’s senior gift: a $2,000 donation to Harker’s advancement department. History teacher Damon Halback spoke at the event, wishing the departing seniors well in the coming years.
Several graduating seniors had their names inscribed on bricks that were later placed into the Senior Walk at Graduates’ Grove during this year’s Brick Ceremony, where math teacher Troy Thiele offered some kind and inspiring parting words to the soon-to-be graduates.
That afternoon, the seniors gathered with the juniors at the upper school campus quad for the baccalaureate ceremony, held each year to wish the seniors well in their future endeavors and welcome the juniors into their new roles as seniors. Economics teacher Sam Lepler was chosen by the students to be this year’s faculty baccalaureate speaker and senior Aditya Dhar also shared some parting words of wisdom with his classmates and the seniors-to-be. As a special surprise, former Harker teacher Ben Spencer-Cooke appeared to offer congratulations to the graduates.
The seniors who entered Harker as kindergartners then headed to the lower school campus to celebrate their time as Harker students at a very special Lifers Dinner, fittingly held at the campus where their Harker careers began.
The Class of 2017 arrived at the Mountain Winery on May 18 for an afternoon of celebration and bittersweet farewells. Valedictorian Kai Ang used his time at the podium to remind his classmates that “we are indebted to all who stood behind us, seen and unseen.” Keynote speaker Chris Malachowsky, co-founder of graphics technology company Nvidia, offered students advice based on three points: investment in oneself, confidence and responsibility. Finally, departing Head of School Chris Nikoloff gave his final graduation speech before exiting to serve as headmaster of The American School in Switzerland. Invoking Voltaire’s observation that “life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats,” Nikoloff advised the audience to “find joy no matter where you are, to pay attention to those in the lifeboat next to you, to see that your circumstances do not necessarily dictate your attitude about those circumstances.”
Harker bid a heartfelt farewell to the Class of 2017 at today’s graduation ceremony, held at the beautiful Mountain Winery in Saratoga. As attendees filed into their seats, they were treated to music performed by the Harker Chamber Orchestra, directed by Chris Florio. As the ceremony began and the graduating seniors took their seats at the front of the stage, the orchestra launched into “Pomp and Circumstance.” Following the Carl Oser-led 2017 Graduation Chorus’ stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” upper school division head Butch Keller welcomed the late-afternoon audience to the ceremony.
He welcomed this year’s valedictorian, Kai Ang, mentioning not just his academic achievements but also his character, including his work teaching piano to children with special needs. In his speech, Ang compared the journey he and his classmates had made to that of Odysseus, with the caveat that their journey had not lasted as long. Although the seniors’ achievements are remarkable, however, he reminded his classmates that much of their success was due to the support of their parents, teachers and “the tender roasting of our friends.”
“We are indebted to all who have stood behind us,” he said, “seen and unseen.”
After the applause from Ang’s speech subsided, the Graduation Chorus, directed by Susan Nace, sang “New Beginnings.” This year’s graduation keynote speaker was Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky, who reminisced about visiting Harker earlier in the month, remarking about the dedication of the faculty, as well as the curiosity and accomplishments of its students.
Malachowsky offered graduated three points of advice, the first of which was investment. “Not the typical monetary kind of investment,” he cautioned, but investment in themselves. At college, he said, the graduates “should make it a priority to use your time to expand your horizons, both culturally and intellectually,” and take advantage of all the resources available, including special events, clubs and employment opportunities.
The second point was confidence, which would enable them to take chances and achieve more, adding that students should create an environment for themselves in which confidence can grow. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, life is a team sport. So surround yourself with people who will challenge and help you grow,” he said.
The final of Malachowsky’s three points was responsibility. “It’s your life to live, and you should be looking to fully take the reins of it as you move through these next phases of your lives,” he said. He stressed that the graduates had to take it upon themselves to improve the world around them. “If something is wrong, broken, inefficient, take some measure of responsibility and fix and improve it for everyone,” he said.
After Malachowsky congratulated the graduates and wished them success in their future endeavors, Christopher Nikoloff took the podium to address Harker’s senior class for the last time as head of school. Nikoloff, who will assume duties as headmaster of The American School in Switzerland later this year, once again promised to keep his remarks to one page of single-spaced size 12 font while also making no promises about the size of the margins.
In Nikoloff’s signature manner, he opened with some light humor, remarking that he and the Class of 2017 “are in fact graduating together, but I am sure that you are graduating with a higher GPA.”
Nikoloff shared with the audience his favorite quote from the philosopher Voltaire, starting with the first sentence: “Life is a shipwreck.”
“I know, very inspiring,” Nikoloff quipped. But despite the apparent darkness of Voltaire’s opening line, Nikoloff said he didn’t believe Voltaire was being a total pessimist. “In both life and shipwrecks, you both end up in places you had not anticipated,” he said. “For instance, how many of you knew you would be born?”
He then stated Voltaire’s thought in its entirety: “Life is a shipwreck. But we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
Voltaire, Nikoloff said, was reminding us to “find joy no matter where you are, to pay attention to those in the lifeboat next to you, to see that your circumstances do not necessarily dictate your attitude about those circumstances.”
As Nikoloff finished his remarks, former head of school and board of trustees chair Diana Nichols stepped up to the podium to thank Nikoloff and surprise him with an honorary diploma expressing Harker’s eternal gratitude for his years of service to the school.
The members of the Class of 2017 then walked to the stage one at a time to receive their diplomas from Nikoloff, as their friends and families cheered from the stands. After the final diploma had been handed out, assistant head of school Jennifer Gargano and Nikoloff said one more goodbye to the senior class as doves were released into the air.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Crowds poured into The Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Students cheered for each other, parents snapped photos and the graduates marched in, their graduation caps proudly displaying the names of the colleges they’ll be attending in the fall.
As the excitement echoed throughout the outdoor amphitheater on May 23, Butch Keller, upper school head, walked up to the podium and greeted the audience, then the graduates.
“This has been correctly labeled a journey,” Keller said. “Take a deep breath. Enjoy this moment. This is a class that has achieved so much.”
But before taking the next steps on their journey, the Class of 2015 listened to poignant words about two things integral to their near-future: choice and fear.
Class valedictorian Samyukta Yagati spoke first, about the meaning of choice and its essential role in shaping not only where they have been but also where they will go.
“In some ways, it’s been a long four years,” Yagati said. “But also, incredibly short in other ways.”
Yagati began her speech by reminding her classmates to give thanks to each other for the support system that they created over the past four years. She then dove into the speech she crafted for her classmates, beginning with a quote from “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by author J.K. Rowling.
“’It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities,’” she said to her classmates and the audience. “It’s only recently that I’ve had a chance to pay attention to the choices I’ve made,” Yagati continued. “We’ve made choices without noticing, choices that have brought us here today.”
From spending an hour on homework rather than with friends to schedules and studying, there is always a choice to be made, even if it goes unnoticed.
“We’ve all been making these trade-offs,” Yagati said.
She recalled a time that she made a choice, rather impulsively, to forgo academic work for a chance to paint an eagle for spirit week.
“There was nothing tangible to be gained and I don’t think it was a conscious choice,” Yagati said. “But I decided to try something new to me and this choice has reminded me to have fun.”
Amid academics and other responsibilities, it’s easy to forget to enjoy the moments, the friendships, she said.
“We all have learned to understand the meaning of conscious, deliberate choices,” Yagati said. “We are getting accustomed to getting to choose. That’s what growing up is all about.”
Hannah Allam, foreign affairs correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, then gave the keynote address, discussing fear – what it should and shouldn’t be within their futures.
“This is your time. This is it. The day you were waiting for. Right here, right now, and I’m incredibly humbled to be here,” Allam said to the audience at the ceremony, which marked her first graduation keynote address.
Allam began by asking the question, “Who are Harker students? Mysterious millennials? Who are they really?”
The seasoned reporter did what came naturally to her prior to writing her speech: she did her homework. Between Googling Harker and doing some social reconnaissance via Harker tweets and a Skype session with students, the answers to her initial questions began to unfold.
“It painted a picture of brilliant, renaissance, self-assured students,” she said.
A common theme and experience also emerged in her Harker research: fear.
“Even here among the high-achieving students, [there is] the fear of what comes next,” Allam said. “I understood that.”
Allam shared how she initially felt when she was named bureau chief at the age of 27. She had the realization that it was both an opportunity to make her parents proud as well as a chance to “blow it.”
“I’d say, it’s OK to be scared,” Allam said to the graduates. “Just don’t let fear paralyze you. Don’t let the fear of failing trump the joy of a challenge. Even you will expect setbacks but it keeps you humble and lights a fire under you.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
With words of advice about grace, friendship and handling fear, the Class of 2014 took their first steps down the path of their futures on May 24 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
A picture-perfect day was the backdrop for Harker’s 13th upper school graduation. In front of a stage filled with the board of trustees, administration and faculty, Butch Keller, upper school head, started the ceremony with a few words about this year’s graduating class: “You have had the opportunity to lead through good times … and adversity … and you did so with grace.” He then introduced Kevin Duraiswamy ’14, the class valedictorian.
In his speech, Duraiswamy chose to focus on friendship. While each graduate has different interests and different paths ahead, and while Harker has provided a different set of skills for each, “Harker has given us each other.” Through class time spent working together, extracurriculars spent triumphing and failing together, and time spent just hanging out as kids, “our friends are the ones who keep us human,” he said. “In each other,” he concluded, “we have companions to last a lifetime.”
Duraiswamy’s speech segued beautifully into this year’s song sung by the 2014 Graduation Chorus: “We Are One” by Brian Tate, conducted by upper school music teacher Susan Nace. The lyrics perfectly complemented the valedictory address about standing together and forging lasting bonds.
The keynote speaker was Rahim Fazal, technology entrepreneur, founder of Involver and executive at Oracle, whose comedic timing, youthful energy and inspiring story resonated perfectly with the soon-to-be graduates. After gently teasing the class about the resort-like nature of the campus, he introduced his topic: “There are many paths to success.” Urging the students that following the conservative path was the way to future regrets, he said, “One thing that will rob you of your full potential” is fear … “the fear that makes you forget there are many paths to life.”
He related his own story: millionaire startup CEO by his senior year in high school, then rejected by all seven colleges to which he applied. An ego check, a stint at community college, and some hustling to meet academics who could help him resulted in a place as the youngest-ever MBA student without a university degree at Canada’s top management school. “Had I been in fear of rejection,” he cautioned, “in search for that one ‘yes’ after ‘no,’ after ‘no,’ after ‘no,’ I wouldn’t be here today.” It is creativity, which he defined as taking anything other than a predictable, safe path, that leads to all successes. “Put your ego aside and unleash your creativity.”
Even as his investors at Involver ousted him as CEO for lack of leadership, he stayed long enough to find and train a replacement and turn the company around. He says now of the reasons for his removal, “Fear of failure kept me from asking for help.” The lessons he learned were to be kinder to himself, take care of his health, nurture deep relationships and ask for help when he needs it. “Mistakes are life’s way of telling you that you’re trying hard enough,” he said, echoing a common Harker refrain that it’s the process that matters more than the product.
Chris Nikoloff, head of school, gave his traditional final address to the class, this year drawing on a cultural phenomenon for inspiration: the Disney movie “Frozen” and its ubiquitous hit song, “Let It Go.” Exploring what the “it” should be, Nikoloff advised the students to let go of the shadows that conspire to hold them back.
Victor Adler, the dean of the Class of 2014, had the privilege of reading the names of the seniors as they stepped forward to receive their diplomas and take a final bow in front of the supportive families and teachers who guided them through their Harker years. In the final beloved tradition of the day, the seniors processed through a gauntlet of those teachers and passed into the day as proud Harker alumni.