Address to the Class of 2023:
Mr. Olstein, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Drath, Board Members, Faculty and Staff, Parents, and the Class of 2023, thank you all for making the past six years of my life possible.
I would also like to thank my grandparents, mother, father, sisters, and a special thank you to Ms. Moore for helping me in the writing of this. Those closest to me must realize someone is missing from that list of thank yous. This person is my brother, Austin, who is the reason why I am even here today on this campus. Without my brother Austin, none of this would have ever been possible. He was always the “smart kid” and when he got into our local middle school, the school – to put it simply – was not challenging enough. So with my parents wanting the best for him, they went searching for private schools in the area, finding Trinity-Pawling, which was close enough to be bussed daily. As time went by, it was clear this was the right fit for him, and three years later it was my turn. My parents asked me if I would like to go to Trinity-Pawling, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t hesitation, especially considering the all-boy atmosphere, but I came to the conclusion that I too wanted to go. My desire to attend Trinity-Pawling came from each night my brother would come home and share all he had done that day.
Coming into a new school was certainly not an easy adjustment, however, I was fortunate enough to come in with a friend Ethan Nevid. With the new school came a new way of doing things, one of which was sit-down dinners. Many of you have never experienced the wonderful sit-down dinners — disclaimer: they were awful. Nevertheless in my first week as a 7th grader, my brother needed to stay late for a club and I had to eat dinner at school. This might not seem like all that big of a deal for most, but as I walked into the dining hall and looked up and down, up and down the seating list, my name was nowhere to be seen. I stood there in the lobby of the dining hall waiting for my brother to ask what I should do. He finally showed up and said go ask any teacher to sit with them. The little 7th-grade me couldn’t muster up the courage to talk to any teacher, not a single one, so I ran out of the dining hall and called my father saying, “I’m going to need dinner tonight.” He was confused, but picked me up pizza. My next experience with the dining hall was the following night; however, this time would be different — I prepared a plan, which was asking my brother to find a seat for me. Mr. Kellogg welcomed me with open arms and told me I could sit there anytime. It was at this moment that I knew I belonged.
Having had this experience so early in my Trinity-Pawling career gave me the opportunity to do for others what my brother did for me. So when my fellow 7th-grade classmates, Kojo, for example, came to me asking what they should do when they didn’t see their name on the list at dinner, I was able to answer with all the confidence in the world as if I was an expert. I never would have thought that something so simple as asking a teacher for a place to sit would open up my mind to all Trinity-Pawling has to offer. Asking teachers for help in classes I was struggling with, going out of my comfort zone and joining clubs, and playing sports I never had before all became easy. The most important realization was that I was cared about here, that everyone had my back and wanted me to succeed. I did not take this lightly, so I invested more and more time on campus joining more clubs, as I wanted to give the community what it gave me.
The last six years have led me to the conclusion that giving back what I have received from this community is simply not possible, as it has prepared me for the future and left me with relationships that will last a lifetime. The last thing I wish to do is leave all of you with a small piece of advice. Going back to my brother for a brief moment, as the most recent thing he has taught me is relevant to each and every one of us. Many of you never met him since he graduated in 2020 and was unfortunately not able to have a formal graduation like we are lucky enough to have today. Nevertheless, as I said before, he was always the smart one until his freshman year of college. He took it for granted and thought things would be easy — the reality was that things weren’t easy. Austin came out of his first semester with a GPA so low, for his sake, I won’t say. But the point of me sharing this terrible moment for him is not to embarrass him. Rather, I want each and every one of you to learn from his mistakes. Enjoy however much time you have until your next chapter begins, but when that chapter starts give it your all, and hold nothing back. Because when that chapter ends, you’ll be wishing it had been longer. Thank you — Roll Pride!
by Alex Anderson ’23
Watch Alex’s full Address to the Class of 2023 here.