I gave the following speech at Graduation yesterday as my final address to the 8th Grade class:
Good morning students, faculty, parents, grandparents, and friends and welcome to the Hillbrook Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2014. I want to extend a special welcome this morning to our guests on stage with me, including Los Gatos Mayor Steve Leonardis, Chair of the Board of Trustees Chuck Hammers, Head of Middle School Joe Connolly, and Austin Chun, graduate from the Class of 2010. Most importantly, it is my honor to welcome the soon to be graduated members of the Class of 2014.
Today marks a significant transition for the dynamic young men and women seated beside me on the stage. Yet they are not the only ones who are undergoing change. In front of me sit their proud parents and in many cases proud grandparents, uncles, aunts, and siblings. For the parents, today also marks a major milestone. I hope that your sons and daughters have thanked you for all of the love and support you have provided through their years at Hillbrook, but if, by chance, they have not, let me, on their behalf, thank you. You have given them the gift of an extraordinary educational foundation, a gift that will stay with them throughout their lives.
Some of these students have been here for 10 years, while a few of them have joined us more recently. Whether they have been here for one year or ten, they have learned a lot during their time at Hillbrook under the careful guidance, care and support of our talented team of teachers. Important lessons in English, math, science, history, world languages, and art have laid a foundation for them that will serve them well in the years ahead. They have learned to solve problems, collaborate with their peers, and communicate both in writing and orally. They have developed critical thinking skills, honed their ability to argue different sides of the same issue, and been challenged to take risks and think outside the box. They have even learned to tell a joke.
As I thought about my comments for today, I wondered to myself – what is possibly left for me to teach them before they head off this stage and off into the world of high school, college and beyond? To be clear, I’m not suggesting they have learned everything they need to know. While I suspect they occasionally act like they know everything, particularly when they are with their parents, I’ve spent enough time with them to feel confident that each of them understands that there is much left to learn. Indeed, I would hope that we have impressed upon them as a school that a life well spent is a life in which one embraces a growth mindset and is always open to new ideas and experiences.
No, what I was trying to figure out was what final lesson I should share with them before they spread to different schools and continue their educational journey beyond the safe confines of the Hillbrook community.
Then, it hit me. In true Hillbrook fashion, the Class of 2014 had already shared with all of us a set of lessons that could guide them in the years ahead. All I had to do was remind them of the things they have taught us and send them on their way. To what exactly am I referring? Why the lessons from this year’s delightful and magical 8th grade musical, “Alice in Wonderland”, of course. If you did not have an opportunity to see this musical, you missed one of the best shows we have staged at Hillbrook in years. So what are the lessons it taught? For me, there are at least three things we should remember.
First, celebrate your unbirthday. As the Mad Hatter explains, “Statistics prove that you have one birthday. Just one birthday every year. But there are 364 UN- birthdays.” The point is not necessarily, I should add, to have 364 birthday parties a year, although if you manage to convince people to throw a party for you every day I certainly won’t stand in your way. Rather, I take it to mean that we should celebrate each and every person, each and every day.
Second, to paraphrase the caterpillar, “never lose touch with your inner fabulosity.” While in Wonderland, Alice meets a curious cast of characters and finds herself undergoing physical changes and bizarre situations. She becomes increasingly confused and, at one point, she responds to the Caterpillar’s question, “Who are you?” with a bewildered, “I hardly know anymore! I know at least who I was when I got up this morning, but I’ve changed several times since then.” In the end, she realizes who she is, in part, by explaining who she is not. She is not, she notes, “a silly pair of Tweedles”, or “some party animal Mad Hatter”, or a “crazy White Rabbit”, or “a big, old nasty Queen of Hearts … who bosses people around (and chops off their heads when she loses a game).” Who is she? “I’ll tell you who I am! I’m Alice!” The lesson for each of you? As you leave Hillbrook and venture off to new schools, you will meet many new people, be exposed to all types of new opportunities, and learn things about yourself that you never knew. Just like Alice in Wonderland, you will be faced with all types of situations. Seize those opportunities, take risks, try new things – AND be sure that you remain true to yourself. Alice cautions each of us to never lose sight of who we are at our core, to never lose sight of our inner fabulosity.
The Caterpillar offers us our final lesson as well. Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes you will find yourself in difficult situations. Even on “your very worst day,” however, there is – as the Caterpillar says – a simple cure — two magical, hyphenated little words “zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay.” Now I promise not to break into song right now, but I suspect I’m not the only one who hears those words and immediately feels just a little bit better. Focusing on the negative – and getting mired in your difficulties – is easy to do, but rarely helpful. Looking for the positive and shifting your mindset – saying your own version of zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay – is an essential first step to getting yourself back on track and on your way.
So, Class of 2014, I send you off with these three lessons that you shared with all of us. On the surface, it’s simple advice but, as with much in Wonderland and life, there is a lot there if you really think about it. Curioser and curioser.