All graduates are gathered together with a t-shirt, sweater, hoodie, or hat featuring their future alma mater. As class sizes grow, so does the chaos, as every graduate’s school must be represented proudly, requiring a delicate shifting of students and angling for optimization. This year, a new location was scouted — the steps of Grant’s Tomb, across from The Riverside Church where the graduation ceremony was set to be held the next day. It was there, despite the growing crowd of graduates that magic happened.

“This year’s photo came out fantastic,” said Oscar Brett, Dwight’s Global Director of Video Production. “Not an easy feat, considering how many people were involved.”

Now, as the calendar melts into July, we wanted to take a look back and once again congratulate our newest alumni on their recent graduation before they head off to colleges and universities around the world. 

104 members of the Class of 2025 turned their tassels from right to left, marking their final milestone together as Dwight Lions. Before doing so, however, family and friends were treated to an emotional ceremony filled with all of the pomp, circumstance, performances, and speeches that have come to be expected at a Dwight School Graduation. 

This year also included a rich array of awards, as students stood proudly on stage before graduation to be honored for hard work achieved in over 30 categories, reflecting excellence in all subjects throughout the school. Another highlight was the stirring performance of the Rod Stewart classic “Forever Young,” by MacPhee Gleason (voice), Christopher Labbat (guitar), and Yona Nemirof (viola).

Graduates were left with words of wisdom and encouragement from a number of speakers.

Head of School and Global Education Director Dianne Drew said, “Today marks not just an ending, but a profound beginning. One etched in the winds of change swirling all around us . . . There's a beautiful Chinese proverb that I love that says when the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills. Class of 2025, I challenge you to be the windmill builders.”

Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn spoke of a future of bold next steps for our graduates: “Now the world is ready for you. Your new next adventure is to blend the power of the human heart, that's the key, with the machine mind and use your own intuition to map the way courageously, wisely, and with compassion. The future needs your creativity, your empathy, your vision.”

Dwight Valedictorian Alma Laufer Barhad had the final word before diplomas were passed out. She noted the strength of the entire community, saying, “Everyone in our grade spent so much time on their work, their skills, and their passions . . . If I were to stand here and describe all the amazing things everyone in the Class of 2025 did, we'd probably be here until the Class of 2026 came in to graduate.”

Graduation was such a wonderful celebration of all those collective achievements. Now, we wish our graduates well as they head off to a wide range of colleges and universities — all proudly displayed in the famed college t-shirt photo:

Congratulations to each and every graduate, and may your sparks continue to light your path toward success.