MKA Celebrates Commencement for the Class of 2011
The Montclair Kimberley Academy graduated 105 seniors during its Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 12, at 3:00 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Montclair.
Faculty and Trustees led the procession of the Class of 2011 graduates, and Upper School Campus Head School Dr. David Flocco gave the welcome address, noting: "Your talent (both individual and collective), your varied interests, and your ability to follow your own passions, while being so supportive of one another, is remarkable."
Seniors Andrew Wagner and Carina Wong, both of whom graduated Cum Laude and have attended MKA since Pre-Kindergarten, then addressed their class:
" Our lives today separate from each other, as we embark on wildly different paths. Yet no matter where we go, the best we can do is always carry with us joyousness." Said Wagner. " We can't be receptive to all of life's possibilities unless we approach life itself with energy and spirit. Unless we awake in the morning and roll out of bed, not with dread, but with excitement. And unless we possess a certain kind of love, a love for both the world and all who inhabit it. It is this love, paired with excitement and verve, that enriches life."
Wong then spoke about the individualism that marks their grade: "Perhaps it's 2011's fierce determination and focus that drive our distinct individualism, for we dare to reach and we dare to accomplish. None of us even waited for college to begin to start carving our own paths. Yet, as concentrated as we are on our own ambitions, it's safe to say that no one has lost the sense of community we have as a class. In fact, that unity is the driving force that allows each and every one of us to be brave enough to go after what we want."
Headmaster Thomas W. Nammack, encouraging the Class of 2011 to embrace the virtue of humility as the basis for their future successes, joined Board of Trustees President Michael V. Johnson in awarding the diplomas, together with some faculty and trustees who as parents of seniors, Nammack included, participated in the tradition of awarding their own children their diplomas.
Student Council President Kheri Freeman and Senior Class President Alexa Minion delivered the closing remarks, and officially concluded the ceremony by ringing the Montclair Academy bell, which dates back almost a century.
On June 10, Closing Exercises were held for third and eighth grade students.
Click here to see photos from Upper School Commencement
Click here to see photos from Middle School Closing Exercises
Click here to see photos from Primary School Closing Exercises