William Carpenter 2008 to Offer Keynote Speech at Commencement 2022

A Hamden Hall alumnus who went on to graduate from West Point and is now a military justice advisor in the 3rd Infantry Division Office of the United States Army will be the 2022 Commencement speaker.

William Carpenter, who graduated from Hamden Hall with the Class of 2008, is scheduled to speak at graduation on June 10 at 10 a.m. at our Skiff Street Athletic Complex.

According to Head of School Bob Izzo, William, or Will as he was known to faculty and classmates, was an obvious choice to speak to our graduating class because of his exemplary 12-year resume while he was on campus followed by his impressive path after leaving our halls. While under the pines, Will established the Hamden Hall Interact Club, which is the school’s premier community service offering. His two siblings, Eric Carpenter 1996 and Sara Carpenter-Alberti 1999 also graduated from Hamden Hall.

“Will is an outstanding individual who has always put service before self. He holds three degrees, serves his country, and is a standout in our Hamden Hall community. When I talk about the fact that we care about the people our graduates become after leaving campus, Will definitely comes to mind as he is a man of character and integrity,” said Mr. Izzo.

After graduating from Hamden Hall, Will entered the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned, with honors, a Bachelor of Science degree in American Legal Studies. He obtained his Master in Business Administration from Marylhurst University in 2018 and his Juris Doctor degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Washington and Lee School of Law.

He now serves as a military justice advisor in the 3rd Infantry Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in Fort Stewart, GA.

“With regard to coming back to Hamden Hall, I feel very honored to have been asked to be the commencement speaker,” said Will. “As I look back, I'm astonished that it has been 14 years. If I remember correctly, I was at Hamden Hall back in 2011 or so, but I have not had the opportunity to come back since. I am very excited to come back to the campus where I spent 12 years of my childhood and early adult life in order to impart upon those who are graduating some of the lessons I have learned in my time since leaving campus.”

Will and his wife, Marcy, a high school math teacher, have two children, 2-year-old Curtis and (almost!) 5-year-old Piper. Will noted that he and Marcy met while he was at West Point.

“Our family enjoys the outdoors, and we frequent the beach and a number of parks. I'm also a bit of a general aviation fanatic, and we own a small, four-seat, airplane that we use to travel around to see our family members,” he said.

As a military justice advisor, Will addresses soldier misconduct and has advised more than 35 company commanders, nine battalion commanders, and two brigade commanders. He served as a government representative during Separation Hearings and was the lead prosecutor in one court-martial.

Prior to his current position in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Will served in several different capacities for that division including as an administrative law attorney and a chief of legal assistance.  From 2013 through June of 2016, Will served in Germany as a tactical director, legal assistance intern, and a platoon leader for the 5-7 Air Defense Artillery Battalion.

He noted that his return to Hamden Hall will allow him to pay respect to the educators who helped shape him and the school that established the foundation of learning that has carried him through his professional career.

“Hamden Hall, and more specifically, the teachers who took the time to mentor and develop me, provided me with many of the skills and attributes I use in my professional life today. For all of that, I am deeply grateful. It is my hope that, in addition to sharing a few thoughts, my remarks will also be a sort of ‘thank you’ to the institution and those who made it what it has become,” said Will.