Bright-eyed soon-to-be Buckley graduates wearing red and blue sashes and ties; enduring traditions and age-old pomp and circumstance; proud parents, families, friends, faculty and staff gathering under a large white tent on the Roby Young Field; an overwhelming feeling of joy; never disappointing late spring, clear skies: nothing was missing for Buckley’s 97th commencement exercises and the graduation of the Class of 2024.
Reverend Jennifer Bailey, director of pastoral care services for New York City Health & Hospitals in Brooklyn and a spiritual care worker for the Red Cross, opened this year’s ceremony with an invocation. Ana Calvo presented the Teacher of the Year Award, selected by the members of the graduating class, to mathematics teacher Sue Rodriguez-Mclean. The 2024 Thomas J. Reid Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to pre-nursery teacher Susan Florendo. The G. Robert Gage Award for Excellence in Teaching, named and given in memory of Mr. Bob Gage’s late father, is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of their excellence in teaching. The 2024 recipient of the G. Robert Gage Award for Excellence in Teaching was fourth grade teacher Christine Ikin.
A generous endowment gift from Linda and John Powers made the presentation of an additional faculty award at graduation possible. The Powers Family Teacher Recognition Award is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of their embodiment of the School’s character and spirit, care and nurturing qualities, and excellence in teaching. This year, the Powers Family Teacher Recognition Award was presented to kindergarten teacher Sarah Roman ’98.
Board Chair Chris Lee presented this year’s Trustees’ Bowl, the school’s most prized academic award, to the student with the highest grade point average. The Trustees’ Bowl was presented to Nicholas Datterdeen.
The Scholarship Medal for the second-highest academic average was awarded to Calvo, while Angel Wai-Hernandez earned the Certificate of Merit for the third highest average.
Eliza Li and Adli Abdel-Misih, student council co-presidents, presented the gift of the Class of 2024 to Buckley Country Day School. The Class of 2024, a very athletic class, raised money to purchase a new scoreboard for one of the gyms. Being that they managed to raise more money than needed for the scoreboard, they added $2,000 to acquire new equipment for the athletic department and chose to allocate another $2,000 to the Headmaster’s Impact Fund started by the Class of 2017 to assist Buckley Country Day School’s families with expenses above and beyond tuition.
Dilynne Hsu was this year’s alumna speaker. Hsu was introduced by her younger brother, Chase, who introduced her not only as the valedictorian of the class of 2018, but also as his role model and best friend. Hsu shared how she remembered first introducing her little brother to her kindergarten classmates, 14 years ago, in the form of a sonogram picture.
“It’s funny how things come full circle,” Hsu said. “Now he is introducing me. It’s like a reverse show-and-tell.” With her high school years and the beginning of her college experience under her belt, Hsu was able to reassure the graduates that despite the anxiety caused by the inevitability of change, they have been well-equipped by their Buckley teachers to handle whatever comes their way thanks to the grit and passion for learning they have developed. “The memories you have made and the people you have met are part of who you are and who you will become,” Hsu said to the graduates before lovingly reminding them that “Buckley will be here for you when you, too, come full circle.”
The two student speakers selected by their peers were Eliza Li and Ken Thongpahusatcha. Li and Thongpahusatcha opened their remarks with an expression of gratitude for their teachers, their families, and their classmates. They then beautifully highlighted the unique personalities and qualities of each of the graduates, recounted the many ways in which they contributed to the overall experience of their classmates, and offered thoughts on where their future might take them. With nostalgia in their voices, Li and Thongpahusatcha recognized the inevitability of endings, but finding inspiration in Winnie the Pooh’s wisdom, they also realized how lucky they were “to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Diplomas were then awarded to the members of the graduating class.
Austin Hatwood introduced this year’s musical offering: “Remember Me” from the animated film Coco. “No matter the size,” Hatwood remarked, “big or small, deep memories are the embodiment of the Buckley experience, which is why it is so important that we recognize the people that we created those memories with.”
The members of the Class of 2024 will be attending: Andover, Blair Academy, The Browning School, Chaminade High School, Charterhouse School (UK), The Dalton School, Dominican Academy, Grace Church School, Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School, Loyola School, Manhasset High School, The Mary Louis Academy, Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, Phillips Exeter Academy, Portledge School, Sacred Heart Academy, Trinity School, Westhampton Beach Senior High School and Xavier High School.
Written by Jean-Marc Juhel, Ed.D, head of school
