Remarks by Board President
It is with a sense of pride that we gather today to
celebrate graduation. I must admit that I also feel
a sense of loss. Some of these young men and women
have been at Topeka Collegiate since
pre-kindergarten. All of them have become part of
our school family, and having them leave feels like
something is being lost. We are also saying goodbye
to teachers and staff, and five trustees are
rotating off the board. This is normal, and
expected, but it is still a change.
This year we celebrated our twenty-fifth
anniversary. It was a wonderful experience to be
part of that celebration - to hear stories about the
first days from those who were there.
I was aware of how much we have changed, but I also
feel that the important things have stayed the same.
We are all still a part of the school family.
Continuity is strong. One of our founders, Kent
Garlinghouse, is a current trustee. Another early
parent, Jett Elmer, a past board president, is also
a trustee. They help insure that Topeka Collegiate
remains true to our initial goals and mission. Our
graduates also continue to play a role in our
school. To give you two specific examples, one of
the first students, Alison Hill
'86, whose father served as a trustee, is now Dr.
Alison Langham, and is herself a trustee. Another
early student, Stacy Elmer '95,
whom I have known since she was a little girl, is
now the woman you see on the stage with me, and has
come back to be our speaker today. Our graduates are
still a part of us.
So you see, we haven't lost anything. There have
been changes, and there will continue to be changes.
But we are all still part of this school, and we
always will be.
To our graduates today, I say that you are not
leaving Topeka Collegiate; you are taking Topeka
Collegiate with you as you move on to your next
adventure. "You must fly." This school will always
be part of your life, and you will always be part of
this school. We are very proud of you!
Congratulations!
Excerpts
from the
Graduation Address
by Stacy Elmer '95
After graduating from Topeka Collegiate and
Topeka High, Stacy Elmer received a
Bachelor's Degree in neuroscience from Colorado
College, with a minor in philosophy. Since then,
she's worked as a forensic technician at the Shawnee
County morgue, a baker in New York, a bicycle
messenger in both Washington D.C. and New York City
and, her favorite job to date, a substitute teacher
and soccer coach here at TCS.
Stacy is working for Governor Kathleen
Sebelius, and is a full-time Ph.D. student in the
Department of Philosophy at KU, concentrating in
bioethics and political philosophy. Last summer,
Stacy completed a research fellowship at the
National Institutes of Health in the Department of
Bioethics and will return this summer to begin a
longer-term research project at the National Human
Genome Institute.
Stacy has been named a 2008 University of Kansas
Research Fellow and leaves this month for Sierra
Leone, West Africa, to perform an independent
research project at a rural clinic, focusing on HIV
and the ethics of access to antiretroviral therapies
in developing countries.
Stacy is vice-president of the Student Senate at
KU and a volunteer HIV counselor at JayDoc Freed
Medical Clinic in Kansas City.
"What you have learned here in your years at Topeka
Collegiate has prepared you not only to fulfill your
duties to one another and the world but to be the
leaders that pave the way for a brighter future for
everyone. When you begin to doubt your capabilities
to change the world, I encourage you to remember the
words you sang every Friday morning right here in
this room...'Like the eagle on the mountain you are
free.' "
"Each one of you is free....and that freedom makes
you powerful. You have the power to shape your own
life and the decisions you make will change your
life, AND the lives of those around you. None of us
lives in a bubble. Every decision you make changes
the life of your friends and your parents, and a lot
of times your friends' parents! When you decide to
do the right thing, you affect the lives of many
others in a positive way - you do not have to be the
President or a famous doctor to change the world.
The world changes one decision at a time, and each
of you has the power to make the world a better
place."
"I will leave you with three things to remember and
give you each something to help you hold on to
today.
- First - Never underestmate the value of a thank
you. For this I am giving each of you a thank you
card to write to someone to whom you feel a thank
you is owed.
- Second - If you are like I was at your age, you
think that your parents don't know anything about
life as a kid in today's world. Trust me - they know
a lot more than you think. Listen to the elders in
your life. Take advantage of their past experiences.
Ask questions and listen to their stories.
Appreciate THEIR lives. For this, Bert and I have
made you a DC of classic soul music from your
parents' era, because believe it or not, much of the
music you listen to today is a reflection of the
music of your parents - and it turns out that a lot
of it is pretty good!
- Finally...I am giving you each a copy of Studs
Terkel's Hope Dies Last. This is a
collection of the stories of people from all walks
of life. One reason I am giving you this book in
particular is because many of you reminded me of
what the word hope means. Two years ago
Bert and i coached some of you on the B soccer team.
We didn't win a game all season long. When it came
time for the tournament, you guys were determined to
win a game, and all season long you had held on to
that hope - the hope of winning a game. Now, I am
not sure if it was the donut incentive we bribed you
with or hope alone, but you guys went on not only to
win your first game, but your second game as well,
and this reminded me of what a little hope can do.
Secondly, I am giving you this book to help you
learn about the stories of the many people we live
amongst, and to remind you that 'many lands and many
challenges ARE calling out to you.' Keep your dreams
and hope alive, and know that you will always have a
foundation here at Topeka Collegiate School to rely
on."
"Congratulations. I am so proud of all of you. Good
luck in the future and Godspeed."
(The full text of Stacy's graduation speech is
on the TCS website - Link here)
Eighth Grade Teacher
Appreciation Awards
Graduates Shelby Carpenter and
Hillary Rosacker present PE
Teacher Tracie Lamb the Teacher Apprecation
Award on behalf of their classmates.
They described Coach Lamb as "a person who means
so much to our class, ourselves, and this
school, a person who is funny, kind, wise,
responsible, and caring. She has inspired us to
be who we are now and has helped us grow into
the young women and men we are today."
"Coach Lamb, you have heard how much we love you
and appreciate what you have done for us. Now we
would like to say: THANK YOU!"
Graduates Alex Chanay and
Nicky Henriquez honor Language
Arts Teacher John MacDonald with the Middle
School Teacher Appreciation Award.
Alternating lines in their presentation, the
boys described this year's honoree:
"Every year, the eighth grade class presents an
award to a teacher who stands out."
"A teacher who matches the class' personality."
"A teacher who would be disappointed with that
last sentence!"
"A teacher who can connect with children in a
special way, like Robin Williams in
Dead
Poets Society."
"I think I speak for the eighth grade class
when I say that I would be honored to call this
teacher (Mr. Mac) 'Oh Captain. My Captain.' "
Excerpts from the Eighth Grade Class
Address
On behalf of the Class of 2008,
Joyce
Brennan and
Colton Manley delivered the
class address.
Joyce: "The friendships and memories we
made at Topeka Collegiate will last a
lifetime. Collegiate has provided us
with many opportunities. We have been
taught to step outside our comfort zone.
When our class went to Heifer
International, we worked on team
building challenges in the Global
Villages, and when we came back, our
class was stronger than ever. Who knew
sleeping with goats and eating boiled
vegetables could bring people closer
together?"
Colton: "Another strength of the school
is the incredible sense of family and
community. After my third grade year, my
family made the decision to try our
local public school. From the outside,
we were able to see some of the
advantages of Topeka Collegiate we had
taken for granted. When we found out my
dad would be deployed to Iraq, my
parents did not question moving us back
to TCS."
"Academics have always been a strong
point of TCS, but after going to
public school and experiencing the
atmosphere there, I realized
Collegiate is one of the few places
where it is 'cool' to be smart."
Joyce: "From an early age, we are
taught to strive to be our best and
we carry this attitude through
middle school. Now, as we parepare
for high school, we are ready for
new challenges. We won't hold back
and follow the lead of others; we
will jump in and make our own
decisions."
Colton: "As we move on to high
school and eventually college, TCS
will always be close to our hearts.
We would like to thank all the
faculty, staff, family and friends
for all the support they have given
us over these past ten years."
Joyce: "And to our classmates: Let's
get out there and show them what we
can do!"
Excerpts From Remarks by Head of
School David Hudspeth
After awarding
diplomas to
Nick Gideon
and his classmates, Mr. Hudspeth
addressed the graduates.
"I want to ask you to think
about how you're going to define
yourself and your commitment to
your community, your nation, and
the world, and how will you
reconcile that with all your
various identities, your gender,
your race, your religion, and
all the various things that
distinguish you from one
another."
(photo by Nathan Ham)
"We celebrate today the
completion of your academic
journey here at Collegiate. This
is a time of joy, of pride, and
of gratitude. We celebrate the
beginning of the rest of your
life. This is one of the most
exciting times to be alive in
all of human history. It is
exploding with opportunity, yet
marred by inequality,
insecurity, and clear
un-sustainability. It is
bursting with knowledge,
increasing at an exponential
rate."
"So, whatever you become,
remember this: you must be a
citizen, a citizen of the world
in which you live. And it's more
important now than ever before,
but it has always been the truth
that the world you live in is
interdependent. You do not exist
as a totally separate being in a
society."
"But at some point in your life
you must deal with adversity.
It's how you deal with the
unexpected crisis or severe bump
in the road that shows your
strength of character, that
tests your mettle as a leader,
that provides you with skills
that are hopefully more useful
in the long run."
"Now graduates, your moment has
come. May you always remember
these wonderful times, and this
very special place where you
learned so much, and grew in
such remarkable ways. Be
generous to the world with your
talent, and use your Collegiate
education to good and worthwhile
purposes. Remember that this
place will always be a home to
you, and that you will always be
a part of the Topeka Collegiate
family."
