Tabor Academy graduation recognized as a 'real moment'

Tabor Academy’s graduating class of 2015 walked their way across the stage and onto a new beginning Tuesday afternoon.

Following the prelude and processional, Head of School John Quirk began by addressing parents. He acknowledged the challenges of raising children, a job he noted doesn’t come with a manual or certification program.

“Somewhere between the hopelessly subjective act of parenting and the hoped-for objectivity of educators, resides the treasure of the children of this class,” said Quirk.

He then asked the students to rise, find their parents in the crowd and recognize “the people most responsible" for bringing them to graduation day.

Graduate Hadley Ramsay, one of the co-heads of school, gave a speech punctuated with self-deprecating humor. She spoke of the horrors of settling into a new school and her first classroom experience at the academy.

“When I say it was my very first class, I don’t really mean it because it wasn’t actually my class. I sat in the advanced ceramics class for twnety minutes before I realized I was in the wrong place,” said Ramsay.

“It did, however, introduce me to ceramics, which became a great love of mine at my time at Tabor,” she added.

Ramsay said the numerous embarrassing moments she’s experienced have taught her humility and helped her forge friendships with others. She said she couldn’t “conceptualize a reason” why she’d want to leave a place that’s been so good to her.

Travis Roy, a member of the class of 1995, delivered the commencement address, which referenced a speech he gave 20 years ago during his own graduation from Tabor Academy. In that speech, he listed 10 “rules” for life.

While some items on that list remain unchanged two decades later, such as “love is a continuous lesson” and “some friendships fade away while true friends will stay with you,” he endured a major life event since that time that’s caused him to rethink his rules.

Six months after his graduation, in October 1995, Roy was playing ice hockey at Boston University when a sudden, accidental injury left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

“As it turned out, as much as those ten rules helped me live a fulfilling, successful life up until my accident, the majority of those ten rules would play an even bigger role as I tried to put together a new life,” said Roy.

He said becoming a quadriplegic gave him new insight into the world, noting how many people spend their days concerning themselves with emails and text messages. He stressed the importance of having “real moments” daily.

“To me, ‘real moments’ are experiences where you feel emotion, better yet an emotional reaction that leads to a physical reaction, or engages one or more of your five senses,” said Roy.

He said it’s those experiences that have made the past 20 years of his life worth living.

“This is a real moment,” he said of the graduation ceremony. “Can you feel that energy inside you? Do you feel the excitement, the fear, the sadness of leaving a great place? We’re lucky to all be here.”

Following his speech, awards were handed out to top students.

Marion resident Julia O’Rourke took home the Hamilton Webster Thayer Prize, which is awarded to a student whose overall experience typified the ideals of the school through scholarship, citizenship and leadership.

The Matthew W. Houlihan Memorial Scholarship went to Abigail-Rose Taber. The scholarship acknowledges a student for an outstanding commitment to classmates, a positive attitude and strong character.

There were 14 students from the tri-town area who graduated from Tabor this year, four of whom graduated Cum Laude.