Name That Graduate

One of Parkmont’s hallmarks is that our students and teachers work with each other across grade levels and get to know each other well. At graduation, each student is celebrated in a speech by one of their teachers, sometimes the same teacher who spoke at their 8th-grade Moving Up ceremony. Here are excerpts from the speeches for each graduating senior. Can you match the excerpt to the student?

She just shows up as herself, and because of that, other students have felt brave enough to do the same. I’ve seen her be there for her peers and friends during their hardest times. Not just because she listens, but because she gets it. She will validate your feelings, recommend a book that’ll wreck your soul, and then roast you just enough to remind you that life keeps going.

Inspired by their experiences as a camper and their affinity for connecting with young children, this student picked up the mantle of camp counselor and carried it with pride. Through their work, they didn’t just take on responsibility—they became someone younger children could look up to, feel safe with, and laugh with.

For the past two years, I could always anticipate hearing the words “Hey Bestie” from this student before 10 a.m. That and knowing I would hear something about Taylor Swift, pickles, or some kind of fluffy chicken. When your days are as chaotic and unpredictable as ours, you start to look forward to these little moments of warmth you can count on.

This student has brought so much to Parkmont in the past 6 years — not just a Culture Club and a yearbook, but we’ve also all benefited from your kindness, reliability, and quiet leadership. All the places you go as you step through that big green door are going to be so lucky to have you.

From the other seniors who regard this student so highly, to the middle schoolers who shout out this student for her invaluable friendship, she’s remained an important classmate, student, and friend to such a wide breadth of people here in our community. The love, shared by so many, is a testament to her ability to connect with all of us and a testament to how meaningful those connections are.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of talking to this student is familiar with his gift for connecting with others. It’s a gift that [this student] has graciously shared with the entire Parkmont community, often assuming the role of facilitator by bringing people together through his humor, thoughtfulness, and keen insight into a person’s interests.

I know I’ve already said this, but I think it’s really important to stress that that was such a hard time, and yet this student — all of 14 years old, starting at a new school, sitting in front of a screen all day — didn’t just meet the challenge, he pretty much hurled Zeus’s lightning bolt at it and blew it to pieces.

Through experience this student recognized that structure can breed success. His work at Bach to Rock, a Bethesda music school, and his meteoric rise through that organization were revelations for him. He is immensely talented, and the work at Bach to Rock has helped hone this talent and provide an outlet for it. Apparently he makes good money too!

If you’ve been in a room with this student for five minutes, you’ve heard his brilliance. For those unaware though, let me tell you this: everyone is continually astounded at his pun-prowess. He can tease a pun out of casual conversation, a lesson, or a random video in a way that is so spot-on, so seamless, so clever each time, that you just can’t believe he hasn’t looked it up somehow. I used to think this was just some feat of joke-books and memory on his part, but the truth is that it’s all always him.

I have never received so many paintings, sketches, or illustrations as a teacher. Most of the time they involve an octopus, this student’s favorite animal. Once, there was a watercolor alternate ending to a zombie novel. Every time there was a creative project, I relished wondering what this student would submit.

And then there was the banter. Always good natured, always clever, always brightening up my day. From word games with country names in geography class to digs about facial hair, this student could always give as good as you got. … You are also a fierce advocate for your friends, and someone who can see good in people and coax the best out of them. You dapped up everyone, were always willing to have a conversation, and had younger students looking up to you from day one.

This student really learned to meet challenges and push yourself past discomfort and shown real growth and independence. … But I think your greatest sign of growth was choosing to go on the Alaska trip. It was such a big step from the quiet, reclusive Slugcat that first came to us to willingly pack in with 10 or so other meat-bags in close-quarters for a whole week. And you crushed it.

This student was a small and shy sixth grader when we met. The ways that you have stayed true to yourself and the myriad ways in which you’ve grown have been a joy to witness. … You have not lost that wonderful spark, you are still such a creator. … You got behind the lens of a camera, too, in Alaska and the result was magical.