2025 Graduation Remarks: Lessons That Last, From Willow to What’s Next

At this year’s graduation ceremony, Willow Class of 2019 graduate Mackenzie Thompson delivered a heartfelt and memorable keynote alumni speech. Drawing on a handmade bracelet she gifted to each graduate, Mackenzie reflected on the lasting lessons she learned at Willow — from thinking outside the box to embracing transformation. We love hearing from our remarkable alumni during graduation celebrations!

I want to begin by extending a BIG congratulations to the class of 2025! I applaud each and every one of you for all of the dedication and hard work that you have all displayed throughout these last three years of middle school. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Coy, Francisco, and all of the other Willow faculty and staff. It is truly thanks to all of your hard work that this place continues to be such a special place for so many students. And as one final thank you, I want to shout out to all the parents and guardians of the class of 2025. Now I know that you’re all in middle school so you’re probably thinking “Ew, I don’t want to thank my parents – they are SO UNCOOL.” But regardless of how uncool you think your parents may be, after this ceremony has ended and you’ve all gotten your diplomas, I think it would be great if you all thanked your parents or guardians for all they do for you. 

When Ms. Coy reached out to me and asked if I would give a speech at graduation this year, I was of course honored and excited to return back to this place that I love so much. But, when I sat down to write this speech I was hit with a bad case of writer’s block. As a 19-year-old college student without a ton of life experiences, I wasn’t really sure how much valuable advice I could actually impart upon the class of 2025. So, in the face of my writer’s block I did what I’m best at: procrastinating by working on an art project! Yeah I know it sounds silly, but weirdly it helps me when I’m in a creative rut. And as a result of my strange procrastination methods, I have a small gift to present to each member of the class of 2025. I made for each of you a bracelet containing 4 different beads: a box, a leaf, an owl, and a butterfly. 

These beads were not randomly decided upon, but rather each represent a different life-skill or value that Willow taught me during my time here. I hope that by giving each of you this small gift you will remember not only all of the life lessons that Willow taught you, but also recognize that these lessons will stick with you long after your time here. So without further adieu, I’ll explain what each of these beads symbolize for me personally and more importantly how the lessons they represent apply to your lives.   

Mackenzie Thompson holding bracelets she made for the Graduating Class of 2025

Bead #1: The Box
The first bead on your bracelets is a little black and white box which is meant to represent the importance of well- thinking outside the box. (Very creative imagery there – yes, I know).

But if there was one thing that Willow taught me, it’s that sometimes it’s okay to do things a little differently. It was actually somewhat of a miracle that I even made it to Willow in the first place. After my Catholic elementary school closed at the end of my fifth grade year, I was prepared to attend another small Catholic school for middle school. Yet, it just so happened that on three separate occasions during the summer before 6th grade, my parents happened to hear about Willow from family friends and work clients.

After hearing all of the wonderful things that they shared about this place, we decided to take a tour of campus. I can remember that when we were leaving the tour, my mom looked down and found a four-leaf clover which is said to be a sign of good luck and hope. Now, I’m not necessarily the type of person to believe that finding a four-leaf clover will actually bring you good luck, but in this case that sign came true because the next morning I was signed up to attend Willow and I ended up loving the time I spent here.  

Okay, so you’re probably now thinking, “Cool story Mackenzie, but what does this have to do with thinking outside of the box and how does this apply to my life?” To which I say, “Hold your horses! I’m getting there! There is a lesson in all of this I promise.” What this experience taught me is the importance of flexibility and doing things a little differently. Even at the age of 11, I had what I thought was a rough understanding of my life trajectory: I would attend a Catholic middle school before then going on to attend another Catholic high school. (The irony of all of this is that I wasn’t even really Catholic or all that religious – I had just attended a Catholic elementary school and that was all I knew).

Yet, instead of following this plan, I ended up at Willow, then Kent Place for high school, which ultimately set me up to attend Cornell for college. As my journey to Willow taught me – it’s okay if things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes you have to deviate from your expectations to learn some of the most important life lessons and witness some of the most magical things. So I want to remind you class of 2025: think outside the box and stay open, because when one door closes another one is often opening.   

Bead #2: The Leaf
The second bead on your bracelet is a leaf which represents the importance of connecting with nature. I want you to imagine this: You’ve just been dropped off at college and you’re suddenly in a foreign environment where you don’t know anyone and you don’t know where anything is. As I’m sure many of the adults in the audience can attest, the first couple days of college are terrifying and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t feeling homesick during my first semester. 

But I discovered that one thing really helped to quell some of my homesickness- walking in nature. According to studies published in the National Library of Medicine, exposure to natural environments can be associated with many benefits such as lower levels of stress and depression and even improved cognition. So, it makes sense that after a long walk around the lake during those early weeks away from home, I often felt more grounded and less anxious. 

But you don’t need me or some psychologists with a fancy Ph.D. to tell you that spending time in nature is important. You have already seen the benefits of spending time outside during your time at Willow. One of the most special aspects of Willow‘s curriculum is that the boundaries between the natural world and the classroom are blurred. Instead of simply reading textbooks about plant biology or the water cycle, you all have been able to get out into nature and observe the plants and animals around you on a first hand basis. Through interactive projects, exploring the woods at recess, and harvesting your own vegetables you have all gained a deeper understanding of how the environment shapes human life and how humans shape the environment. 

As you move beyond Willow and onto high school and later college or whatever path you follow, this appreciation of the natural world will not suddenly disappear. If going on a nature walk to destress isn’t your thing, then maybe you will pursue environmental activism or study biology or write poems about nature. Yet, no matter what you do later on in life- your time at Willow will always help you remember the importance of getting outside and exploring all that the natural world has to offer.

Bead #3: The Owl
The third bead on your bracelet is an owl which often represents wisdom and insight. One of the most important aspects of Willow’s curriculum, as I’m sure the class of 2025 can attest, is the importance of deep learning and critical thinking. Through the process of systems thinking, you have all learned to not merely analyze a historical event or scientific phenomena on the surface level, but rather look more deeply at its root causes. I’m sure you all have also become familiar with the importance of active learning. What is so special about Willow is that a lot of the most important lessons that you learn happen through working on projects or presentations. 

And, if there is one thing that Willow taught me, it was the importance of a good art project. Now I know that the Silk Road Journal is no longer a part of your social studies curriculum, but I’m sure you all have a similar project that you’ve worked on while you were here. Basically when I was here in 7th grade social studies we had to make a massive scrapbook meant to depict our own hypothetical journey along the Silk Road. If there are any alumni in the audience, you can attest to just how involved this thing was. I can remember sitting on my living room floor for hours trying to figure out how to fold a piece of origami paper into an envelope and almost lighting my house on fire while burning paper in the oven because I wanted it to look “old”. Even though making this scrapbook took countless hours of painstaking work, by the time I finished the project I felt accomplished. Not to mention- I had learned a lot throughout this process-not just about the Silk Road but also about the value of hard work and critical thinking. 

I can attest from personal experience that the values of thinking deeply and creatively don’t simply disappear as you get older, but rather stick with you. Ironically, those origami skills actually came in handy during my first semester of college. For one of my history finals, I was given the task of making a creative project on a topic of my choice. So, in true Willow fashion, I decided to make a scrapbook similar to that of a Silk Road Journal. I’ll never forget it was 4:00 in the morning (yeah, finals had really messed up my sleep schedule) and I was in my dorm kitchen folding little origami envelopes while simultaneously dipping printer paper in coffee and baking it in the oven to make it look old. 

Even though the people in my dorm likely thought I was a little bit odd when they saw me baking paper in the kitchen, the project ended up being a success. Without the skills that I learned through the process of active learning, I never would have thought to make a scrapbook- let alone to bake paper to make it look old. While you may not be baking paper in your dorm kitchen at 4:00 am like I was, let this story be proof to you that the deep thinking and creativity that you learn here at Willow will stick with you forever and remain applicable to your life.      

Bead #4: The Butterfly
The final bead on your bracelet is a butterfly which is often used to represent transformation, change, and rebirth. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the lifecycle of a butterfly. These creatures start off as a tiny egg, then they become a chubby little caterpillar, before they build a cocoon and transform themselves into a colorful butterfly. In the same way that a little caterpillar transforms itself into a beautiful butterfly, you all are also embarking on a journey of great transformation and change. 

The transition from 8th grade to high school can be one of the most daunting times of your life. Just like the process of weaving a cocoon is intricate and somewhat awkward, the transition from 8th grade into high school can also feel uncomfortable and scary. I can remember the anxiety that I felt over the course of the summer before my freshman year of high school. So many what if’s ran through my mind – what if I’m not ready for high school, what if no one at my new school likes me, what if the workload is too much or the classes are too hard or I get lost on the first day of school or I trip and fall down the stairs or… . Yeah, you can say I was a bit of a nervous wreck. I felt like I was suddenly leaving behind the safety of Willow for some big new scary world. Everyone was asking me about my goals and ambitions for high school and maybe even college, when truthfully I had no idea what I wanted to do (and I still don’t even know now). 

But, I want to assure each and every one of you that in time you will figure out what you want to do in life and that Willow has prepared you well for your journey ahead. Just because you are moving on to a new school, that doesn’t mean that all of the memories that you made and lessons that you learned while you were here will suddenly disappear. That’s the thing about growing up- you may mature and move on to do other amazing things but what you learned while you were here will stay with you forever. As you hold the little butterfly charm in your hand, I want you to think about everything that Willow has taught you and all of the memories you have made. Even though you may be moving on, the memories of singing the “Tree Song”, exploring the woods at recess, and sitting in morning gathering next to your friends will always remain with you. 

Now I don’t expect you to all wear these bracelets every day, but when you’re sitting in your high school classrooms next year and you suddenly feel anxious about meeting new people or taking a hard exam- I want you to simply visualize these beads (the box, the leaf, the owl, and the butterfly) and remember that thanks to Willow you have the ability to think outside the box, connect with nature, think critically, and know that in the same way a caterpillar transforms itself into a beautiful butterfly, in each new environment you find yourselves in you will have the skills to continue to grow and develop into a more mature and confident version of yourself. I again want to congratulate the class of 2025 – I can’t wait to see all of you succeed in high school, college, and whatever other amazing things you do later in life! 

Watch Mackenzie’s speech below!