Bronxville High School celebrated its 100th Annual Commencement, awarding 126 students their diplomas this Saturday, June 18. The ceremony was unique, featuring guest speaker Francesco Clark (Class of 1996), an amazing theme written by Nathan Barr (Class of 1991), and recurring themes of the graduation class’s perseverance through the pandemic. 

Speakers could not overlook the pandemic’s impact on the students and the community. Our principal, Ms. Meyer, stated, “I know each of us struggled through the shutdown of our school. We struggled together, and together we also figured out how to make things work.” She discussed how grateful she was that the faculty could adjust to the changes and worked to return our students to the building. Ms. Meyer also discussed how these changes affected the class and taught them to appreciate the small things that seemed so normal before the pandemic. 

The ceremony also featured two student speakers, Erin Foley, the senior class president, and Peter Coquilette, the SFL President. The graduating seniors discussed the resiliency and togetherness that the pandemic had taught us and the importance of those skills in the students’ future. 

Of course, discussing the incredible speech of the guest speaker, founder, and author Francesco Clark is essential. In 2002, he suffered a spinal injury and was placed in the ICU, where doctors told him he would likely not live. However, against all odds, he survived and prospered, even creating a skincare company that helped him with his loss of ability to sweat. Francesco’s speech touched upon the importance of speaking out, being imaginative, and promoting community and togetherness. His speech perfectly embodied the commencement’s theme of resilience and perseverance. Overall, Mr. Clark was a perfect speaker because of his unique background and commitment to the Bronxville community.

To tie in the sense of unity and celebration, the new Bronxville High School theme, written by Emmy award-winning composer Nathan Barr, was performed by the honors band.

As Bronxville graduates its 100th class, 126 adults enter the world equipped with outstanding academic preparation and crucial skills that will assist them in various aspects of their adult lives. The pandemic impacted this year’s graduating class, as speakers pointed out that persistence through such a difficult and unique time further developed our graduating class to become more successful and productive citizens. Congratulations to the Bronxville High School Class of 2022!