Memories and community are on the minds of commencement speakers
By John Bishop
GROTON, Mass. — Lawrence Academy, wearing the fineries of a well-hydrated spring, celebrated its 232nd graduating class under beautiful blue skies Friday, May 30.
Head of School Dan Scheibe, P’23, welcomed the 106 would-be graduates seated on the green grass of the Quad with the words, “Let’s go!”
“You carry our mission and our motto, each of you a rising force, a light ready to shine brighter,” he continued, alluding to the school’s Latin motto: Omnibus Lucet — “The light shines for all.”
“Thank you for being here,” Scheibe said. “We have no purpose aside from you.”
The Class of 2025
Scheibe reflected on being away from Lawrence Academy from September to December 2024 and noted how his absence only deepened his appreciation for the elm tree–shaded hillside campus, first populated with students in 1793.
“Upon my return in January ... leaping right into the first days of the great year 2025, I had a strong realization — I love high school,” he said. “I’ll be more specific: I love the time of life that high school is — the ‘taking responsibility for who you want to become’ part of it.
“Even more specifically,” he added, “I love high school as it is right here at Lawrence Academy.”
And clearly, Scheibe is not alone. Each of the subsequent speakers lauded Lawrence Academy and their love for the place, the experience, and the community that is LA.
“The truth is, I'm standing here before you all in my cap and gown, and it truly still hasn't set in,” said Class of 2025 President Boden Belanger, who recently celebrated an Independent School League championship with the varsity baseball team. “Lawrence has been my home for the past three years, and there truly isn't a place I hold closer to my heart than this place.
“I can confidently say that I'm leaving LA a much different and better person than when I arrived.”
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd, P’22, addressed the students, acknowledging the tenacity required to earn a Lawrence Academy diploma.
“To you, the Class of 2025, I want to say that I know how hard you work to achieve this goal,” said Budd, referencing her time as an LA parent. “This school is known for its academic rigor, and it's demanded a lot of you.
“You've challenged yourselves and achieved things that might have seemed impossible to you just a few short years ago.
“So please take this moment to reflect on your journey and appreciate what you've accomplished,” she said.
Senior student speaker Molly Schneider addressed her classmates directly, urging them to use LA as a touchstone as they prepare to leave Groton.
“We've all grown up here. We have all laughed and struggled and discovered who we are, and now it is time to take those memories with us as we go,” she said. “None of us knows exactly what comes next, but we do know what we have built here: friendships that feel like family, moments that have created us in a place we will always stay connected to.”
Senior student speaker Ty Wood added, “I want to thank my Class of 2025.
“You are my friends, my teammates, and the people who have helped make this experience so special,” he said. “While I'm sad to leave, I think about all the amazing things you will do in the days, weeks and years ahead.”
Wood explained that this is the entire purpose of Lawrence Academy.
“It’s about doing things you never expected to do,” he said. “It's about pushing yourselves outside your comfort zone. It's about making mistakes and taking accountability.
“It's about the little things you never expected to matter that much: spoon hunt, turf nights, long nights and early mornings in Spalding.
“It's about realizing you have everything you need right here.”
And now, as alums, they always will.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025. #AlwaysASpartan