Graduation 2025

Good morning.

In every life, there are days that stand out as holding particular significance. Class of 2025, today is one of those days when it feels like you are taking a giant leap from one reality into another—and although it may be planned, it still holds a mixture of uncertainty and promise.

It is the significance that we attach to this day that makes it feel bigger than it might really be, for, like all the moments that led here, this one is simply another moment that when collected creates a fuller story.

So remember that in order to arrive at this moment, this leap of a day, you needed all the moments that have come before—the moments that have been made up of events, choices, feelings:

The first day you attended Milton as a student. The decisions you made about what classes to take and what teams and clubs to join. The friends you have discovered each step of the way.

The moments when you have taken risks. When you have found success and when you have learned from mistakes. The moments when you have felt stressed about your work, nervous about exams,
excitement about a competition or performance, joy when spending time with friends, and inspiration in accruing knowledge.

The moments when you have encountered all the feelings all at once.

Though today’s momentous leap is the one we recognize, may you not lose sight of the moments that led you here… Embrace them as treasures, as their own sources of wisdom that connect you with this place and inspire the moments you have yet to collect.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Ms. Hughes Johnson, Mrs. Stone, Ms. DeBuhr, Ms. Kodjak, Ms. Sugrue, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Abernethy, Ms. Latham, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, students, family, friends, and, most of all, members of the Class of 2025, it is my honor to welcome everyone to Milton Academy’s 2025 Graduation ceremony.

I would like to offer a particularly warm welcome and deep gratitude to the many parents, guardians, siblings, grandparents, relatives, and friends gathered today to help celebrate this wonderful occasion. And welcome to all of you who are tuning in from around the world. Graduates, please join me in thanking all of these loved ones who have been instrumental in your journey to this moment.

And now, please join me in thanking Milton’s exceptional faculty and staff. [applause]

A proud Milton tradition is honoring our retiring colleagues at Graduation, and it is my great pleasure to continue that today.

I will read the names of these four wonderful individuals. They are spread out around this venue. Retirees, please wave at us if you are so inclined) After I have read all four names, I invite you to join me in expressing our gratitude for their incredible service to Milton.

Our HVAC technician in the Facilities Services Department, Mr. John Delaney, who served Milton for 12 years.

From Academy Technology Services, Mr. Tom Berry, who has served as our database administrator and analyst for 19 years.

From our athletic department, Mr. Paul Coughlin, who has been equipping our athletes for 21 years.

And finally, Ms. Darlene Anastas, our beloved technical theater director, who is retiring after 44 years of service. Dar has been responsible for the success of countless productions across multiple generations. Thank you Dar.

Please join me in congratulating each of these remarkable individuals for their incredible service to Milton.

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So, Class of 2025, yesterday afternoon, the Upper School faculty gathered in Greeley Auditorium to vote on diplomas, to officially recognize each of you as deserving of a Milton Academy diploma. Some may see this vote as largely symbolic, but I want to respectfully and strongly disagree. For us as faculty and school leaders, the decision to award a diploma, to deem someone a graduate of this institution, is perhaps the most important decision we make. It is not symbolic.

The diploma you will receive today is not just a piece of paper with your name on it. It has deep meaning that is both rooted in our school’s longstanding history and which has continued to evolve over time. It’s something of tremendous value and something that indeed, an entire faculty—150 people—has voted to award to YOU.

They—in addition to the family and friends in our audience today, those live-streaming Graduation from around the world, and the classmates who surround you this morning—are confident that you are ready—not only to graduate, but also to join generations of Milton alumni in embracing and modeling what it means to have earned a Milton diploma.

So, what does that mean? How do we know? Is it just a matter of finishing your coursework? Passing the mega-blunder test? Writing your U.S. History term paper? Completing your DYOs? Obviously, all of that is important. Academic excellence is a non-negotiable at Milton.

But I would argue that a Milton diploma means so much more than completing your course requirements. It means you have grown in your values and your identity. It represents the intellectual risks you took—it is the sum total of the successes you celebrated and the failures that instructed you—and the interests you’ve nurtured and developed.

It’s also the infinite moments that no school (even one as great as Milton!) could ever fully capture in a yearbook or an Instagram post: It’s the belly laughs you shared around a table at Forbes. It’s the cheerful exuberance with which you competed in Gotcha or spikeball. It’s the friendships you made and the examples you’ve set for your younger peers. The glow of the King Theatre spotlight. The late nights troubleshooting in the Robotics Lab. The joy of a hard-fought sports victory. The times you offered a shoulder to cry on, and the times you needed one in return. The silly inside jokes and the heartbreaks. All of the times you stretched beyond what you thought possible, and all of the ways that Milton will be a part of your life from this day forward.

The diploma also means that you have been asked to embody our motto—”Dare to be true”—and you have met the challenge. You’ve dared to become the deepest version of yourself, and you have helped to create a community where everybody can dare to be true.

So, what now? What should you do with this gift of a Milton education? Today you join a legion of Milton alumni who are making a difference in the world. You have already met many of them—folks like Lamont Gordon and Jamie Mittelman, who have returned to share their own incredible stories about lifting up communities. You’ll join teachers, artists, scientists, community organizers, policy-makers, doctors and nurses, governors, writers, volunteers, parents, journalists. People who are putting their skills and values to work for the betterment of the world. It’s great that you can identify a mega-blunder, or write a term paper, or design an experiment—but what are you going to do with these skills you have developed here?

My advice to you today is to make those skills matter. Join with the thousands of Milton graduates who precede you and your classmates beside you. Make a difference. Impact the lives of people around you. Contribute to your communities. Stand up for what you believe. Write. Think. Learn. Speak. Above all, dare to be true.

And know that all of us here who love you and have watched you grow have certified that you are prepared to take this incredible education and carry it forward—150 teachers stood together yesterday and whole-heartedly affirmed their belief in you.

You’re ready.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ruiz. Ms. Hughes-Johnson and the Board of Trustees, Dr. Callen, Mrs. Stone, Ms. Sugrue, members of the faculty and staff, friends, family, students, and, of course, the Class of 2025.

On the first day of English class this year, my teacher presented us with a Google Form—an Inventory of Interests, with prompts about everything from our career ambitions to our travel experiences. At the end of that Inventory, there was a question I’d never encountered in a classroom setting before: “What really matters to you?”

When I was in eighth grade, I would have said only one thing: “Getting into boarding school.”

I applied to Milton in 2019. I had attended the same school in Hong Kong since I was three years old, and I felt stuck in the elementary-school version of myself that my classmates had grown up with—even though I wasn’t that person anymore. Yes, I was looking for an academic challenge, but more importantly, I wanted a chance to redefine myself.

So I suffered through the SSAT, traveled to campus for an interview, submitted my essays, and waited. I told my friends that I was going to boarding school, and started saying my goodbyes in advance.

On March 10 that year, I raced to open my decision email.

Dear Adrienne, it read. We are unable to offer you admission at this time.

I didn’t get into Milton, or any of the other schools I’d applied to. I never made it off the waitlist. It hurt more than I can describe—I had already begun to plan out my life on campus, only for it to fall just out of reach.

But I’d become so set on boarding school, cared about it so much that I had to try again. So a year later, I repeated the process, this time during Covid. Like many others, I couldn’t come here in person, so for my Zoom interview, I wore a great outfit: a blazer on top and, off camera, fluffy Snoopy pajama pants on the bottom. This time, I kept my application a secret from my friends.

And—well, I got in. But only as a repeat, a member not of the Class of 2024, but 2025. I almost didn’t accept the offer—I wanted so badly to go abroad, wanted the change that came with it. But where I grew up, stereotypes say that being a repeat means you’ve done something wrong.

So from the moment I stepped into that white tent for New Student Orientation, dodging the wasps buzzing around the trash cans, I felt like I needed to prove that I deserved to be here—that the Admissions Office hadn’t made a mistake the second time around. I had to be better. I had to be perfect. Otherwise, people would think that I didn’t belong.

I signed up for every organization I saw at Club Fair. I spent way too long agonizing over the difference between Pronoun Reference and Case Megablunders. And I flitted around the Stu talking to as many people as I could, trying to show that I was someone people wanted to be around.

Through it all, I tried my best to hide how much I cared. After applying to boarding school, I knew how humiliating it felt to want something openly, only to fall short.

When I reread my answer to the Inventory of Interests, the beginning sounded so much like my freshman year self that I almost didn’t recognize it.

“Sometimes,” I wrote, “ it feels like everything matters. Too much, even. I want to achieve things that I can be proud of, that my parents would be proud of. I want to make their time and money worth it.”

For so long, I went through every day trying to show that I was good enough. That mentality is hard to unlearn.

But there was a second part to my answer—the part that truly matters to me now. It was about the communities that I’ve found and come to love—The Milton Paper, Millet House, and Milton’s small-but-mighty swim team, among many others. Once, I saw these involvements as a way to prove my worth. But I know now that achievements aren’t what’s most important to me. It’s singing on the bus on the way to practice with my team. It’s debriefing dorm dodgeball over General Tso’s chicken nuggets, and bickering with junior Paper editors who’ve nicknamed me Grandma—not because they’re mocking my age, but because they think I give good advice (at least, I hope so).

My English class pushed me to think deeply about myself and how I see the world, but it also taught me about empathy and collective vulnerability. When I read the rest of my class’ responses to the Inventory, I saw my classmates as people who were just like me: kids, with their own experiences and insecurities. I learned about parts of their lives that I never would have discovered otherwise—a passion for meteorology, a journey towards defining love, or a struggle to identify the right way to be a man.

As we opened up to each other throughout the year, we approached our workshops and conversations more mindfully, more kindly, with the honest perspective and insight that comes only when you know someone.

I’ve never told anyone the truth about how I got to Milton. It was too personal, too embarrassing, too painful. And so I hid it. But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from Milton, it’s that there is strength in vulnerability. In owning your dreams and worries, and expressing what you care about.

This kind of sharing is so important—in our increasingly divided and distrustful world, we need communities of people who go beyond headlines or stereotypes, who choose nuance over assumption and trust over judgement.

Opening up isn’t easy, of course. Not all of us have a safe environment to speak freely in. Amid this fraught social and political climate, it’s all too easy for us to turn inwards for self-protection, to make ourselves look more capable than we feel.

But maybe it doesn’t have to be this way.

After all, we aren’t college-application machines. We aren’t job-seeking algorithms. We aren’t perfect students or athletes or parents or people. We are as we are: flawed. Human. We feel, try, fail, and live, despite all the struggles that may come with it. In accepting these parts of ourselves, we give others permission to do the same. This act of connection doesn’t have to come in the form of a long Inventory of Interests; all it takes is a willingness to listen. To reflect, and to understand.

To the Class of 2025, and to all of you—be the person who cares wholeheartedly about your clubs, your work, your loved ones; be the person who makes space and time for others. Be the person who asks, “What really matters to you?”

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Sugrue. Ms. Hughes-Johnson and the Board of Trustees, Dr. Callen, Mrs. Stone, Mr. Ruiz, members of the faculty and staff, family, friends, students, and most importantly, the Class of 2025.

From the moment we stepped onto this campus, whether that was 13 years ago or last fall, we have surrounded ourselves in a city of connections. For many of us, this immersion began during freshman orientation: a week filled with campus tours, group discussions, team building, and learning the difference between Wigg, Warren, and Ware. On our last day of orientation, we gathered to engage in one final activity.

We stood in advisories—waiting until we heard the word “go.” The crowd stood in silence as my nerves intensified.

Our task? Build the tallest structure out of spaghetti and marshmallows. I don’t remember the exact shape or design of what we built, but I remember the excitement that my advisory had. We were of course excited about our finished product, about the fact that it didn’t fall—and we were excited about starting Milton. To me, this seemingly small moment marked the beginning. Four years later, I can say it’s not only my advisory that has come together, it is our entire class. We built relationships with each other.

What does it mean to build something? You can build something by following instructions—like a Lego set—or something bigger: a friendship, or trust. Regardless of what you build, you must dream big, fall in love, and show up.

For me these three were steps applied during my sophomore year architecture class. In small groups, my classmates and I were tasked with designing a gingerbread house. It was the moment that I had been waiting for since I learned about the class. Needless to say, I was eager to get building. At its core, the assignment did not seem too daunting—candy and cookies, how hard could it be? My classmates and I took on the challenge with excitement and quickly came up with our mid-century modern design. We dreamed big. We wanted to make a retractable roof out of Twizzlers, decorate the driveway with mint-flavored gumdrops, and build a Jeep out of pretzels and fruit roll ups. We spent our class time working together and pitching clear and bold ideas. We believed that we were capable of creating something magnificent and architecturally unique. We fell in love with what we designed.

Falling in love with our work meant a lot of things. It meant getting to class ten minutes early because we couldn’t wait to start decorating. It meant constantly smiling and laughing throughout the process—forgetting that this was an assignment worth 30 percent of our grade. We produced what felt like our best work because we bought into the process—we fell in love.

However, loving something or dreaming big isn’t always going to cut it—it’s the showing up that brings everything together. Showing up is contagious. All it takes is one person going to cheer on their friends at a game, or at a performance, and suddenly the room is filled. When we show up for each other we strengthen what we built. People show up for us every day. After all, our time at Milton has not been a solo act. Our teachers showed up in the classroom, coaches at practice, friends and family when we needed someone to talk to. I think that one of the amazing things about attending Milton is the personal support that I imagine all of us, at some point or another, have felt.

This past fall, I was in my very first Milton theatre production. It was opening night of the play “No Exit.” As the audience took their seats and silenced their phones, my nerves slowly increased, and the door to “eternal hell” opened. For those of you unfamiliar with the play, it is quite literally three people trapped together for eternity in a room… in hell. Roughly five minutes into the show I wiped what I thought was a runny nose, except mysteriously it was red! The realization hit me. I had a bloody nose. Now I’m not talking about one of those occasional nosebleeds that can occur when it’s dry out—I’m talking about ten minutes of torrential, non-stop bleeding. Because of the nature of the play, I could not leave the stage. I looked over in the audience at my mom who was already reaching into her bag to try to find a tissue—anything to clean up the mess. As I carried on with my lines and tried not to panic, my mom slipped my director a few tissues and he quietly tossed them to me, and the show went on. I immediately felt the support from everyone in the room, including the audience for bearing with the disturbing sight.

Reflecting on my experience with the gingerbread house or with the play reminds me of the nature of our class. We have been bold—contending with the fallout and remnants of a global pandemic, a historic presidential election, the college process, a broken forbes ice cream machine, and now here we are. As we move beyond Milton and “grow up,” falling in love with our lives will be essential. Whether that is as a politician, a parent, a poet. Fall in love with the routine—of making coffee just the way you like it, of listening to that one song that reminds you of a sunny spring day on this Quad. Fall in love with the moment, because there is no guarantee that it will last. Ultimately, you can dream big and be passionate about something, but you have to show up to make it count.

The unfortunate fact of life is that all things have an end date. Eight months later, my shirt from the play has been cleaned and returned to the costume shop, the lights have been refocused, sets have been struck—but the support that I felt that night has remained with me to this day. Our spaghetti-and-marshmallow structures have since been composted, the gingerbread house was thrown away, and all of us will leave.

And that’s the scary part. We know that some things, for example our time here, will not last forever. We have only a set number of days in high school, a set number of games and classes. Despite the timebound expectations, all of us have gained the skills necessary to maintain and grow our existing relationships. We know how to dream big, we know how to fall in love, and we certainly know how to show up. These are skills that will last a lifetime.

To the Class of 2025, let’s get building. Thank you.

Good morning!

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to congratulate the Class of 2025 and their families. We are so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished.

Today, it is my honor to introduce our speaker, Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak—an award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, and member of the Milton Academy Class of 1987.

Alison’s work has spanned three decades and a broad range of media, and she is currently the assistant managing editor at ProPublica. She began her journalism career reporting at The Patriot Ledger, a daily newspaper in Quincy, and went on to work at The Associated Press and Bloomberg News before becoming an on-air correspondent at NPR. Alison has worked on several documentary films with Frontline and ABC News, including the Emmy-winning “Grand Knighthawk: Infiltrating the KKK,” which streams on Hulu.

Throughout her impressive career, Alison has practiced journalism that is essential to a free society, uncovering truths and exposing injustices on topics that span global conflicts, financial and economic systems, healthcare, and politics. She has been recognized individually and as a contributor with honors that include an Overseas Press Club award, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights grand prize, and a Peabody Award.

ProPublica is a highly respected and renowned independent, nonprofit newsroom committed to deep reporting on issues that affect all of us. Alison oversees a team of reporters and senior editors across the United States who do the difficult and time-consuming work to analyze, understand, and illuminate the real-world impact of decisions made in halls of power and behind closed doors—informing and ultimately protecting the public at large.

To be an investigative journalist—particularly in a time when reputable news organizations are contending with declining resources and unwarranted attacks on their credibility—requires courage, patience, curiosity, and critical thinking.

In other words, it requires daring to be true and through her life’s work, Alison has done just that.

It’s no surprise to me that Milton Academy has produced a journalist of Alison’s caliber. In fact, she is part of a powerful tradition of Milton alumni who have dedicated their lives to the craft. Milton graduates in journalism are bold and brave truth-tellers who provide an invaluable service to the world—and Alison is among the best.

To the Class of 2025: I have full confidence that, as your own paths unfold, you will follow Alison’s example and “Dare to be true.”

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak!

Good Morning.

Dr. Callen, honorable Trustees, teachers, friends, family and above all, Class of 2025!

It’s so great to be back here on Centre Street and it is such an honor to be standing up here speaking to these fantastic graduates.

How are all y’all feeling on this big day? Are you ready to leave this place behind?

So, before I start the formal part of my talk this morning,I have a very important question for the graduates.

You just had your prom a few days ago, right?

Did you do the Wobble?

I am NOT going to do the Wobble—though I’m sure that would make this day very memorable.
I remember being out here on this lawn for my own Graduation—it was almost a century ago—all the girls in our white dresses and the boys in blue blazers.

That day looked a lot like today. And while there’s been a lot of change here—that fancy science building, no more chapel on Sunday evenings, boys living in Goodwin! (which is an abomination). But still, Milton at its core is very much the same.

It really is a special place, so take a moment to look around—at your teachers, your friends, and your classmates who aren’t so much your friends, even the buildings and grounds—and savor it all. This place and these people will be important to you for the rest of your life.

The day I came to Milton, I was moving into my room in Goodwin House. I was in the big triple on the third floor for those of you who know what I’m talking about.

So I was there unpacking when a senior walked in with another new freshman named Catharine. We talked that day and we became fast friends—we did everything together.
Years later, Catharine was the maid of honor in my wedding, and even more recently she was part of my family’s “pod” during Covid.

But it’s not just your closest friends who become part of your lifelong Milton community. You’ll find former classmates you barely knew, and people from totally different times, stepping into your life unexpectedly.

About 10 years ago a boy from my class—not a good friend—was the editor on the first story I ever wrote for Businessweek magazine. Later, we ended up working together at NPR! A girl from my dorm became a First Amendment lawyer for the firm that represented NPR and now
represents ProPublica. And just a few weeks ago, I met a young journalist based in Kenya who pitched me a freelance story—and it turns out she went to Milton too. Made me give her a closer look.

So yes, you’ll cross paths with Milton people again and again—and you’ll just understand something about one another. You will have this special Milton bond. And that bond will widen your world.

My Graduation day wasn’t the only time I paraded around this campus in a white dress. Ten years after that day I was back here on campus—with Catharine—getting married.

One of the things about getting married, especially for women, is there is a LOT of thought and attention that goes into what you wear—usually a dress. When my husband Drew and I were marrying, we were on a pretty tight budget, so my sister was going to make my dress. She’s not a seamstress—but she is a perfectionist—so I figured it would work out.

But to get started we had to pick out a pattern. In my mind, I was going to wear a sophisticated, simple sheath of a dress. No frills, no fuss, just elegance.

So we went to try on some gowns to help decide exactly what would work. We went to some of those fancy stores where they bring you dresses and you stand on a platform with mirrors all around. We went to some that had racks and racks and racks of gowns. And I tried on everything. And as I did so, my preferences… let’s just say they evolved.

On the day of the wedding, when I climbed out of the car—with Catharine—and walked up that hill to the chapel door, there was no elegant sheath. I had on a giant princess dress. Trim bodice and BIG skirt. It had dozens of tiny buttons down the back. There were silk flowers with tiny green leaves on the shoulders and back. There was a tulle petticoat underneath to make the skirt even bigger. There was a bustle….

I loved it.

I’m telling you this not just to brag about my talented sister and my gorgeous wedding dress—though really you guys should see it. I’m telling you this story because today, as you sit there, heading to college or whatever your next step is going to be, you may have this image of who you are, who you will become.

And I am urging you to keep yourselves open to possibility. The world is big, and varied, and beautiful, and there is a lot to do.

You may today see yourself as a future doctor, or CEO or senator. You may be planning to major in economics or history or chemistry. And that’s all great.

But please, keep the door open. If you major in chemistry, take a poetry class. If economics ends up boring you, switch to marketing. Use your electives to try out a lot of things—take a dance class; take an Arabic class, take up knitting.

Be curious and be bold.

Try on a lot of dresses!

Some of them you won’t like. But you will definitely discover new things that interest you, things that you never thought you’d be good at—and things that you’re not good at but you love doing anyway. And in that process you will discover new things about yourselves.

And when you’re done with college, I want you to carry this openness with you through your life.
Because here’s a little known secret: Your college major may end up having nothing whatsoever to do with your future career. I, for example, majored in Italian (I can hear your parents groaning now) mostly because I wanted to go to Italy.

I never worked on a school paper or took a journalism class—and then two years after I got my bachelors degree, I was a little bit lost. I had a boring, dead-end job where all I did was read the paper, and I decided to give journalism a shot.

I tried for a while but couldn’t get a job, so I decided to go back to school. But I also promised myself that if I found it wasn’t for me, I wasn’t going to stick it out and hate it. I would quit. Because the other secret is that you can always change your mind.

And that’s the beauty of trying on a lot of dresses—if you don’t like the one you’re wearing, you can put on something else. So be curious and bold. Take that job in Alaska. If you hate it, you can always come back here.

And if and when you decide you don’t like the dress you’re wearing—when you change your mind—that doesn’t mean you wasted your time.

Because everything you do, whether you love it or hate it, whether you succeed or fail, everything adds to who you are and expands who you can become.

And that is important, not just for you but for the future of this community, this country and the world.

A few years ago there was this guy who made a graduation speech that went viral. He stood before hundreds of new graduates and told them “You are not special.” He told them they were just a few among millions of graduates that spring. There were lots of people out there just like them. The speech was clever and different and got a lot of attention.

Well, I’m here to tell you the exact opposite. You—the Milton Academy Class of 2025—are special.

This amazing education that you got here at Milton. The people who you’ve met and the friends you’ve made. The huge opportunities that are about to open up for you. All of that makes you special.

I’m not saying it makes you better than all the other students graduating high school this week. But—and I think you all know this—you have advantages that will give you the ability and the opportunity to do great things, to be the future leaders that we need.

And I’m not just blathering up here. Let me tell you a little bit about my amazing Milton classmates and contemporaries.

One is right over there running this school. One is an amazing artist whose work is in major museums and who won the MacArthur genius award. Another classmate helped argue the landmark case that legalized gay marriage. Another was an advisor to President Obama. My classmates have become therapists, teachers, ministers and nurses. They are book authors, business founders and brilliant parents. They are leaders.

So yes, you are special. And I expect a lot from you. Because we’re going to need you.
There are a lot of scary things going on in the U.S. and across the world right now. I’m not going to give you a rundown—you know what they are.

But with all this chaos, we’re going to need your big Milton brains and your strong Milton values to help us find our way to a brighter future.

I often think about Milton’s motto, “Dare to be true.” It seemed a little corny when I was here in school—but now it really speaks to me.

I’ve spent my whole professional career trying to tell people the truth about what is happening in the world around them. What our political and business leaders are doing and what their motives are. How their actions affect the people across the country. It’s hard work, trying to get to the truth.

George Orwell once wrote: “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Today we’re living in a time of deceit. A lot of people refuse to believe basic facts, and others distort the truth to curry favor or find advantage. Our political leaders are trying to rewrite history and bury truths that make them uncomfortable. We’re in a time when telling the truth can get you in trouble.

And in my line of work, all of that can get me down. But standing here gives me so much hope.
Because when I look out at all of you, I don’t just see graduates.

I see truth-tellers. I see changemakers. I see future doctors and artists, climate scientists and playwrights, coders and counselors—people who will shape our world with compassion and courage.

You have the tools. Milton gave them to you. You have the talent. That’s why you’re here. And more than anything, you have the responsibility to use those tools and talents well.

So as you head into this next chapter of your life, I hope you’ll try on a lot of dresses (or pantsuits. Or jumpsuits. Bathing suits? Whatever suits you.)

I hope you’ll stay curious. I hope you’ll stay kind.

And above all, I hope you’ll dare—dare to be curious, dare to be open, and “Dare to be true.”

Congratulations, Class of 2025.

Ohuntoluwase Adeyefa, Cary, NC
Devan Jay Agrawal, Chestnut Hill, MA
Rania Noor Ahmed, North Andover, MA
Elijah Allen, Dorchester, MA
Julia Atkeson, Larkspur, CA
Bea Becker, Brooklyn, NY
Hayes Paul Benzan, Mattapan, MA
Caroline Patricia Blake, Milton, MA
Royce Bleakie, Cohasset, MA
Andi Bley, Boston, MA
Madison Bonavita, Longmeadow, MA
Adonis Bonilla, Lawrence, MA
Jack Bradner, Weston, MA
Nicholas Brandano, Lynnfield, MA
Elizabeth Breen, Hingham, MA
Tom Breeze, Barcelona, Spain
Juniper Klein Brewster, Cambridge, MA
Olivia Belle Brodeur, Boston, MA
Gabriella Renee Brown, Queens, NY
Camilla Mabel Butler, Milton, MA
Rowan Spicer Cain, Milton, MA
Chee Tung Dione Cheung, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
Nicholas Chiasson, Wellesley, MA
CC Nicole Christiano, Wellesley, MA
Ashley Davidow Clarkson, St. Louis, MO
Ewan Cleary, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Lila Cobb, St. Johnsbury, VT
Libby Clark Cohen, Norwell, MA
Mason Comeau, Cohasset, MA
Aidan John Cullinane, Quincy, MA
Alfred Debah, Fayetteville, GA
Laurie Deguire, Québec, Canada
Leo Demissie, Newton, MA
Cyrano Desrosiers, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Amelie Devine, Chicago, IL
Coco Dobron, Barrington, RI
Max Vaughan Donovan, Milton, MA
Mariana Augusta Freire dos Santos, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Maggie Dudley, Westwood, MA
Emmy Grace Easterly, Scituate, MA
Madeline Emmott, Milton, MA
Edna Olivia-Elaine Etienne-Dupie, Canton, MA
Miles Evans, Milton, MA
Dillon James Evans, Roslindale, MA
Rebekah Manon Fabella, Rego Park, NY
Henry Fallon, Milton, MA
Ryan Farokhzad, Chestnut Hill, MA
Simon Farruqui, Huntington Station, NY
Harrison Fawcett, Duxbury, MA
Seyla Fernandez, Sharon, MA
Jazlyn Fuentes, Staten Island, NY
Adrienne Fung, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
Aidan Gao, Canton, MA
Ariam Tewolde Gebresilassie, Rosemount, MN
James (JP) Giglio, Cohasset, MA
Lillian Eve Goldstone, Newton, MA
Noah Gomes, Weymouth, MA
Zidan Graham, Kingston 6, St. Andrew, Jamaica
Florence Grant, Milton, MA
Kyle Greene, Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada
Zharah Greenidge, Brooklyn, NY
Valerie Gu, Shanghai, China
Julia Elizabeth Guden, Waltham, MA
Onur Gurol, Wellesley, MA
Eli GwinnLandry, Wellesley, MA
Rae Hanlon, Hingham, MA
Callum Hegarty, Milton, MA
JP Hirth, East Falmouth, MA
Genevieve Marie Hitt, Scituate, MA
Gretel Elizabeth Hoffman, Philadelphia, PA
Stella Layne Hopkins, Conroe, TX
Catherine Rose Howley, Milton, MA
Jaxson Hughes-Page, Milton, MA
Dean Hani Ibrahim, Quincy, MA
Georgia Saltonstall Isaac, Newton, MA
Emona Preethi Jagaselvan, Braintree, MA
Reese Jensen, Duxbury, MA
Naya Mei Johannessen, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
Arianna Victoria Jones, Milton, MA
Cooper Jones, Mableton, GA
Chase Judge, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Davis Kahn, Milton, MA
Su Sandar Khaing, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)
Kayla Kim, Needham, MA
Skylar Klarsfeld, Wilton Manors, FL
Jennifer Koudaya, Roxbury, MA
Anand Daniel Koulomzin, Jamaica Plain, MA
Claudia Bonner Krishnan, Brookline, MA
Henry Ladd, Boston, MA
Ana Laurence, Milton, MA
Silas J. Lawrence, Brookline, MA
Kate Lee, Milton, MA
David Lee, Seoul, South Korea
Laila Deanna Lee, Brooklyn, NY
Jeonghurn (Jake) Lee, Seoul, South Korea
Breah Violette Legrand, Burlington, MA
Ching Hei Andre Leung, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Daniel Li, Bonita Springs, FL
Chloe Li, Milton, MA
Jason Louie, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Hoiho (Terence) Lu, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Emily Ma, Westwood, MA
Isabelle Sephorah Macean, Taunton, MA
Fiona Kirk MacNaught, Milton, MA
Edna Carlos Macuácua, Nairobi, Kenya
Nathaniel Mason Jr., Chestnut Hill, MA
Torey Grace Mathews, Newton, MA
James McEvoy, Milton, MA
Connor McGuirk, Milton, MA
Finnbar Kennedy McLaughlin, Milton, MA
Ella Metri Metri, Weymouth, MA
Guthrie Meyer, Fort Collins, CO
Isaac Ming, Newton, MA
Ty Minton, Winchester, MA
Charlotte Sofia Mone, Wellesley, MA
Charlotte Jane Monnich, Hingham, MA
Samuel David Morales, Manchester, NH
Zachary Morin, Canton, MA
Leila Morton, Milton, MA
Gabrielle Mott, Carlisle, MA
Joseph Adel Rabbat Mussalli, Milton, MA
Lucy Myers, Cambridge, MA
Makena Ndiritu, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Ralph Francisco Nelson, Brockton, MA
Nam Nguyen, Hanoi, Vietnam
Paul Nowosielski, Pearl River, NY
Grace O’Malley, Milton, MA
Matteo Paganini, Essex Junction, VT
Alejandro Palacio, North Andover, MA
Ryan Pang, Boston, MA
Oan Woo Park, Cambridge, MA
Joshua Partal, Bangor, ME
Brady Payne, Newton, MA
Olena Petryshyn, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
Nia Phillips, Boston, MA
Simon Walter Picotte, Chestnut Hill, MA
Ethan Pook, New York, NY
Axel Portnoy, Boston, MA
Miles Alexander Martin Potter, St. Clair Shores, MI
Sarah Elizabeth Price, Wellesley, MA
Sarya Refai, Chestnut Hill, MA
Alexandra Louise Rein, New Rochelle, NY
Alyssa Ruiz, Milton, MA
Annaka Schmults, Chestnut Hill, MA
Anthony Andrey Sergeyev, Dover, MA
Burhan Abdullah Shahbaz, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Claire Monreal Sheehan, Needham, MA
Molly K. Sheehan, Needham, MA
Kailin Shi, Princeton, NJ
Oliver Ian Sin, Boston, MA
Noah Lyle Sitkoff, Milton, MA
Eliana Soiffer, Brookline, MA
Jae Son, Songpa-gu, Seoul , South Korea
Amelia Stenta, Milton, MA
Asa Strauss, Newton Highlands, MA
Abhi Tejomurtula, Palm Harbor, FL
Gavin Thomas, Middleboro, MA
Gratian Ting, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Isa Torres, Spring, TX
Victoria Tessie Ulman, Los Altos, CA
Oge Ifunanya Umerah, Macon, GA
Luis Valencia, Vaughan, Ontario , Canada
August Booth Vogel, Chestnut Hill, MA
Camden Wallace, Charlotte, NC
Nolan Wanat, Eastham, MA
Susannah Henshaw Ward, Dedham, MA
Jessica Talbot Ward, Dedham, MA
Jack Watson, Falmouth, MA
Penelope Webster, Providence, RI
Lucas Westphal, Brookline, MA
Becca White, Orono, ME
Charles Hilton Wick, Boston, MA
Sydney Noël Wilmot, Milton, MA
Felicity Wong, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Brian Xi, Wellesley, MA
Jason Kai On Yu, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Tian(Jason) Yu, Shanghai, China
Saharla Yusuf, Boston, MA
Chenzhi Zhang, Weston, MA
Emily Zhang, Concord, MA
Pui Nin Zhao, Chestnut Hill, MA
Alexandra Garrison Zinny, Wellesley, MA

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD
The Head of School Award is presented each year to honor and celebrate certain members of Class I for their demonstrated spirit of self-sacrifice, community concern, leadership, integrity, fairness, kindliness, and respect for others.

Adrienne Fung
Asa Strauss
Breah Violette Legrand
Chase Judge
Coco Dobron
David Lee
August Booth Vogel
Jennifer Koudaya
Lucas Westphal
Ohuntoluwase Adeyefa

THE JAMES S. WILLIS MEMORIAL AWARD
To the Headmonitors.

Ariam Tewolde Gebresilassie
James (JP) Giglio

WILLIAM BACON LOVERING AWARD
To two students, chosen by their classmates, who have helped most by their sense of duty to perpetuate the memory of a gallant gentleman and officer.

Mariana Augusta Freire dos Santos
Henry Ladd

THE LEO MAZA AWARD
Awarded to that student(s), in Classes I-IV, who in working within one of the culture or identity groups at the school or other significant cultural or social justice initiative, has made an outstanding contribution to build community at Milton by promoting the appreciation of their cultural or identity or the work for equity and justice throughout the rest of the school.

Breah Violette Legrand
Gabriella Renee Brown
David Lee

THE A. HOWARD ABELL PRIZE
Established by Dr. and Mrs. Eric Oldberg for students deemed exceptionally proficient or talented in instrumental or vocal music or in composition.

Tian (Jason) Yu
Kailin Shi

HARRISON OTIS APTHORP MUSIC PRIZE
Awarded in recognition of helpful activity in furthering in the school an interest and joy in music.

Simon Walter Picotte
Safina Abramova

THE GEORGE SLOAN OLDBERG MEMORIAL PRIZE
Awarded in memory of George Oldberg ’54, to members of the school who have been a unique influence in the field of music.

Gratian Yunyan Ting
Callum Delaney Hegarty

THE SCIENCE PRIZE
Awarded to students who have demonstrated genuine curiosity, enthusiasm, as well as remarkable scientific growth in physics, chemistry and/or biology.

Ohuntoluwase Adeyefa
Aidan Gao
Jason Louie
Sarah Elizabeth Price
Becca White

THE WALES PRIZE
Awarded in honor of Donald Wales who taught Class IV science for more than 36 years. It recognizes students in Class IV who have consistently demonstrated interest and excitement in science.

Matthew Dobbelmann
Toby Heikka
Will Lara McCannon
Margot Murphy-Hara

THE ROBERT SALTONSTALL MEDAL
For pre-eminence in physical efficiency and observance of the code of the true sportsman.

Davis Steven Kahn

THE A. O. SMITH PRIZE
Awarded by the English Department to students who display unusual talent in non-fiction writing.

Rae Hanlon
Adrienne Fung
Bea Becker

THE CRITICAL ESSAY PRIZE
Awarded by the English Department for the best essay about a work or works of literature.

Andria Laitadze

THE MARKHAM AND PIERPONT STACKPOLE PRIZE
Awarded in honor of two English teachers, father and son, to authors of unusual talent in creative writing.

Gretel Elizabeth Hoffman
EmmaRose Zilla

THE DOROTHY J. SULLIVAN AWARD
To a Class I student who has demonstrated an outstanding attitude and commitment to athletics at Milton. She models exceptional sportsmanship, leadership and dedication, and she serves as an inspiration and role model to her teammates and others.

Susannah Henshaw Ward

THE DONALD CAMERON DUNCAN PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS
Awarded to students in Class I who have achieved excellence in the study of mathematics while demonstrating the kind of love of the subject and joy in promoting its understanding which will be the lasting legacy of Donald Duncan’s extraordinary contributions to the teaching of mathematics at Milton.

Devan Jay Agrawal
Bea Becker
Jack Bradner
Aidan Gao
Jason Louie

THE RICHARD PRICE ‘50 PRIZE IN TECHNICAL THEATER
Awarded for unusual contributions of time, energy and ideas in theatre production and in technical assistance throughout a student’s career.

Bea Becker

THE PERFORMING ARTS AWARD
Presented by the Performing Arts Department for outstanding contributions in production work, acting, speech, audiovisuals, and dance throughout a student’s Milton career.

David Lee
Margaret Dudley
Edna Olivia-Elaine Etienne-Dupie
Cooper Jones
Mariana Augusta Freire dos Santos
Breah Violette Legrand
Gabriella Renee Brown

THE DALE DELETIS PRIZE
Awarded for exceptional effort, excellence, and achievement in public speaking.

Valerie Gu
Simon Walter Picotte
Annaka Schmults
Jack Bradner
Safina Abramova

THE KIKI RICE-GRAY PRIZE
Awarded for outstanding contributions to Milton Performing Arts throughout a student’s career in both performance and production.

David Lee
Bea Becker

THE PRISCILLA BAILEY AWARD
To a student in her Class I year, recognizing exceptional athletic skill and admirable contributions to her team. This talented athlete demonstrates a strong work ethic and conducts herself with a spirit of teamwork and good sportsmanship.

Jessica Talbot Ward

THE HENRY WARDER CAREY PRIZE
To members of the First Class, who, in Public Speaking and Oral Interpretation, have shown consistent effort, thoroughness of preparation, and concern for others.

Callum Delaney Hegarty
Caroline Patricia Blake

THE ROBERT L. DALEY PRIZE
Created by his students of 1984 in his memory and honor, this prize in Classics is awarded to the student from Latin 4 or beyond who best exemplifies Mr. Daley’s love of languages.

Jack Bradner

THE ALFRED ELLIOTT MEMORIAL TROPHY
For self-sacrifice and devotion to the best interests of his teams, regardless of skill.

James (JP) Hirth

THE RICHARD LAWRENCE DERBY MEMORIAL AWARD
To members of the Second Class, outstanding in Mathematics, Astronomy, or Physics.

Eli Berk
Oliver Hirschfeld
Sze Tin Lai
Vickie Mao
Sarina Miller

THE GORHAM PALFREY FAUCON PRIZE
Established in 1911 and awarded to Class I students who, in their study of history and social sciences, have demonstrated interest, outstanding achievement, respect for others, and a deep curiosity about the human experience.

Michael Royce Bleakie
Simon Farruqui

THE BENJAMIN FOSDICK HARDING LATIN PRIZES
Awarded on the basis of a separate test at each prize level.

Level 5 – Maximilian Weil
Level 4 – Andria Laitadze
Level 3 – Cindy Zeng

THE MODERN LANGUAGES PRIZES
Awarded to those students who, in the opinion of the Department, most exhibit the qualities of academic excellence, enthusiastic participation, and support of fellow students, both in and out of class.

Safina Abramova
Julia Atkeson
Juniper Klein Brewster
Max Vaughan Donovan
Madeline Emmott
Adrienne Fung
Callum Delaney Hegarty
David Lee
Emily Ma
Isabelle Sephorah Macean
Gabrielle Mott
Nia Phillips
Alexandra Louise Rein
Victoria Tessie Ulman
August Booth Vogel

THE MILTON ACADEMY ART PRIZES
Awarded for imagination and technical excellence in art and for an independent and creative spirit of endeavor.

Oge Ifunanya Umerah
Claire Monreal Sheehan
Georgia Saltonstall Isaac
Jason Louie
Rebekah Manon Fabella
Cyrano Desrosiers

THE COMPUTER SCIENCE PRIZE
Awarded to students for excellence in computer science.

Devan Jay Agrawal
Chee Tung Dione Cheung
Aidan Gao
Brady Noah Payne

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LEAGUE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
This annual award recognizes student athletes for exhibiting the Independent School League ideals of integrity, sportsmanship, fair play, and good citizenship, while participating as a multi-sport athlete during their Independent School League career.

Chase Judge
Claire Monreal Sheehan
Molly Kissane Sheehan