As the 56 members of the Hamden Hall Country Day School Class of 2013 shifted their tassels from the right-hand side of their mortarboards to the left, Head of School Bob Izzo advised the “new alumni” to remember the essence of their education.

“Class of 2013, I encourage you to go out and build on your extraordinary foundation,” said Mr. Izzo as he stood before the graduates at the school’s 101^st Commencement Exercises.

Valedictorian Klemens Gowin, who will continue his education at the University of Rochester, spoke of two values, integrity and teamwork, both of which he said he learned at Hamden Hall.

“The long-term benefits of living a life of integrity – what benefits I have reaped in my short life – are some of the most satisfying we will ever experience, and may extend our influence over a lifetime,” said Klemens.  “When nobody is looking, we can hold only ourselves accountable for the way we strive for our goals.  What we are able to achieve depends on the integrity of our character.”

Klemens noted the “Life Team” he and his fellow graduates had to thank for getting them to this point in their lives. 
After listing many of the school’s accomplishments over the 2012-2013 school year, he further noted the community service performed by the Hamden Hall “team.”

“When we help others, we leave behind a lasting impact not only in their lives, but ours as well.  This past year, we’ve done just that with our Stuff-A-Bus campaign.  We raised over 3,400 food items, one of the highest tallies in recent years.  During our Spring Fling, we raised $1,000, which was donated to the Smilow Cancer Research Center.  Not a single one of these events, though, was the result of a single person, or even a single group,” he maintained.     

Salutatorian Alexandru Buhimschi, who will attend Yale University in the fall, said a profound experience for him has been watching students in Hamden Hall’s Lower School. 

“In a few short years, our approach to knowledge has shifted completely.  We can only imagine the kinds of changes we will witness in coming years.  I want to be part of that.  The most direct investment in the future is education.  One of the most important traits we need to identify and cultivate is divergent thinking, the ability to identify many different solutions to a problem,” said Alex, who entered Hamden Hall in third grade.

Commencement Speaker and Hamden Hall alumnus Ross Douthat maintained that the graduates’ high school years were preparation for adulthood.  Ross, who graduated from Harvard University in 2002 and is an author and New York Times columnist, peppered his remarks with Hamden Hall-specific nuances.   

“I hope what you learned here will come back to you when you need it most,” said Ross.  “Not in the temporary period of extraordinary freedom that awaits you now, but in the richer, deeper years of truly grown-up life beyond.”

The graduation exercises were kicked off by Student Government Vice President Jamie DeNicola who welcomed his fellow classmates and spoke of the tight-knit Hamden Hall community.

“We will always have this community to unite us,” said Jamie.  “I realize that after Hamden Hall, not everyone will want to push me to be a better person.”

Of the 56 graduates, eight began their studies at Hamden Hall in either prekindergarten or kindergarten.  Additionally, five seniors are the children of Hamden Hall alumni, including:  Natale Cuomo, son of Richard Cuomo 1983 and niece of Dr. Felicia Cuomo 1989; Jordan Firtel, son Douglas Firtel 1984; Thomas "Oscar" Ginz, son of Thomas Ginz 1985; Katherine Prota, daughter of Maria Esposito Prota 1982; and Dimitri Skuret, son of Daniel Skuret 1988.    

In the fall, three or more members of the Class of 2013 will matriculate at the following colleges or universities:  Connecticut College, The George Washington University, College of the Holy Cross, Quinnipiac University, University of Connecticut, and Yale University. 

The ceremony also featured a special presentation to past parent and former trustee David F. Swensen, who was honored with the 2013 Connecticut Association of Independent Schools Award.  Mr. Swensen is the Chief Investment Officer at Yale University and was presented the award by his son, Tim, a 2012 Hamden Hall alumnus who attends Dartmouth University.

Click here to view a slideshow of Hamden Hall's 101st Commencement Exercises.