In a ceremony almost as old as St. Johns itself, the Class of 2019 was presented to the community today in what is known simply as Senior Presentation.
The seniors started off the day with a beautiful brunch at Winterbourne Inn. It was an opportunity for them to spend time together as a class. A few faculty sponsors and administrators joined them, along with brunch speaker Mr. Rod Fisher, but otherwise it was just the Class of 2019. They hung out, talked about their shared experiences, and took a lot of photos.
Then this afternoon, in the Performing Arts Center, came their actual presentation—the presentation of each member of the class to the community in recognition of their coming of age.
A new tradition emerged this year, in which the members of the Class of 2019 themselves voted on the Senior Presentation speaker, Mr. Pat Rodifer, who talked with them about risk and the importance of taking them. After outlining a few risks he has taken in his own life, Mr. Rodifer entreated them never to stop taking risks with their lives and experiences, striving even though they risk failure. To sum it up, he quoted “To Risk,” by William Arthur Ward:
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
And the realist adjusts the sails.
Finally, Mrs. Fisher presented the class with these words:
As a teacher I present you to the academic world that you may enter it and meet its demands honorably and successfully.
As your Headmaster I present you to your schoolmates so that they may accept you and look up to you as their leaders and their shining example.
As your friend I present you to your parents so that they may accept you as adults who have come into their own and who are to be dealt with from henceforth on an equal basis.
As your fellow human being I present to you your calling in life that you may always have the wisdom to recognize it and the strength to live up to the divine calling in your life.
Members of the St. Johns Country Day School Class of 2019 include:
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William Casey Albright |
Corey John McDaniels |
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Isabelle Alice Amacker |
Lane Inglis Montgomery |
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Sergio Miguel Arellano |
Sydney Rae Morris |
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Linsey Morgan Arnett |
Eli Robert Morton |
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Ashton Douglas Correia |
Alexander John Mosborg |
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Crystian Edward DeMonbreun |
Avery Livingston Myers |
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Caroline Elizabeth Dinkins |
Aaron Christopher Mylrea |
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Henry Southward Dinkins |
Ruichen Ni |
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Brianna Michelle Enter |
Jenny Gabrielle Pack |
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Katharine Elizabeth Fackler |
Orisa Paresh Patel |
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Nicholas Shane Ferris |
Tvisha Pankaj Patel |
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Nicholas Martin Glassman |
Tucker Logan Price |
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David Michael Gonzales |
Tyler Quinn Rodriguez |
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Maylee Alaine Gouin |
Nicholas Payne Rogers |
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Micah Aleksander Gouin |
Sarah Alise Schemer |
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Jack Todd Henry |
Garhett William Sessions |
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George Walker Hentschel |
Diana Christina Shaykh |
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Jett Reed Isley |
Wyatt Michael Smith |
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Cian Lince Jacob |
Rachel Nicole Thompson |
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Benjamin Joseph Kailes |
Jack Wesley Tolbert |
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Tyler Christopher Kuramoto |
Tyler Thomas Townsend |
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Patrick Robert Lindholm |
Sabreanna Marie Unger |
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Madison Morgan Livingston |
Brady Sasser Walden |
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Kamryn Bryn Loustau |
Payton Elisabeth Walton |
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Meredith Jayne Maierhoffer |
Kai Wang |
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Aaron Hogshead Makar |
Madeleine Kate Wilkes |
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Jared Robert Marsano |
Matthew Charles Wolf |
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Jazmin Anne Mateo |
Michael Vaughan Wyatt |
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Adam Christopher Maytin |